Time such fleeting thing.

Yes I think time is a very fleeting thing. Time has a way of getting away from us in the form that suddenly we feel so old when those we know do something awesome. Or suddenly you find yourself facing a mile stone in your life and wonder where the other times went to. In a very short period time my wonderful husband and I will celebrate 40 years of wedded bliss. Now wait just a minute did say bliss? Yes I said and somewhat meant bliss. As we all know there is no such thing as a perfect marriage. I would not trade the last 40 years with Richard for all the tea in China let alone any other country. I would trade the health problems we have both had, I would trade some of the terrible arguments that we used to have and the things we said to each other that hurt. The arguments played a part however in making us into the couple that we now are. We rarely say a harsh word to each other and I can honestly say he is my best friend. I enjoy just sitting around the family room in silence as I watch him sleep. Ever so grateful that his life was not cut short on several occassions. We enjoy traveling where the mood takes us. He lets me go alone sometimes and misses me like crazy when I do. I have alway let him go with my blessing and a hurry home. It was harder for Richard to be home alone and left to do the simple things on his own. He is finally no longer afraid of the washing machine and the dryer. He will if he has to wash his own clothes. Cooking on the other hand is still pot pies and tv dinners or if he is lucky an invitation to Erin's for a home cooked meal. That is okay I am glad he likes my cooking enough to really miss it.
Okay so much for that kind of time. Now for another kind and that is our children and grandchildren getting older. Time sure flies when we are having fun. Sam is a 14 year old who at the rate that he is growing is going to be taller than his Dad who is at least 6'5". He wears the same size shoe as his Grandpa, but he is much skinnier and very blond. I wish he lived in Idaho so I could watch him grow up. We recently gave him an old 1954 Ford Pickup. It is in need of lots of work but him and his Dad will have fun working on it together. It was always suppose to be a Father Son project just not that father son combo. Christian is not getting tall like his brother but he is growing just the same. I would think that by the end of the year he will be as tall if not taller than this Grandma. Isabelle will be a 5th grader the next school term. Just this week she had the opportunity to do a 15 minute teaching session in her class room. She chose orgami, the very old art of folded paper. She was able to get one of the very oldest figures down enough to teach her class and that was the crane. As long as she used the largest piece of paper she had no problem. I will have to show her some more figures, maybe we can teach each other. Then last but certainly not least Lainey, our 6 year old twenty ager. Lainey is a lot like her mom in that way. I suppose ones life does have a way of coming back full circle. Lainey is not easily rattled has a mind that works to way to fast for her own good and will be the first female president of the United States. Well one can hope can't she? HaHaHa! They are all so very different in their own way and all loving.
As far as their parents are Jason have moved away, gone on their own trails. Jason has worked for others, for himself, for others again and himself again. He has such a head for his own business that he makes what ever he puts his hand to work to his advantage. His wife Christy is still busy with work at the Mayo Clinic and has gotten her BA and now on to her Masters. Of course she keeps with the boys and all of the things they do.
Erin is busy working in the ICU at St. Lukes downtown Boise, she has a new boyfriend that is an absolute dream of course that is my opionion. Challis has a great calming effect on her and the girls. She seems content and very happy. He was raised in a Christian home with the values and demenor that goes with that raising. He does not yell and realizes that they have a father but can be a good mentor to them. He has a dog and a cat that goes very well with her 2 dogs and her cat. She is moving back in with her Dad and I but only for a few short months. She needs to save some money to make a down payment on a house. I guess as parents we do we have to do to make our kids lives easier than ours were.
Time is only as good as we make it. I have learned over time to cherish each day for what it is and what it has to offer. It may not be a wow type of day but as long as when I open my eyes and I see my bedroom, if I can feel the floor beneath my feet, I can smell fresh coffee and I can walk down the hallway. I am truly blessed by my savior to still be on this earth and among the living. God Bless you all and have a great evening.

Where does time go!

