Thank goodness for the crazies

Last winter the girls signed up for the Winterguard team—a team that learns and performs a routine that includes dance, flags, rifles, and sabers.  I can’t remember what happened but I do remember that I was incredibly frustrated with the coach in the beginning and what her expectations were. 

After being annoyed with a few days I had a thought.  It occurred to me that there was no way in the world that they could be paying this young woman anywhere near what her time was worth for all of this work.  I sure wouldn’t want to do it!

That started me thinking about all of the crazy people in the world.  Sure enough, often it took a crazy person to be interested enough or devoted enough or brave enough to truly accomplish something.  Bill Gates, Mother Teresa, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the winterguard coach.  All crazies. 

With this change of heart I started paying attention to the coach.  What a big heart she has.  She cares and worries about each of the girls.  She answers endless texts and emails.  She takes time off  from her job and arranges her schedule to accommodate all of the practices and performances.  She gives up 2 whole weeks during the summer to band camp and almost half of her weekends during most of the school year for competitions. 

I have realized—we are lucky to have her.

I’m so grateful for the crazies in my life and in this world.  Grateful that there are people who are crazy enough to lead causes and write inspirational messages and run for office.  Sometimes they make me uncomfortable.  But I’ve realized—I wouldn’t want to be without them.

Hummer Time

I took a lot of hummingbird pictures this fall…and now that all of that beautiful green background is gone I’m glad that I did!

Grandma’s Bling

When we arrived at Grandpa & Grandma Ray’s condo after her death we found a bunch of jewelry spread out on the dining room table.  It was explained to us that some of this was jewelry that Grandma had owned and worn (though not recently), and some of it was jewelry that she had been selling during the years (in the early 70’s) that Grandpa was out of work.  We were instructed to each pick something out of it.  Rachel was down in Pleasant Grove at Cindy Lynn’s house, so Jenna took pictures of the jewelry for them so that they could choose something too.  We all decided that we would wear our jewelry that would remind us of Grandma to her funeral.  I called it “Grandma’s jewelry that she neither wore nor sold.” 

Dad’s visit: day 3

On the last day of their visit we took Jason and drove to the Columbia River Gorge to see waterfalls.  First we all walked the paved 1/4 mile to Bridal Veil Falls.

Then we went to Multnomah Falls to look at the Falls and have ice cream.

The last place we went was Horsetail Falls. 

My dad & Ramona stayed down at the lower falls and Jason and I walked up to Pony Tail Falls, which was the waterfall we were going to hike to last summer after the Oneanta Gorge hike that I fell on.  Jason was just as impressed with Pony Tail Falls as I’d hoped they would be.  How can you not be impressed by getting to walk behind a waterfall?!?

When we were done hiking we took the long way home so that they could see the Portland Temple.  We were exhausted by the end of the 3rd day!

Dad’s visit: day 2

On the second day of Dad & Ramona’s visit we went to pick berries at my favorite berry farm.  My dad was so taken with the beauty of the area, just like I am every time I go there.

We were picking blackberries that day.  I’d thought we might each pick 1/2 of a gallon, but I’d thought wrong.  Turns out my dad is a berry picking machine.

In the end Ramona and I had each picked a whole gallon, and my dad picked 2!!  We had a delicious berry cobbler that night and I froze bags and bags to use all winter long.  Yum!!

After we were done picking berries I drove them to the place south of town where we could see Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, and several other of the distant volcanoes.  They were suitably impressed.

Funeral Plans

(a combination of text and in-the-car conversations on the way to Utah for Grandma’s funeral.)

Me: I’m really tired today, I stayed up late fixing Rachel’s black skirt for the funeral.

Josh: No black at my funeral.  I want people to wear Hawaiian shirts or colored shirts.  And colored pants.

Josh: Also I don’t want a viewing at my funeral.  I think it is a sweet idea but very weird.

Me: Dad says he wants formal wear.  Tuxes.  Or a Mardi Gras celebration.

Josh: I don’t think you want to mix Mardi Gras with a Mormon funeral.

Me: Dad was just being silly.  He says that he would really want beach clothes, at the beach on beach chairs watching the waves. 

Rachel: Why does everyone in my family want a weird burial??

Jenna: When mom dies dad is going to make a diamond out of her body and wear her.

Jared: that is really strange to wear your dead loved one around.

Josh: A beach funeral would be pretty neat!  And the diamond thing is both weird and cool lol.

 

PS—for anyone who is interested here is the music for my funeral: Redeemer of Israel, Angels We Have Heard on High, and All Creatures of Our God and King.  No deviation allowed!

So this is 48

At our big family party on Saturday I was talking with several of my cousins about how strange it is to find suddenly that we are the adults at the family gatherings—that we are the same age that our parents were when we thought they were so old.  My aunt says that she has a hard time believing that—at 70—she is now one of the “old folks” and she fully expects to see a 19 year old girl looking back from the mirror at her every morning.  I totally get that…I can’t believe that I’m this close to 50, or that I still feel in my brain like 24.

Here is a snapshot of who I am at 48.

1. 48 doesn’t feel her age
2. except in that achy sacro-iliac
3. 48 still wants to stay up late
4. and sleep in every morning
5. 48 is trying to be more disciplined…it’s still a struggle
6. 48 is trying to unlearn many things learned early in life
7. trying to sort out truths from platitudes and cultural assumptions
8. 48 is more gray than not
9. 48 doesn’t like crowds
10. or lots of noise
11. loves books and ideas
12. 48 loves a good heart to heart conversation like few other things
13. 48 still struggles with many of the same things that 47 did, and 46, and 45…dang it!
14. 48 has only barely been out of the US, but is fine with that
15. 48 is accustomed to living in Oregon, but not entirely resigned
16. 48 still loves the ocean fiercely
17. and can’t wait for the next time to snorkel
18. wants to see lava
19. 48 loves being a grandma
20. and also loves the teenagers
21. is glad there are a few more years before the nest empties
22. 48 is looking towards upcoming changes with some anxiety
23. 48 still loves a hot bath
24. taking pictures of roses
25. and now dahlias
26. 48 likes hiking but not too fast to see and photograph everything
27. 48 is not quite as well behaved as 47 hoped she would be
28. 48 still enjoys a good road trip but hurts a little more afterwards
29. 48 will never be a vegetarian
30. 48 is enjoying the abundant fruit in Oregon every summer
31. and trying to figure out how to deal with the Oregon winters
32. 48 binges on Netflix and fiction
33. reads a lot of nonfiction
34. interested in so many things
35. 48 doesn’t think she likes cruises
36. 48 is hoping to sew more this year
37. wondering if there will be time to quilt again
38. and to make a blurb book
39. wants to plants more dahlias
40. and figure out how to get the kids to weed without whining
41. 48 loves fiercely, is far to selfish, doesn’t deal with disappointment well
42. 48 is fascinated by the intersection of research and social programs
43. is far more liberal than her family is comfortable with
44. 48 hopes to start learning the cello in the next two years
45. but other than that, the lava, the beach, and snorkeling, has no bucket list
46. 48 will never be described as easy going
47. thankfully her husband is
48. 48 still doesn’t know what she is going to do or who she is going to be when she grows up, can’t wait to find out