Frightful Films, a Nightmare

Has someone or something reminded you lately to write your personal history?  If you haven’t finished it (meaning you’re not walking dead yet), here’s an idea: make a list of Halloween/scary memories you can flesh-out later (oooh, gross!)  I find writing my history by topic works better than writing chronologically.  It’s like the “swiss-cheese method” that makes a project look like bites taken here and there; (think rats, not vampires.)  As I recall from reading the book many years ago, “swiss cheese” is my favorite part of How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life, a little paperback book by Alan Lakein; (he deserves thumbs-up credit here.)  (OK, I’m trying to control myself.)

(A little chronology here:) <(No, MS-Word, I don’t want a smiley face!  Undo!)

My earliest scary memory is a nightmare – the worst ever.  A huge, menacing black bear in the stormy night sky was reaching down to grab me.  I barely escaped, in spite of my agonizing, slow-motion run across our big backyard on Second Avenue. (Why couldn't I move my legs faster?!  I tried so hard!  Aaaagh!!)  I may have had this dream more than once, never to be forgotten.

“1954 [attraction opened as] Spook House”  This must be the ride I remember at Lagoon (amusement park in Farmington, Utah) – very scary for me at the time!  A classic, shocking, jerky-ride spook alley, totally out of my control.  – lagoonpark.com/pdf/...  (page 8 of 42)

Late one night, three days ago, I heard a Halloween special broadcast of Exploring Music on Classical 89 (BYU) radio that told a story of a banshee.  "Demons, Spooks and Other Things That Go Bump In The Night” was presented by the host, Bill McGlaughlin.  This reminded me of a film I saw when I was young, that scared me so much when the banshee appeared, as my younger brother crawled under the theater seat, I wanted to go with him!  “Darby O'Gill and the Little People, a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea …”  – en.wikipedia.org

Google defines banshee: “(in Irish legend) a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in a house.”  Urbandictionary.com morphs it eerily: “A mythological, female, magical creature that flies all night looking for prey. They feed on people's sadness. They kill by screaming in such a high …”  (Sorry -- this is too scary.)

Naturally (spookily), like everything now, you can watch the scariest part on YouTube:  “The Appearance of the Banshee” with Connery and the old man calling, looking for young Katie, and finally the banshee appearing as the elder found her fallen on the mountain.  “Keep away!  Keep away from her!!”  Imagine it using today’s computer graphics!  Old is “bad” (good and scary) here.  
– youtube.com/watch?v=rhxC_1wuo3E

Another movie, about a dark, scary mansion at night, makes me shudder to this day.  As a tender young boy, I walked with a friend to an old theater in downtown Salt Lake.  I distinctly remember entering late, just as a small box was opened ... with a human head inside!  I was ready to turn around and go home right then!  "House on Haunted Hill is a 1959 American horror film … and stars Vincent Price as eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren.  …"  – en.wikipedia.org

Get the picture?  Jot down some of yours on a scratch paper or whatever.  For fun! (I could insert a picture here, but it might frighten the little ones.)

Getting Better With Age

It seemed so far away … when I was young – getting old, that is.  Over the last 18 months it crept up on me sooner than I expected.  Twelve months ago, I never wanted to do yard work again, except to help elders (older folks, not the Church office) with their yard next door.  After last summer’s work, I’m convinced.

This month as I researched senior living, I realized something amazing: I have graduated to feeling “old at heart” and loving it.  The benefits are more than just discounts at movie theaters and my favorite all-you-care-to-eat buffets.  I am better able to empathize with elders who struggle with unemployment, loneliness, depression, physical aches and pains.  I am a better man for having newfound patience with young people who ignore us and misunderstand us.  I rejoice in being an empty nester with greater freedom and motivation to help others; (my wife Kay and I look forward to serving another mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.)  The 55+ communities are looking better to us – maybe they have improved with age (jk). Facebook? – we can take it or leave it.  More time and freedom to travel; (and more ease with freestyle writing of incomplete sentences without a verb.)

First opened in 1911, the famous Hotel Utah in Salt Lake City began its expansion in 1974.  The publicity theme for the project was “Getting better with age."  In 1993 it was rechristened the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, “in honor of the Mormon church founder …”  -- deseretnews.com (June 7 2011, “100 years” article by Ray Boren)  It continues to get better with age; (check it out by Temple Square, next time you’re in town!)