You ever have one of those days when you just wonder where in the heck did the time go to. Some days are worse than others for me. Some days I wonder why in the world I ever got out of bed. Well I one of those days last week.
I was sitting in my chair messing around on line, just browsing really, nothing of any real importance, killing time. I was to pick up the girls at 3:45 p.m. from school. About 15 minutes after the hour I left home for the school. It usually takes me at least 30 minutes in heavy traffic to get there but that day it only took me 20 minutes. I pulled around behind the school and there were no other cars, there were kids playing on the play ground. Well what the heck what was going on? I looked down at the clock in the car and darn it anyway it was only 2:35 not 3:35. What was I doing there an hour early? I can't believe I left home long before I needed to. Wow time does fly just in reverse in this case. Okay so I can either park there for an hour and catch a wee bit of a nap or I can go over to Erin's and wait. I opted to go to Erin's house and watch a little television. The hour went by faster than I would have liked but at least there was no one there to witness my flub up.
Oh well, this to shall pass.

Back at it!

I have not been able to find the time or the energy to sit down and blog for a little while and now find myself drawn to write one more time about the trip we took to our home town of Twin Falls. I think the most touching spot we visited was the Shoshone Basin in the South Hills. When we stopped at a particular spot it felt so much like we had been there. That it was our spot. One full of more than one trip of memories. We camped for many years in our young lives. Some times in the South Hills, some times along the Richfield Canal, or on the shores of Magic Resv. We even followed the Lewis and Clark trail by car one year. Each trip holds one or two special memories for me. When we went to Montana along the L & C Trail Dad ran over our 1 gallon green and white thermos. I thought maybe I had imagined that particular memory but Connie also remembered that thermos incident. I am not sure how it happened but just knowing that it did assures me that I have not forgot as much as I feared. One fishing trip along the Richfield was particularlly memoriable for Connie. Mom had a fishing pole made for Dad one year and it was his pride and joy. Needless to say when Connie accidently shut the tip of it in the roll up window of our Chevy Station wagon and broke it off she was very upset and afraid that Dad would be really really mad. He hugged her as she cried and told her it was okay it could be fixed. Dad was such a gentle person somethimes I think to much so for his own good. My favorite memory of camping on Magic Resv. was one of my first real fishing tries. Dad let me us his pole and I got to cast out and reel in. I remember sitting on the bank between his bent knees talking the whole time. When the pole jerked I almost threw the pole in the water but Dad patiently told me to grab tight and start to reel it in slowly. Finally the fish got to the bank and Dad had me, yes me, all of 6 years old take that cold slimy fish off the hook. He told me if I was going to catch them I had to remove them from the hook. I managed to grab that slippery thing in one hand and get the hook out of it's mouth. Dad even showed me how to whack the fishes head againest a rock so it would not suffer a slow death. One of my favorite times in the South Hills is at the spot I am almost certain was our spot. Dad spent the good part of one morning cutting a bunch of willow sticks outfitting them with a length of fishing line, a hook, a sinker and bait for not just one kid but at least 3 of us. We always camped fairly close to the creek so we could use the water out of it to wash up, do dishes and use for cooking. Dad would turn us loose and he would take off for some fishing time on his own. Our fishing adventures never lasted very long as we bored with just sitting there. So we would start changing the course of the river by moving rocks and building small dams. We kept those willow sticks for in the evening we got to roast marshmellows. Now that was a real treat. We had a Boston Terrier and he went every where we went. That crazy dog named Sox followed us as we played in the river. He stayed with us until he had enough of being wet and cold he took off for camp. Mom found him hunkerd down in our suitcase full of dry clothes. Mom pateintly took all the clothes that were wet out and hung them up to dry. We had tons of freedom in those hills south of Twin. We hiked up to the tree line, carved our names in the trunks of Quaken Aspen trees, piled rocks so we would know we had been there and played of endless hours in the river. We felt like we ate like kings. Fried potatoes, bacon, hot dogs and much much more. We slept on the ground and loved it. Don't ask me to do it this day and age. I would need a crane to get me up again. I still love camping I attribute that love to the parents who allowed us to experience the great out doors to it's fullest.
I finally got some pictures put on this other computer but am to tired tonight to mess with putting them on here. I will do it when I get a few minutes. Sweet dreams everyone.

Day 3 tour thru time!

