Of Autumn Leaves and Cows Jumping Over the Moon

I can't quite see this blogging becoming addictive, but I do feel a need to keep it updated. Plus, I feel challenged to learn how to format the blog a little better.

I think our "winter plan" is in effect!! Often, those who work 8 to 5, wonder what retired people do all day. They wonder what retired--okay elderly--people could possibly do to fill all those hours. I used to wonder what on earth my mother did with her time. Actually what Mother did with her time wasn't a mystery--she kept her little apartment clean and orderly, and she sewed quilts. She didn't, as I remember, watch a lot of television, and she didn't read books at all. I thought it strange that she would often take naps at ten o'clock in the morning and constantly woke us up with calls at 5am, saying she'd been up for hours!! Now, I don't know what people do who don't have hobbies, but I know that retired people who have church responsibilities, hobbies, a home, and an intelligent mind are BUSY.

We, for instance, wake up at 5am still. We've always awakened at 5am; the alarm is never set; our inner alarms automatically clue us in. We take a morning walk by 5:30; another habit that we've engaged in off and on for years. Today, I accidentally stumbled through a small puddle and wondered for the nth time why we don't make it a habit to walk after the sun comes up!! Habit.... Then, we explain to each other what our individual plans for the day may be. On our "mission" days, we simply remind each other that we'll need to leave for Portland by 8:30, but on non-mission days we go through our plans. Then, we go on about our own business and meet up again at noon. We always know where the other is, but we really don't work together. We've taken lately to spending our evenings by ourselves--sort of. Tom is in his "office" doing lesson prep or writing his life story, and I work in my sewing room either sewing or indexing or genealogy research. We're hilarious, since we've both become a bit hard or hearing. Often, we're yelling through the walls at each other. We've thought about getting tin cans with strings to communicate. We're BUSILY engaged in activities that we seem driven to do, that we feel, somehow, will measure the worth of our lives. It's fulfilling and comfortable--like comfy old slippers.

These week Tom has been laboring with his leaf blower. I tried to get a picture of him with the leaf blower but arrived outside when he was mowing the lawn after he'd blown away the leaves. In the afternoon, a gusty wind came up, and the leaves are falling once again, which brought a grin to Tom's face. I, on the other hand, have spent hours making cows jump over the moon--a quilt for new great-grandson, Carter. I'm actually make two quilts at the same time--same quilt in fact. One for Carter, and one for the child of one of our favorite law students from LaJolla.

Life is good.

I've Taken the Bait...Six Things Hunh?

I've certainly found out that the first shall be last in a blog. If you don't post your writing backwards, your reader will be reading your punch line before he's read the body of your work.
I have had a hard time coming up with six things that my daughters don't know about me, since they're the only ones who have blogs. I can't follow through with the second part of the assignment, since I know only two bloggers. Here goes:

1. My daughters are certainly their mother's daughters. I too hate chain letters. I also don't really care for forwards which are in poor taste or which put down or criticize others. I do enjoy a good forward that is tasteful and creative.

2. I also am never organized. I know why--I HATE HOUSEWORK. I've never found much satisfaction in dusting, vacuuming, etc. other than the gratitude of having a clean house when visitors come to call. Perhaps if such tasks had an end, but they don't. You see the results of your labor for a short while until the dust comes sneaking in once more or the bath tub ring reappears. One lady who'd been a janitor all her life said she loves doing the bathroom because in 20 minutes you have instant gratification.
I've now come to realize that I keep my house cleaner and don't have to bother as much when I take the time to pick up after myself!! My husband almost always picks up after himself.

3. I also don't like to cook very well for the reasons Susan mentions; I tend to leave an ingredient out or overcook the food or something. My meals never seem to be "just right" as I imagine they should be. I've found much more success now in fixing meals, but we have less desire to have a six course meal!

4. Secretly, I hate having my picture taken. This is not a phenomenon which has occurred since I've become overweight. I've always hated looking at pictures of myself. Low self-esteem??? Now that we're older, and there are just the two of us, Dad urges me often to "go stand in front of this or that." Ugh!!

5. I have found since the return from our mission that I feel an urgency about my life that I've never felt before. I think it's an acceptance of age. In fifteen years, I'll be 80 years old. Who knows what my health will be like. So, I'm on a campaign to complete some very ambitious projects--like quilts for all of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren; organizing all of my pictures; publishing one or two more editions of "My Turn," the little book I compiled of some of my writings a few years ago; completing my life history. The mission taught me that "things" are of little consequence; many of the "things" in my home that I thought were so important, I haven't even looked at since I've been home. Many, many "things" that I thought I couldn't live without have been discarded--donated to one worthy cause or another, and I have no regrets about that. The recent fires in California reminded me that all "things" can be taken in a heart beat. One lady took only her phone book out of her burning mansion, so she would be able to check up on her friends and see that they were okay.