This quote we’ve all read is one of my favorites: "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."  -- Mark Twain  (from brainyquote.com)

I missed my blog’s third anniversary a week ago – still pretty young (the blog, not I.) This post is done … for today; it will get better with age.  Expect expansion. And exciting discoveries in this new old world.  Any ideas?
Downsizing?  Lightening our load?  
Renting a cottage for next summer (three months) in the Isle of Man?  Now that's getting better!

Short (Quick) Anecdotes

Last Saturday I Googled (searched Internet): define anecdote

Result: “a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.”

(Google’s definition instantly appeared at the top of 1.1 million results!  Amazing.)  As examples, several stories quickly fit in here.

I have listened to KSL NewsRadio traffic reports since 2007, when I started a job that took me out on the road a lot.  Rikki Meece, a superb young reporter, has always made me smile with her crystal-ball traffic forecasts – typically, "the crash is GOING TO BE ..."; (makes me wonder WHEN.  Of course if I’m headed away from the predicted trouble site, the time doesn’t matter.)  To be fair, her fine reports have helped me avoid some bad traffic over the years, making KSL’s annoying background sound effect worth enduring; (mercy!)  I often hear similar predictions – without the ominous consequences – in retail stores, where a product I’m searching for “is GOING TO BE on aisle 9” or wherever; (without asking the worker "WHEN?", I trust that it WILL be there by the time I arrive.)  By the way, I predict many retailers are going to be disappointed at Christmas time, due to the US government shutdown; but we are going to enjoy the true holiday spirit regardless of the economy.

Part of my second post is worth repeating:

Fast Food, Coupon Drive                        October 22, 2010

When my wife and I had young children to feed, we had a favorite activity and fun family tradition called the "coupon drive".  We collected fast-food coupons, then drove around town ordering, dividing, and eating one or two of a single item at each drive-thru.  The workers often felt sorry for us buying so little to feed the six or seven of us.  After about eight stops, we were stuffed!  This enduring tradition would not be possible without fast food.  Our youngest actually wrote a report on it for school (using fast-food language, of course).  Since then, the words "coupon drive" always bring back fond memories.  I can hardly wait for the next one!

May you enjoy the drive, however you do it.

And a little healthy fast food.

Primary Lessons 1934

For this last day of General Conference, I found the Lesson Bulletin for the Primary Association of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints / Autumn Quarter 1934, owned by Kay’s mother, Erma Taysom in Portland, Oregon (Sister Taysom’s first mission.)  Primary is the Church's organization for children under the age of 12.  In addition to singing and other fun activities, Primary has a different set of lessons for each age group.

The first October 1934 lesson for Larks and Blazers was “Houses of Worship / Objective: To promote better habits of behavior in places of worship.”  It gave examples of sacred places, including the tabernacle built by the children of Israel as a temple in the wilderness (Exodus 40), our own meetinghouses today, and the Sacred Grove [Palmyra, New York -- lds.org/locations/sacred-grove].

The lesson ends (p. 70) with this simple instruction which applies to children (and adults) today, even while listening at home to Conference talks; (it reminds me of Conference activities children have been doing since ours were little):  “If you are in church and can’t understand the speaker, what do you think is the best thing to do?  What do you think about reading or drawing [or playing video games] in church? Why is it better to sit and listen?  Very often boys and girls do not try to understand.  Nearly every speaker says a few things boys and girls of your age can understand.  If you only get one idea to remember from each speaker – that’s worthwhile.  The best way to do after you go to church is tell your parents what the speaker said.  Soon you will find it quite interesting, and you will discover how much more you can understand than you did at first.  Try it next Sunday – and the next.”

Seasonal Shorts

The weather here turned downright cold this week, so I'm bundled up while other guys are still wearing shorts as if it were summer; reminds me of one or two of our sons doing that every day of high school -- even in winter … can’t understand it.

Yesterday at Walmart (gotta love it) … lots of shorts wandering around … in the garden department I saw trees lined up with pretty lights shining on them  … what?!   Out in the cold section where I looked for garden clearance deals, there were a few basic items, but no prices, like there’s no demand to justify paying people to price-tag out of season.  (Walmart is so smart, not wasting space with clearance like other stores do.)  Instead, I saw endless stacks of unopened boxes of Christmas decorations from … (you know where) … waiting to be emptied by eager workers wielding box cutters.  Of course the Halloween merchandise is still going strong because September isn’t over yet; it will probably peak during "Conference weekend” Oct. 5-6 (includes Sunday, even though that’s actually the first day of the week – not the week end.)
Later at DI, shorts were my desire, to wear at home while the furnace runs; but I guess the few were snatched up the minute they hit the racks.  Disappointed, I understood why guys aren't donating more, as shorts are never out of style.