This post is days after the 3 one we spent together in Twin Falls, but I have been very tired and needed some time to get my brain function back.
On the 3rd morning we were going about our time getting ready to meet the day when my cell phone rang and it was Teri. She was at the local mall and had been in touch with some old church and school friends and they were anxious to reconnect with our pasts. Well we had been planning to go to a place called Castleford and walk up to the top of Balanced Rock. It is an a very unusual place and is a magnificent demonstration of this fantastic place we all call home.
Teri informed me it was snowing. "You have got to be kidding". Snowing what else can the weather man throw at us in the week we will spend together. Okay so Balanced Rock is out. There is no way any of us are prepared to spend that much time outside in the cold. So we opted to go to the mall, meet Teri and our old friends, Anne Biggs Fuller and Amy Biggs. They were just two of the Biggs kids that we went to church with. It was very nice to sit with old friends and talk about our lives and where we are today. Connie and I also did a bit a shopping while we were there looking for some shirts and things for her to take on her trip to Hawaii. We were successful in that part of our mall trip.
After our visit we made our way to the freeway to take in the sights at a wonderful quilt store in the small town of Rupert. The amount of fabric is hard to take in on a single visit or even several visits. Connie, Carol and I were in a little bit of heaven. All that fabric much of it Moda was fun to walk through, touch, smell, and wonder. I bought the fabric for Matt and Lindsay a wedding quilt. I even went to far as to buy a kit to make Carol a quilt for her trailer. Okay, okay is you have seen my sewing room I really don't need to buy any more fabric but I wanted to so I did. I think we were there for about 2 or 3 hours and it was just not enough to see all of it. Connie wants to come back over to Idaho and do another visit to the "Gathering Place" quilt store in Rupert.
Now it was time to find Highway 30 and make our way to Burley. I drove west along the highway not positive about where I was heading. I am more than willing to admit that I am not very familiar with the Burley area. Claude and Ella Bryant lived there years ago and may still for all I know. Ella is the daughter of Mom Uncle John who is the brother of her Mom. Seeing people was not the purpose of our visit, it was a side benefit however. We found Hwy. 30 and drove till we found the corner the Bryant's lived on. Boy so much had changed on that corner. I was amazed how close to the railroad tracks the house was. I do not remember the train tracks at all. The house seems so close the road but I am sure this too is skewed by the minds of a little girls. In that trip from Rupert to Burley we got hailed on blown all over the road. We drove back to Twin Falls on Hwy 30. We stopped off at Teri's apartment to drop her off, pick up the asparagas we had picked and head toward our hotel. We decided to drive the Pole Line Road. From Blue Lakes Blvd. we turned west onto Pole Line and headed toward Filer. We turned on Washington south to what was called way back when Lover's Lane. We pulled into the now developed area and got out of the car. We marveled at the change in where the Pererine Coolie is and how much it had changed. So much so that it is hardly recognizable. The place we used to live and spend so many great hours was long gone replaced by a hotel. The tall white with red topped posts we used to sit on also long gone. From there we had to go back toward town so we could by pass the Pole Line Rd. it is undergoing a massive overhaul and the road does not exist. We drove to Filer on the four lane road we also used to live on, that house is also gone but a tree marks the spot. Kinda of like x marks the spot on a treasure map. Getting in Filer we went by the house the Louise Partin lived in, down to the main street and east to the Filer Fair Grounds. The Twin Falls County Fair and Rodeo also holds many many fond memories for all of us. We loved to go help Mom and Dad in the First Baptist Church Booth. In those days there were tons of things to do that did not cost anything and the food was plentiful and such good stuff. The front gate has not changed in all these years. Well something we recognized. I continued north to connect with Pole Line Rd from that end of it. Well how do you like that I could only go a couple of miles. It was closed from that way also. Dog gone it, might as well go back to the hotel and then go have a nice dinner because we were all really ready to go home. We went to a place called Idaho Joes. Dinner was nice, nothing to spendy but it was good and it was hot. We went back to the hotel and settled in for the night. I will save the journey home for a day later or so. I am tired and need to call it a day.
It is awfully quiet around here tonight. Carol and Cecil left and took with time Connie. I miss them and sure do wish one of more of my sisters lived very close to me. So for tonight sleep tight all and I love you all.

