On the Way to the Harvest Party

You know how sometimes, you're in such a hurry to get there on time. You have the chili and the tablecloths and you're late. And your eyes are moving from clock to speedometer to clock and not seeing anything else. Then wahlah! A wake up call. The Lord is so gentle in reminding us to look up and around. A lovely world. A precious car-full. I might have missed it.

Breakfast

I came home from running this morning to find Bruce making homemade pancakes...with a recipe....from scratch. This is not the man I've been married to for 30 years. He's becoming a craftsman in the kitchen! I feel a mixture of admiration and displacement. This is definitely my territory. I think my real fear is that Bruce--my greatest fan when it comes to cooking--is going to realize that there isn't much to it. Notice the homemade syrup...the happy children eating ...the tidy kitchen? I may be out of a job.

More signs of Autumn

The woods are turning, oh so slightly, golden and the garden suffered the fatal blow of frost. Time to put away the shorts and t-shirts and bring out the sweaters. I was looking at the sandal line on my foot today as I put on a knitted sock Kristen brought me from Finland. I hate good things to come to an abrupt end, so I hope we have a long, gentle Fall this year.

Cutting Wood

Some good men from the ward joined the Nelson men today to cut down some trees that were too close to the house. Then Seth and Brian showed me their splitting skills. I have to admit, they were pretty impressive. With all the new logs piled up in the woodshed, I guess they have their work "cut out for them".

Something told the wild geese...

Something told the wild geese

It was time to go,

Though the fields lay golden

Something whispered, "snow."

Leaves were green and stirring,

Berries, luster-glossed,

But beneath warm feathers

Something cautioned, "frost."

All the sagging orchards

Steamed with amber spice,

But each wild breast stiffened

At remembered ice.

Something told the wild geese

It was time to fly,

Summer sun was on their wings,

Winter in their cry

Fall is officially here. There are signs of it everywhere. My favorite one is the wild geese that gather above our field and call out to eachother and make their formations as they move southward. Marielle and I heard them calling so we ran down to watch in amazement as wave after wave of them appeared above the trees. It seemed after a while that the sky was full of them. I looked over at Marielle, all golden in the setting sun looking up in delight, pointing out their patterns and knew I could never capture the moment. This is a poor attempt.

Prince Seth

Seth was chosen Homecoming Prince by his Sophomore class. I was really proud of him because he has maintained the hightest of standards without losing a friend. Everyone loves Seth! He did look especially dashing riding around the football field in a convertible.

The prince makes Raman.

Marielle

Marielle is my last girl. The four "Little Women" have gone away and Marielle and I are left with a house full of boys. What fun she turns out to be! She's fearless, smart, honest, straight-arrow and game for anything. She's up for a chick flick or a bike ride. She gets any joke. She's a good little cook and she tells it like it is. What more could a mother want? To be truthful, I was a little worried when I was left with Marielle as my only feminine companion. But she has risen to the task.

How I love my Marielle.

The Tailgate Party

On homecoming day, Deer Park High School sponsers a great afternoon of games, food, jumping paraphenalia and contests of skill. Eric and Andy joined us. It was hot but fun.

Marielle tries her hands at roping...

as does Ruthie.

Andy and Sadie relax on the swing (with a balloon sword.)

30 Years

I know this doesn't exactly look like a 3oth anniversary. And technically it wasn't. But we'd decided to celebrate today since Sunday was the actual day. We got ready to go into town. We planned to shop a little and maybe do something fun and go to lunch. It was already going to be low-key. But then I noticed that the peaches I'd bought were right on the edge. They couldn't wait another day. So we spent the morning canning peaches together. By the time they were done, we barely squeezed in a Thai lunch before meeting the kids at the school for a tailgate party.

But I'd like to say, by way of tribute to a very good and supportive husband, that this peaches incident was ironically representative of our life together. We've often been faced with the unplanned, the unforeseen, the disappointing. But Bruce takes it all in unruffled stride. We make the best of things and adjust the plan and it all turns out ok. In fact, in certain areas, such as our family or the setting of our home or our overall quality of life, it turns out much better than ok. So I'll stick with Bruce for another 30 at least. And because our anniversary falls right at the height of canning season, I'll plan to get up a little earlier on our 60th to can the peaches.

Homecoming Week

Every morning has been a bit hectic around our house as Seth has dressed up for the various days of homecoming--there was crazy day, western day, decade day, spirit day.
Even at the middle school, they had decade day. Brian was the winner in his class with his 50's attire. I think he looks cute with his hair back like this--a very distinquished forehead.

Marielle's tomato

One of our favorite places to visit is Rick's house. We've been going over on Saturdays to watch BYU games , share some great food and we always leave with a bag of the most wonderful tomatoes on earth. I don't know what they do to their tomatoes, but they are loaded with flavor. Marielle was so pleased to find one with a nose. She couldn't wait to finish it off.

Soccer Season Begins!

I have a love-hate relationship with soccer. I love the bright uniforms with knee socks. I love the sunny, breezy days of fall and spring when I get to wear a sweater and watch the games. I hate the practices every night and the fact that our Saturdays are completely booked up--right when we need to be getting our wood in and right when BYU is playing.

My sister Susan

This is my sister Susan. She lives in Virginia and one of the highlights of my trip was spending a night and a day with her. She's a very inspiring person who has had a huge impact on my life.

I finally got to meet J.A. It was really a treat to get acquainted with him. He's genuine and intelligent and very good to my sister. I gave him five stars.

Nick and I Visit Monticello

Just a short way from Charlottesville is the homeplace of Thomas Jefferson. Nick and I spent the most beautiful afternoon there. The tour guide joked that they were charging double that day because of the perfect weather. Here stand two great men.

These are the gardens. Those tall things are pole beans! I just couldn't believe these beautiful gardens. Jefferson carved out this wonderful, level place from the hillside. Well, actually, his 200 slaves did the carving.

Monticello was really beautiful. It was full of Jefferson's innovations and interests. I came away hoping to be more productive in my own life.

This walk was my favorite part. This was the grave of Thomas Jefferson. The trail up to the visitor's center was just beautiful. I kept thinking of the Patriot. The movie was definitely filmed in Virginia. I love the forests.

A Visit to Virginia

I just got back today from Charlottesville where a I spent a wonderful few days with Nick, Nadine, Audrey and Eric. This is where they live. They just moved into this new apartment so the kids could have a better back yard.












And what a back yard it is! A jungle of trees, a little creek and a playground only a few yards away.


I got to see the Law School firsthand. Wow. It's a long way from Deer Park. It's a wonderful place and the rest of the campus is also amazing--full of history and classical beauty. I gathered up acorns from the oak trees. The Virginians just walked right by them like they were nothing--but Audrey and I thought they were treasures.