The other day I ran across my swim shorts on my closet floor; wish I’d found them last June before our vacation.  My motto: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.”  Imagine that.

Looking forward to skiing, I can picture a sunny day at Powder Mountain, my favorite (cheaper) resort.  Others will be snowboarding in shorts, taking in the high-altitude sun.  “Powder Mountain has over 7000 acres of the epic terrain covered in 500 inches of ..."

-- powdermountain.com  (Check out the death-defying snowboarder here.)

Enjoy the season, and Happy Holidays, whatever it is you’re preparing to celebrate!

Pioneers Too

 “The same pioneer spirit that carried Brigham Young and his followers across the plains to Utah [in 1847], also found its way into other parts of the world, including Africa.  The faith, dedication, and triumph of the early African pioneers over adversity are explored and celebrated in Pioneers of Africa – an inspiring story of those who paved the way.” (-- VHS cover.)  This priceless video documentary was produced by BYU Broadcasting and Wisteria Pictures in 2003, and I was fortunate to find an original copy of the VHS tape. 

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City received numerous letters from Africa for years preceding the revelation and announcement in early June 1978, that all worthy male members may receive the priesthood.  The day for which those faithful pioneers earnestly prayed and prepared, finally came.  “We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.  … The First Presidency.”  -- General Conference report, October 1978.  The story of those pioneers, mainly in Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa, is a fascinating history of their years of preparation for this blessing which they firmly believed would come one day, and of their faithful acceptance throughout the decades that followed.  Anthony Obinna (1928-1995) of Nigeria was the first black African to be baptized by the Church missionaries in West Africa, and the first in the Church to be called as a branch president.  Anthony baptized his wife Fidelia, who became “the first black Relief Society president in Africa.”  -- en.wikipedia.org

 

“So whenever we thought of the pioneers [of 1847] or read about them, we were inspired.  We walked in the footsteps of the pioneers, and we learned a lot about them, and were encouraged by their ways.”  -- Joseph William Billy Johnson (born 17 Dec 1934) of Cape Coast, Ghana, narrating Pioneers of Africa.  J.W.B. Johnson was another pioneer leader who played a key role in Church history.  It was his conviction in the early years that a temple would be built in his country if the people were faithful.  The Accra Ghana Temple was dedicated 11 January 2004, and the Aba Nigeria Temple 7 August 2005, both by Gordon B. Hinckley.   -- ldschurchtemples.com

Google Maps

Walk Through Pioneer Day

Yesterday we celebrated a big holiday in Utah, remembering the arrival of the first Mormon pioneers (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led by Brigham Young) at the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847.  In her holiday planning, my wife Kay had many ideas for family activities, but our children (all married) had their own; so we enjoyed quiet time most of the day.   I didn’t complain.

Feeling the pioneer spirit, I got out early and dug in our dirt for four hours to push back the wilderness of weeds.  The only harvest was a big once-prized tomato, spoiled on the bottom part my bug dust missed.   Later I enjoyed my favorite fast-food breakfast of cereal and milk (they never had it so easy in the “days of ‘47”.)  Also unlike those days, siesta time with “Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor op.30” by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was heavenly.

The highlight of the day for us was attending, with dear friends who saved second-row seats, the free annual concert put on by Layton City; (we thank retiring Mayor Steve Curtis.)  Riders in the Sky performed in the amphitheater to a standing-room-only crowd; (families in the overflow lounged on the grass hill.)  The group of four talented singer-musicians absolutely captivated the audience of all ages.  They performed “authentic renditions of old classic cowboy and Western songs, as well as original works and various comedic skits and songs.” – wikipedia.org (See tagged photos for their fun names.)  The award-winning fiddler’s jazz element pleased me more than anything – not what I expected from old cowboy singers.  A favorite of everyone, it seemed, was the little children’s impromptu performance on stage with the old-timers; it was like a Primary chorus of 200 – so darling as the fiddler passed the mic around for surprise solos.  It was totally a family-oriented event, including the five F-16 jet “arranged fly-overs” as the Riders in the Sky ad-libbed, and also the fireworks afterward.  At home we watched our late-night feature film, "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972 with Robert Redford as the leading mountain man) on VHS tape (yes, old is still good.)
 

The rest of the story I am preparing, about different kinds of pioneers, wants to be in a future post.  Happy pioneering!