Day 2 of a Blast into the past.

Here we are close to the end of the second day of our walk through our past. I am not sure how I want to start this story. Some of the things we used to do as kids all revolve around where we lived, who we visited, how we played and what our parents did. Our first trek of the day took us to find where Loren and Louise Partin lived. I was very hopeful when we started out that I could find the place where we turned off of Hwy. 30. To my surprise I found it we made our way south to the end of the road and turned west for a couple of miles. I had the uneasy feeling I was going the wrong way so a three point turn later sent us back to the nearest corner and off in the right direction again. About 5 miles later we found the long lane the house on. The wonderful right block wall the once bordered the house on three sides is crumbling. The huge row of lilac bushes was now only one. The grounds are run down and unkempt and much much smaller. Isn't it funny how things seem to shrink as we get older. Okay so we turned around from there and made our way back to Hwy. 30. We decided the house was located about 7 miles from the highway. Now that we were back on the Hwy 30 we turned west again to Hwy 93. Several miles down the road we turned east on the road that would take us to the Ralph Ward place and where many many early memories were formed. The house is gone but the garage is still barely standing. We all have some very warm memories of that place. Mom and Dad were happy and we all said we loved it out there. One of the things I remember was going with Mom to the burn barrel. As she was starting the fire and putting the trash in I stood leaning again the light pole bumping a brown purex bottle with my heel. Well as you can guess it broke and I cut my heel requiring seven stitches. Carol remembers the strawberry patch, when Red and his partner drilled a new well in our front yard, the old wooden hay wagon we all used to play on. Connie was still really little when we lived out there so she does not remember the place at all. We did a turn around the place and headed back down the lane and on to the next location. Back on the road and straight across the highway and further west to where Loren and Louise lived for the longest period of time. Connie remembers that place much better. We used to pick asparagus out there, made ice cream, played hide and seek with the Partin boys, Nick and Mike. I met Richard out there when he lived there helping haul hay and work the farm with Loren. Mom and Dad were still happy. By this time in our lives we had moved closer to town on the 4 lane highway.
From there we headed back north on a gravel road to go by the place that Jerry and Pauline Kruse lived as well as their 3 boys, Rick, Randy and Rex. Jerry farmed and raised Berkshire Pigs. They also had a couple of big dogs, St. Bernards one that I remember was named Pal. He was a big old lolly dog that would rather lick you to death than hurt anyone. We drove past the place then made our way back east to Hwy 94 and further south to Hollister. Carol, Teri and I went to the school there. We drove up there to the school and once again I remember it was much bigger. From the school we made our way east again to our old swimming hole, Nat Soo Pah. We all have very fond memories of the beautiful teal blue pool and it's total surrounded pool. There is still a large fence covered by ivy that surround the place and now it costs to even spend the day in the park. Mom would fix a meal of fried chicken, potato salad, and some sort of goody. They would turn us loose in the pool and check occasionally on us. There were always life guards on duty so we were very safe. From there we went further south to Rogerson and off the road to the east and the South Hills to the favorite haunts of many camping trips and wading in the creek. We drove on this long dirt road hoping I could bring from memory or just sheer luck how to hopefully get to where we used to camp. After a quick game of eneey meeny miney moe we took the road to the right. It did not take me to long to decide it just felt wrong. Okay so after a 5 point turn, afraid to go to close to the edge of the road and get into something soft I got turned around and headed back the way we had come. A couple of miles down the road on the left began to feel familiar. Soon I knew we were going in the right direction. I took my car into places I probably shouldn't have. Meaning I drug in a place or two. Probably put scratches in the finish but it was all worth it. The first place was not it, it was not where we camped. Okay onward we went. I am not sure what the direction was because I have this directional challenge. I can get lost walking through an airport. LOL! We found another spot after I had passed a bunch others and with some walking around and really looking we came to the conclusion that yes this was it. This was the place we camped once or twice in our childhood. One of the last times we went as a family Richard went with us. He made us a bed on the ground by cutting pine boughs and laying our sleeping bags on top of them. We had bacon, eggs and fried potatoes for breakfast, played for hours in the creek, roasted marshmallows over the fire at night and slept under the stars on a bed of pine boughs.
We headed back to the main road and began singing just like we used to when we drove the many miles we did as kids with our parents in the car. The songs we sang were from various aspects of our up bringing. Church songs, church camp songs, songs from school and wishing all the while Lucy was with us singing laughing teasing and helping us remember the words to the song about a Billabong. It took us clear the hotel and a nap to remember it was Waltzing Matilda.
Anyway back to our adventure, we got back to the main highway and went back into Rogerson and decided to have lunch at the little cafe. The gal who runs the place was not there but it was being manned by her Mom. A little old lady that could barely see over the counter. I was first to order and wanted a chicken club sandwich and was told she had none, okay so I will have a cheese burger with home cut fries, Carol was next and ordered the Tuesday special, tacos, well she did not make tacos so she ordered the cheese burger with tots, Connie ordered the cheese burger with tots. Teri was still feeling full from her breakfast so she was content with a glass of ice water. We finished our lunch and headed back into to town. Once we got there we drove by the house on Martin street and on Filer Ave. We attempted to go by the house where Stan and Joanne Owens lived. Unfortunately we could not get close due to the road construction in the area.
We dropped Teri off at her apartment and came back to the hotel. We have all had a long day and needed a nap. We decided to stay in the room and order something we could eat in our room.
Carol read the blog that Lucy had written and cried through it. I feel the same way. We all miss Lucy being with us and wished with all our hearts that it was different. Lucy was never afforded the memories that the rest of us were. She was so young when Mom and Dad spilt and she went to live on the Alsea River. I hope that in the years that she has had with us in and out of Oregon have afforded her many happy memories of us sisters. Losing a parent was hard on all of us in many different ways. I not only lost Dad in death but in life for over 20 years when he allowed Margaret, his wife, to keep us out of his life. I spent many years extremely mad at him for doing that and at Mom for leaving him in the first place. There is always that what if that comes when no answers present themselves. I have prayed, I have railed, I have cried rivers of tears and wished upon stars. I have even doubted that God loved me enough to make the pain go away. Remarkably with time with prayer and the love of my sisters and my mom I was able to come to grips with the way I felt about Dads leaving us. I hope that one day Lucy can find the peace of mind and heart that I have. Life is good and far to short to worry over. We love Lucy with all our hearts and miss her with every breath we take. We will all do this again before a whole lot of time passes. Until tomorrow I will say good night and on to day 3.

