Goodbye, July

It is a sizzling summer with fun in the sun!  At the end of July in Utah, we look forward to cool temperatures in September — wait ... in October.  Memories of cool July trips with Kay to Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, Alaska, the bay in Michigan, and (with her away this Fourth) the Ranch ... help me endure 100-degree days at home.  Quick, kick-scooter trips to the cool store and leisurely walks around duck ponds next door are my style of travel now.  Picking up a book indoors is my preferred work.  What’s yours?

I cherish my memory of reading as a young boy on our front lawn in July.  Building my three-story hut in our 2nd-Avenue back yard kept me out of some mischief.  (Wish I had kept a journal in July during teenage years on Northcrest Drive.)  Summer quarters at the U were cool, thanks to study by the pool and water skiing after school.  Mid-summer breaks at the Ranch with my young wife and kids are memories this month as well. 

So, goodbye, sunny July, a long month of fun!

The Right Place

As an ideal resting place, Ogden Utah is where I want to stay ... especially during Pioneer Days.  Our state holiday on July 24th celebrates the arrival of the first pioneers in 1847.  With faith and perseverance, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints endured hardship and danger on their historic trek west from Nauvoo Illinois to the Rocky Mountains.

“Departing from Fort Laramie [in June 1847], a vanguard company of Saints, including President Brigham Young, trekked across the high plains of Wyoming ...”

“Though President Young’s exact words on the occasion might not be known, Wilford Woodruff summed up Brigham’s reaction to seeing the [Salt Lake] Valley: ‘President Young expressed his full satisfaction in the appearance of the valley as a resting place for the Saints and was amply repaid for his journey.’ “

— ldsliving.com 7/24/2017, by Casey Paul Griffiths, Mary Jane Woodger, and Susan Easton Black

Having grown up and raised our family in Salt Lake City, and settled in this diverse city of Ogden, my wife Kay & I are grateful for the sacrifices made by our pioneer ancestors. 

Lost and Found

It’s a learning process as I grow older.  Phone, keys, raincoat found in a backpack taken on my last trip.  Amazing to me ... what a cognizant senior can lose in a little studio apartment!  Things are moved to make way for the housekeeper.  “A place for everything, and [not] everything in its place.”  Then comes elation from finding something!  And no more need to buy a replacement.

In my old age, information seems to be lost from memory (a failure to recall) ... and found with help from the Internet.  Family Tree app, for example, provides quick access to ancestors’ information and photos.  Relationships may be lost ... and renewed years later.  ( I could have found an old friend at my East High School reunion.)  

Anticipating our special day, I reviewed my 7/9/22 anniversary love note to my wife Kay, who is not lost: “...  Thank you for helping me find my phone 7/7 Thursday night, as I picked up your quad to read the Book of Mormon; so I saw my iPhone11 on the floor!  Your adoring husband, loving you  — Ned”

Photo Thanks

Sometimes a simple photograph says it, especially for the person capturing a meaningful moment.  Gratitude for beauty of God’s creation, for example.  Flags flying on the Fourth of July.  Joyful weddings — portraits of eternal love.  A precious, newborn daughter or son.  Family funeral photos preserving good grief with gratitude for the gifts of life and resurrection.  Priceless!

Just a Minute

Someone’s watching out for me, occasionally reminding me to breathe for one minute.  I see it on my watch, which helps me think clearly and live longer.

Give me a minute to finish my story.  Here at the apartments, a walk to the fitness center, dining room, or theater takes just a minute — same for a run to the hospital next door.  However, slowing down to think ahead for a minute has often saved me time and trouble.  (Last year my older neighbor rushed to catch a waiting ride, fell flat on the floor, and broke six ribs.)

I just wish some people would let me talk for half a minute while they take a breath before finishing their stories.  Nevertheless, I want to be a good listener.  Let me know if this one took more than 30 seconds to read.  Thanks for your time.

Intentional Vacation

The Hinckley cousins’ trip to Disneyland was deliberately planned as an adventure the young kids would never forget.  Very intentional parenting, as we call it today.  The trip was consciously funded by a family collating project, which included young people ( I won’t say “child labor”) working many nights for a generous publishing company.  Some work was done in the barn at Grandpa’s farm — how fun!  All of us workers were highly motivated by the intended vacation as our reward.  In the process, family togetherness was an immediate blessing.

My wife Kay, the youngest of eight siblings, took our 2-year-old son and me on the chartered bus from Salt Lake City to Anaheim.  Being a musical, outgoing young woman, she led the children in fun songs during the long bus ride.  Our delightful driver was impressed.  Aging cousins still gather and talk about that big family trip!

Mother of Five

Our amazing children treasure loving memories of their mother every day.  On this Mother’s Day, my wife Kay is especially on our minds.  She is an enduring  example of love, patience, service, and righteous living.  There is no end.  Families are forever ... with love!

Four years ago, I wrote: “Dear to my heart are memories of my forever sweetheart Kay, mother of our five children.  She continues to influence us all with her special kind of love and devoted service to those around her.  ...   Our 23 grandchildren all adore their Grandma Kay, who loves them and is keenly interested in their activities.  She will always hold a special place in their heart.”