South Eastern Idaho Snow Angel Festival

or something.

My mom's mom was diagnosed with Leukemia in March of 2002. The doctor gave her 6 months to live.
He clearly did not know my Grandma. There is something to be said about denial.
(In fact my neighbor, who has been a very close friend to my family since before i was born, was diagnosed with cancer and given 6 months to live. About 7 years later, he'd finally had enough)

I got my mission call in May. Taiwan, Tai Zhong.
On my birthday in June, i was returning a book to a neighbor when they invited me to go with them across the country to see the Nauvoo temple--and 8 others. Why not!?
I don't think i saw Grandma out of the hospital that whole summer. but,boy! did we laugh a lot reminiscing with her!
My mom told us we needed to pay attention to her button-pushing for medication, because we would have to do that for her someday... my sister's reply was, "No, mom, we're going to have to climb the mountain and find the pieces of you, when you go!" That's my MOM!!
I will be surprised if i go any differently

I entered the MTC on September 18th. the night before, i was set apart and my fam--including my Grams and my Uncle Dan, and several cousins-- we were settling down, and finishing the night at my parentals casa. As i talked to my Grandma, i knew it would be the last time i would see her in this world. It seems so much sadder now. I realize that she also knew it would be the last time she would see me. I love my Grandma. She's the only grandparent i've ever known, and life truly does seem a little emptier without her.
Every Christmas Eve we went to her house for Christmas dinner, and games and to open some presents. She always put her tree on her living room table, where her lamp usually was. I always loved the angel she put on top.
When my cousin got married, in November, they sent me pictures. Grandma was stunning in blue. :)
In January, I got a call from my Mission President letting me know Grandma kicked it. She was on terminal patient pain killers, and was hilarious to the last! A little off her rocker, but funny!
Best of all, HAH! ...we've been estranged from my grandpa for years. He was wretched to my mom growing up, unfaithful to my Grandmother, and forced my aunt into a less-than-healthy marriage so that he could finally walk away. ...HAH!! My mom was sitting with my Grandma--she had moved in, to take care until the last moment--holding her hand and talking her through the end of her bitterness for her ex-husband. Ironically, it was his birthday! Jan 11. Mom told her, "today is his birthday, if you really want to get back at him for good, you could go today." HAH!!!! (i have a rather morbid sense of humor...) And she did!!
"like which fury, hell hath no" ?
I came home in April.
i really don't like funerals, i haven't been to one in a very long time, so it all worked out just fine. My MTC roomies and i had sung "the lord is my Shepherd" on a tape and i sent it home. they played it at her graveside service. so i was there. kind of.
Every Christmas that i've been in IF we've gone out to where she's buried in Shelley, and give her snow angels!
my Aunt thinks it's obscene, but i think Grandma likes it.
I love my Grandma.

It must be Christmas.

Since last Thursday, we've had about 2 feet of snow, easily.
I don't think i've seen that much in a while!

It sounds like more if i say 24 inches in the last week...

In fact! I tried to take my beautiful Beast to my sisters house to commandeer my nephews bed (he isn't using it and i need one). The burban doesn't have 4 wheel drive!!! It took me a long time to get out of the driveway, and then i almost didn't make it up the street!
And i certainly didn't make it to my sisters house!!
I can't believe my muse, my love doesn't have 4wheel drive!!!
it's a suburban!!!
I feel betrayed!

Not only did we use Jimmy to get my bed, i fit the rest my stuff in there to haul it down to my new house!
My burban let me down. That's ok. This love is an endless love. there will be other burbans. ones with 4 wheel drive. i have better relationships with cars, anyway.

That was Christmas Eve, by the by. And it was spent in a car, unloading schtuff, and waiting at the airport for Mommy's plane to land. Christmas dinner was *laughing* Denny's. We got home just before midnight, and i slept until 2 this afternoon!
AND
roads were closed today because of all the snow and wind, so i haven't seen any other family, either!
needless to say, it does NOT feel like Christmas, to me.
maybe tomorrow.
maybe when we get each other gifts, or go give Grandma snow angels.

A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar

I'm moving to South Jordan. I've been in need of moving on, and I just don't feel like I can do it while i'm living at home. I've been interviewing, and I have a place to stay (at this point, they would all be disappointed if i didn't move in!) and it really just feels right to be here.
I've never been very career oriented, so this company i've been interviewing with feels a little restrictive, but i absolutely love what they are about. Which is financial services, emphasis on service.