Blast to the past!

Well, Teri, Carol, Connie and I are in Twin Falls going slowly through our years growing up here. It feels very strange to be here staying not just driving through. We miss our little Sis, Lucy, who is unable to join us due to a sudden illness. This has been of the smartest thing we have ever done. We have driven all over the valley remembering things like where we used to visit our Aunt Helen and Uncle John. Their old log home still stands. That is amazing in itself. The rock wall of the old nursing home where our Grandma Grape lived for a time and married her last husband Jim Lynch. The arch and rock wall around the whole of the property is very impressive. The home has long ago been torn down. We drove down to the Shoshone Falls which is an impressive site even though the water is not running very high. We strolled through the City Park and enjoyed the warm sun the monuments placed around the park and just being together and outside.
Tomorrow we plan to drive out to Nat Soo Pah our favorite swimming hole when we were young. We will continue to the South Hills and visit our favorite camping area. We spent many happy hours playing in the water, climbing the hills and eating wonderful food prepared outside. That seems to make it all taste better. Over the next few days we will make our way all over the town and see all the old familiar places.
Our favorite thing so far was having some time to visit with our cousin Doris Wise McCoy. Doris lives in Spring Creek and it had been a good number of years since we have had the opportunity to get reacquainted with each other. We did not spend nearly enough time together so hopefully we can make it again before the end of the week.
On to last for the day but certainly not least. We drove down a country road and spotted some growing asparagus. We got so into this special find we picked enough to make two meals with. It is hard to believe we spend almost $7 bucks a bundle for it. Connie did not remember hunting for the wonderful green veggie so it was a real treat for her.
Well it is time to put this away for the night and get some sleep. We will have a busy day tomorrow and I need some sleep. Good night all.