6. Until just a few days ago, I hadn't really "enjoyed" this new mission. A part-time service mission is not the same as a full-time mission. We began the second mission a little too soon, I felt. I was tired. Also, because of the nature of this second mission, not only teaching classes but establishing a new LDSSA program, working on PR stuff, I felt rather superfluous to the activities. Much of the work of establishing class curriculum and organization is priesthood. In this Institute, the secretary is very efficient and struggles sometimes to have enough to do let alone find something for me to do. However, as the weeks have passed, I've felt the slow change of becoming rested from the first mission and becoming acquainted with the ins and outs of the second. The old warmth of companionship, camraderie, and purpose is coming back...Hooray.
For What It's Worth...Mom

Toothbrushless Night

The final leg of our trip was interesting. We'd heard so many war stories about airport problems, but we'd not had any trouble until...we left Portland, Maine headed for home. We would only have a 40 minute layover in Atlanta, and we watched the Delta agent continue to change the time of the arrival of plane that was to take us to Atlanta. Finally, it became clear that we wouldn't arrive in Atlanta in time to catch our connecting flight to Portland. The Delta agent assured us that they would do everything in their power to get us on another flight or they would put us up in a hotel. In Atlanta, we were run all over the huge Atlanta airport to finally end up at the counter of a very stern black man. Although we were exhausted and discouraged, we were determined not to lose our cool. The agent spoke not a word as he checked many flights and then booked us a hotel. As we thanked our cheerless assistant, Dad mentioned how much he hates flying, and the man broke into a smile. He confided that he'd vowed when he left Korea that he would never fly again, and here he was, a Delta employee. He wished us well. Later, we learned that over 25 flights had been cancelled, so he'd had a long, long day.
Being the intrepid travelers we are, we had no toiletries with us. No cell phone, etc. The hotel was full, inundated with grumpy travelers who also had no toiletries, so they could offer us nothing. Too funny.
We arrived at the Institute on Tuesday with ten minutes to spare for Dad to teach his class. Our director and the secretary had made us a lunch--so sweet. We hurried home, showered, etc. and returned to Portland to teach our evening class which was a sweet experience. Life is so rich and full.

Terrifying Rides

The Mt. Washington Auto Road. This sign should have been a clue!

Walden Pond

Scituate, Mass

The famous road!! In your imaginiation, add fog and rain, and two-way traffic and you ge the idea

Plymouth Rock. This is the original rock, and although the rock was never huge, it had been chipped away by tourists and then dropped when it was taken out of the water.

MayflowerII. Seemed so small!

Hawthorne's House of Seven Gables

The "rude" bridge at Concord

Our itinerary included: Portland; Plymouth, Mass; Concord, Mass--Walden Pond, Lexington and Concord Battlefield; Salem, Mass; Scituate, Mass (where the Bailey ancestors originated); Brattlesboro, Vermont; Mt. Washington Auto Road, New Hampshire; Gorham, New Hampshire.

We spent three days exploring New England as the proverbial leaf peepers. We experienced such kindness from the New Englanders! We laughed, loved, listened to gripping books on tape, hiked, and felt a renewal of our love for our country and our roots. We sat beside an author in a little deli in Concord, Mass, and I eavesdropped while she described the "birthing" of each new book she's written. I have no idea who she was other than her name was Joan, and she's been writing since the early 70's. The only moose we saw in Maine was a poor creature who'd lost his life to a hunter.

There were several "unexpected finds" on our trip. One was Walden Pond. As we skirted Boston on our way to Plymouth, I had no more mentioned to Dad that on our next trip, we should plan to go to the "haunts" of writers like Emerson, Thoreau, etc, than I spotted a sign that said "Walden Pond State Recreational Park." We spent several hours roaming through Walden Pond, the battlefields of Lexington and Concord, the Wayside Inn and gazing at the numerous beautifully restored Colonial homes.

Another unexpected find was Scituate, Mass. I've wanted to go to Scituate for a long time because Grandma Kennedy's blueblooded line--the Vaughns moved from the original Plymouth Colony to Scituate. I expected a sleepy, tiny village, and, although Scituate is small, it's not tiny. It's a truly beautiful village--very picturesque. It was easy to feel the presence of our ancestors as we drove around.

Another ancestor of the family is William Brewster, who came on the Mayflower. We searched for an hour in the original burying ground at Plymouth for his grave until it was too dark, but we did find a lovely little garden that had been the site of his original homestead. Very affirming. We enjoyed Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower. Dad loved the many rock walls in Plymouth.

At one point, Dad spent several hours searching for a site he'd seen in the atlas when he was planning the trip. Down one road and up another. He was searching for a Christmasland village, which he knew I would enjoy, but after a fruitless search, he had to admit defeat. I was so touched and reminded of his great love for me, for my happiness, and my loves--no matter how silly they are.

However, the highlight of the trip had to be the Mt. Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire. I had seen some bumper stickers that read: "This car climbed Mt. Washington." We'd had wonderful, wonderful weather the entire trip, so we weren't apprehensive when we started up the road. I figured that I'd gone up Dock Grade so many times that I could manage an eight mile road that climbed 8000 feet up a mountain. We'd been on the road for about a mile when Dad asked if I would stick in the cd of the book on tape we'd been listening to and advance it. I replied with tightly clenched teeth, "I can't. I've got both hands holding on!" The view was gorgeous--scary but gorgeous. We drove high above the tree level and into the clouds, from paved road to gravel road to mud road. We couldn't see the view from the top because dusk was falling; it was "froggy," and it was pouring buckets of rain. The trip was scary as we worked our way down in the rain and mud. I had clenched my teeth throughout the hour we spent that the next day, when I bit into a piece of gum, it was gritty from flecks of my tooth. Dad was calm and composed throughout!!