I want to get my fashion certificate at SLCC--somehow i just feel this intense draw to Salt Lake City. Maybe after that i'll go for a masters in SF. I know what a want to pursue, i'm not sure what i'd do with it.... does it matter?!?! (well, yes, but i'm too exhausted to think about that, right now....)

i'm thinking i might go back to IF and work for a little bit--while i don't have to pay food and rent... we'll see.

and that's my update

All things Jimmy

In honor of K & J's first addition, these are other jimmys and james in my life

GMC Jimmy
"Jimmy Thing" dave matthews
"So Long, Jimmy" James Blunt (that's 2)
i recently discovered that i actually DO like Jimmy Eat World. My current fav is "bleed american"
my uncle Jim
There's a Jimmy John's sandwhich place by Biolife that i would like to try

hm. that's a lot less than i thought.

jimmy stewart
jimmy hoffa
jimmy mahoney
jimmy thakery
jimmy vivino
james dean
james (the band)
james oliver
the Book of James
say james enough and it sounds... jay'mz-y
james and the Giant peach
...

that's all

I HAVE A NEW NEPHEW

I'm so excited!!! He was born this morning at o-dark-thirty (12:14am)!!!

James Gary. Harray!!!

Huzzah for little Jimmy!!!

wow. i haven't written in a while...


... that's all

Have you, or have you not?

I have done the things in red.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie or on a TV show 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt. 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee

thanks, Whit, that was fun and kind of enlightening.

the camel faces south

So, i got a 30 day deferral from the plasma center - yes, i'm a little miffed about it - and decided i'd go take pictures of the fantastic clouds that were happening.

Not bad!

I found myself driving around in the posh neighborhoods, up on the bench. All of those roads lead out into the foothills somewhere.

I found this little guy, put the Jimmy in 4 wheel drive, and grinned all the way out of site of the houses.

I didn't drive to the end of it, though i desperately wanted to - Jimmy was at less than a quarter of a tank. I jumped out, ran down the road a ways, and took some pictures. It was SOOOO SOO windy! Ooh, and all i could hear was the wind rushing through the grass. There wasn't too much sagebrush. This is a very good thing. I hate sagebrush.

so, i got my pictures.

But, as i was walking back to Jimmy, i noticed ... something.

see that dark-ish patch of color in the middle? It was lava rocks (igneous, if you will) they're all over the area, sure. But these little guys were hiding out here, pretty much isolated. (of course, i gather from the incredible force of the wind that dirt and debris and been brought in, and the rocks eroded) blah.

it wasn't that far, was it?

i HAD to take a closer look!

i needed to go play on those rocks!


Heh! it took a solid half hour to walk out there. it was not a flat, easy stroll, either. from where i'm standing in this picture, it goes straight down. it was beautiful! The terrain was so variant, and completely awesome!!

here are a few more shots of what it really looked like when i got there:

I climbed all over those rocks :D

(don't worry, mom, i was completely safe at all times)

see, it's not that far to fall any way.

whoa.

I was as a wild child reared by mountain goats.

and there was NO ONE around! i went up the cliff and down the cliff, in and around the columnar joints...

AND

i found a strange little cave. there were lots of little caves, but this one was quite strange.

do you see the honey-comb-y thing in there?

do bees inhabit this cave? did someone just shove a discarded filter into the hole?

at any rate, i did not stick my hand in there.

i'm crazy, but i'm not stupid. and it was cold and windy - couldn't keep my hair out of my face...

HAHA!! there is a line in the movie Gattaca.

...The two brothers would race each other swimming. i'm thinking it was the ocean, but it's been long enough, i'm not positive. ...any way someone asks the kid how he did something super-duper athletically cardiovascularly awesome. he tells them that he never saved any for the way back.

see, the swimming thing. see, his brother would always beat him or something....

but the kid, he gave it all he had. his heart got stronger, blah, blah, blah - he's a stellar astronaut.

um...

Ever climb up a cliff without giving any thought as to how you're going to get down? Ever hiked a trail without knowing where it goes? Ever bounded off across the hills toward a magical rock place without thinking about how far it would be to walk back?

Jimmy is the spec dead center on the horizon.

HAH!! it actually wasn't that bad. totally worth it.

and there was my little friend, when i got back.

and there was my little city.

And the buttes out to the west.

The camel faces south.