Tickling ones funny bone!

Having Jason home is always a walk through funny bone land. He has some of the greatest stories and tells them with such relish it cracks me up.
We were talking about the various shooting that have happened around Boise over the years. This lead to our own various experiences with guns and ammo. Richard and I joined a shooting team some years ago. I was never very accurate but I did enjoy it. I think the most memorable thing that happened to me was when I shot a hole in the ceiling of the range building. Ya I know I am suppose to aim down range but I was being so careful bringing the gun slowly down that it took me a little to long and I squeezed one off into the ceiling. Richard laughed and gave me the lecture to not put my finger on the trigger until I was ready to pull it. Like I said I was never a very good shot.
Jason was telling us about the time when he and Christy were first dating and he decided to try out her Dad, Tom's, shot gun. He shot it off a couple of times but wanted to see the pattern it left. He saw an old parted out Suburban out on the side of a hill and decided to put it out of it misery. He pulled off a shot and was astounded to see no pattern so he shot again. When he went to see what was going with the ammo he discovered it was not shot that was loaded in the shot gun it was loaded with slugs. One of the shots went through the side, the frame, the wheel, and various other parts but probably the most impressive was the 1 inch hole he put through the side of an aluminium ladder her dad had stored in the back. Jason was very greatful to the fact that he was out on patrol with the Coast Gaurd when Tom got back to town. Tom kept the ladder and Jason had to use it last summer in Minnesota when he help roof the carriage house at the home of Tom.
Richard and I used to hunt when we were much younger. One of our last trips into the hills to the south of Twin Falls, Idaho I had my first experience with Richards Weatherby 270 rifle. We did not have a lot of luck early in the hunt but finally came upon a small herd. Richard got off a shot and one went down. We trappsed up the hill and started to take care of business. I got to hold binoculars, the rifle in addition to the equipment I already had with me. I did not want to stand and watch the gutting process so I made my way around the hill. Right around the small hill was the rest of the herd the one down came from. Okay I could either walk away or take a shot. I swung a rifle over my shoulder and looked through the scope. All I could see was hair so I took the shot. It was Richards rifle and I had never shot it before I was so surprised when it went off and bucked a bit more than the Remington 30 30 I was carrying. The noise surprised Richard and he came running. I gratefully did not hit anything and decided right then and there I did not want to shoot his rifle again. It is 30 years later and no I have never used it again.
When we were kids Dad used to go rabbit hunting with Loren and Louise Partin. I always wanted to be old enough to ride in the back of the old black pickup that they used to drive through the sage brush in the dark flushing out the multitude of jack rabbits that were abundant in those days. I loved the feeling of rushing through the dark in the warm air and watching the lights bounce across the sage brush coverd ground. I really don't remember the sound of the guns going off and I was never scared.
The year before Richard and I got married he asked me to go with him on a Saturday when he hunted for deer in the South Hills. We drove around much of the day with out seeing much. It was so cold and rainy I just could not get into being cold and wet. We came upon my parents and the Partin clan standing around a fire in the rain. I glanced to my right when I heard Loren hollar that he needed help. My Dad and Richard went up the hill to help him down. On the way down I noticed he had his artifical leg under his arm with the boot pointed out. Several other cars of people had to stop and look at this man with a boot encrusted leg pointing out toward them. Loren flopped that leg down across the hood of the pickup so he could fix the strap that had broken. The looks were priceless seeing a leg under an arm.
Life was fun, times were good, it moved way to fast but I would not change one thing about it. Thanks to all my sisters for who they are. To my big sis who seems to have a hard time reading what I write without getting emotional. Thank you for pulling the teeth of the big gray thing with green and orange strips and spider web design on it's back. I can always count on you!
To my littlest sis for writing things that are so much fun and can make me laugh and cry all at the same time.
To Connie the peace maker, chief cook and bottle washer. You are all my heros and I am the luckiest sister in the whole world. I have traveled many memories with all of you and I look forward to traveling even more. Thanks for the memories.