A wonderful affirming experience.

SLEEPING BABIES--Our visit with Tom and Nicole

We had lots of fun with Tom and Nicole. They have an apartment with "character" very close to the beach. We enjoyed Kahlil--who has an imaginary friend, Peach, who is a baseball player and a bull dogger and sweet little Wyatt, who's cheerful and smiling. Here's a picture of Tom's bikes--20+ and growing--which he's learning to repair. Lots of fun. Tom, Nicole, and I posed at the foot of the oldest elm tree in New England, Herbie, who stands sentinel at the end of Nicole's parents home in Yarmouth, Maine.

From Sleeping Babies to Terrifying Rides to toothbrushless hotel stays--our trip to Maine

Hello Everyone,

I'm sure it will take me some time to get used to blogging. Am I writing a letter, composing an editorial, spilling my guts to the world, creating reminiscen or what? This will be a letter--a travelogue with some editorializing and reminiscing included. I'm having trouble formatting the pictures as I want them, but I'm assuming that skill will come with practice. I'm not sure how to proceed on this, so it will look like I've posted several blogs in order to arrange the pictures as I really wish. These first pictures are merely snaps of the leaves. One account I read in the local paper was that the leaves weren't as shiny or brilliant as previous years; yet a lovely lady in her eighties who'd grown up in Portland told us that she'd never seen them more lovely!!

I FORGOT!!

Hmmm... I'm off to quite a start. I forgot something very important. Mark and Jennifer are planning to be in Washington in July for about a month or so, and Marie is hoping to bring most of her family home for the summer as well. Dad and I have been thinking some time of having a family reunion of the descendants and friends of the Thomas G Kennedy branch of the family in White Salmon. Although we don't have the means to pay for transportation for family members like we have in the past, we feel that we could set up extra beds, tents, etc. to accommodate everyone. We thought that a camp-like atmosphere in the back yard with games set up, the gazebo set up as camp headquarters, lots of camp crafts and side trips to the pool and local sights would be memorable for all. Please be thinking about taking vacations, etc. at that time, so we can all be together! Any input concerning activities--how about a family talent show?? Family picture?? Family service project??

Also, I'm sending Debbie, Jennifer, Darla, Susan, Michelle, Marie, and Nicole family cookbooks which were put together by your cousin, Peggy Billingsley Warner. She's not charging for the books, so I think it would be nice if we made sure that we sent a thank you note or email. I don't know how private a blog is, so, if you'll email me, I'll send her email and address.

I'm including a few more pictures. The baby in the pix is Wyatt who looks a lot like his dad. Love to you all. I'm sure we'll have lots more pictures when we return from the east coast. Love, Mom

Mom finally succumbed to blogging!!!

I'm trying....I'm trying. So many of you have been asking me to start a blog, but I've resisted what with the mission, genealogy, etc. However, I can't seem to post pictures very well anywhere else. Myfamily website is sort of disorganized and hard to navigate, so I'll use this blog to post pictures and do family newsletters. I will try hard to update the post each week!! So, here goes with pictures! I thought since so many in the family now live in warmer climates, you might enjoy a stroll through memory lane--autumn in the Gorge-ous Gorge. The pictures are the top: (1) Three of our Institute students--Crystal, Joe, and Britney; (2) a strikingly beautiful tree on the grounds of the Institute; (3) the street in WS that leads to the Catholic Church--tennis courts are on your left; (4) I'm trying hard to take pictures from the car as we head down Dock Grade; (5) beautiful downtown White Salmon; (6) Our backyard.

Dad and I are doing well. We drive to Portland three and sometimes four times a week for classes and socials. Our classes are about the same as we've always had. We never seem to know who will show up. We enjoy the sweet spirit and enthusiasm of our director, Brother Gubelin. We're pioneering a program at the University of Portland which is putting Dad's skills as an administrator to work. I have a family history class, which is always fun. I've acquired two beautiful girls from South America who are here on scholarships to learn English in my family history class. They aren't members and understand very little, but I'm going to begin helping them with English. Our drives through the Gorge, so far, have been very scenic and easy, only once did we have a hairy ride in the rain. On our "off" days, we enjoy the same old, same olds. Dad works outside, and I spend my time on my loves--genealogy, sewing, etc. Our life, right now, is very comfortable--cross your fingers.

We'll be leaving for Maine on Monday afternoon. We'll bring the cell phone with us. We plan to visit Tom and Nicole and also make a brief swing through the White Mountains and Plymouth, Salem, and Scituate, Mass. which is where Grandma Kennedy's family, the Baileys, originated. Tom and Nicole have lots of plans for us.

We love all of you. Love, Mom