Food, Glorious Food

I woke up this morning to the smell of a roast cooking in the crock pot. It filled the house with a delicious invitation to get up the enjoy the day.

There is nothing quite like food--the smells and tastes and textures, the comfortable feeling of having enough, the renewed energy, the shared experience of eating together. Luciano Pavarotti said, "One of the nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." I agree.

"Whatever will satisfy hunger is good food," says a Chinese proverb. I agree with that, too. It can be something as simple as a few strawberries or carrots. It can be a bowl of oats with a bit of honey. It can be warm, fresh bread right from the oven. It can be a spoonful of peanut butter or a crispy apple or peas picked and eaten right in the garden. It doesn't take much.

Occasionally it is nice to create a meal of more diverse options. Family gatherings often call for a little more thought and preparation. Together we gather, mix and make favorites sure to please every palate. It can be sensory delight and tasty comfort. Days, even years, later we recall the feelings from such a meal when we taste or smell the food eaten then.

Many are "salty" or "sweet" or "spicy" fans. Some don't do fish or "green things" or red meat or squash or sushi or sugar. Some only do whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Some only do things proportioned and packaged and easily available on the go...."some like it hot and some like it cold."

Now, personally, I'll eat almost anything. In a world where so many go without, it's almost a crime not to. Leftovers will store for another day. Several things can be combined to make something new. Remember "waste not, want not." While I enjoy a feast as much as the next person, I don't require much to be happy.

Mark Twain said, "The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd druther not." Gene Brown commented, "As with liberty, the price of leanness is eternal vigilance." While these may both speak truth, I prefer to dwell on Thomas Jefferson's idea, "We never repent of having eaten too little." And I always hold to the wisdom of Miss Piggy, "Never eat more than you can lift!"

Mariah's Summer Ahead

Today I will drive across the great state of Wyoming to take Mariah to Univerity of Wyoming's High School Summer Institute in Laramie....five hours over and five hours back! While I have really enjoyed living in Wyoming and find MANY beautiful places here, I-80, across the sage brush of the south end of the state, is not one of them. At least I will have good company on the way over and some great tunes on the way back.

This is a summer of new experiences for Mariah. She turned 16 in May. Her first week as a licensed driver involved daily trips to Montpelier, Idaho (60 miles round trip) for EFY (Especially for Youth, a BYU regional program for teenagers). Because of a variety of other conflicts, Mariah was the only Cokeville teen to attend the conference, so there was no one to help car pool. She got along great, even figuring out an optional route one night when an accident blocked the road and taking care of some grocery shopping for me. Seth was a little concerned about all the driving, but I knew she would manage well (having done 99% of her learners driving with her).

The next three weeks she'll be in Laramie for HSI. This is an opportunity to get a feel for college life, meet students from all over the state, visit lots of Wyoming places, and try out some interesting humanities and science classes. Again, Mariah is the only Cokeville student attending. But it promises to be a grand adventure. She'll make new friends, expand her mind, see new things and, perhaps, miss home a bit. I know we'll be missing her.

Then comes girls camp in the Idaho mountains, cheer camp in Ogden, a trip to Tennessee, and back home again for Pioneer Day. Somewhere before school starts again we will fit in trips to the dentist and school shopping, some motel housekeeping, family reunions, and time to kick back at home.

I can't help but think of those days, not so long ago, when Mariah spent her summers lounging in the tree with a book or wading in the creek or arranging movie parties in the afternoons or walking to the store for a treat and the library for more books, sleeping late, singing silly songs, and somehow avoiding many chores. Her long blond hair is now dark, with carefully added highlights. Her voice and shape are now a woman's. She has matured into an interesting, capable, helpful, adventurous person.

I'm glad she can have this summer's experiences. But Seth and I will both miss her. We're not "empty nesters" yet, but this will be a small taste of things to come.

Go out there and have a blast, Mariah. We love you.

Note: I just got back and I owe Wyoming an apology. That drive across 1-80 was absolutely beautiful today! Everything is so green. There is so much open space with high plains, hills, valleys and mountains, grass and sage brush, rivers and wild game. There wasn't much in the way of traffic and very little road construction. It was a long drive, but perfectly delightful after all.

Sunday Morning

I woke up this morning at 6:08 am, just like every other morning. But today, unlike most mornings, I rolled over and closed my eyes again. I snuggled down into my quilt and drifted back into an unfinished dream. Then I slowly became aware of sounds: a train, the fridge motor, the cat dashing down the stairs, traffic on the highway, a bird, Seth rolling over. I slowly opened my eyes to sunlight filtering through the blinds and no evidence of wind blowing. No need to hurry. It is Sunday morning and the world can wait.

It's nearly seven before I get out of bed. Seth is showing no sign of getting up. Mariah is sleeping, and will be for quite a while. There are no engines running in the parking lot, no motel guests ringing the bell or phone. The house is quiet and still. No early meetings today and church isn't until ten. The yard work is done until tomorrow. The laundry will wait for another few days. Sunday is different, a needed change after six very busy days.

I wake up slowly in a long hot shower. I let the water run over me, enjoying the luxury. Extra time in the bathroom is one of the advantages of the kids growing up and leaving home. I lotion up my legs and dry hands and cracked heels. Then I head to the kitchen for something warm and delicious, my favorite breakfast of hot cereal and fruit.

I empty the dishwasher, put in my bowl and spoon, and clear away Saturday's clutter from the counters. Dinner today will be easy with corn on the cob, salad, and grilled salmon, already marinating in the fridge. Sarah is doing some kind of bread. Seth is up and has already taken out the garbage and watered my hanging baskets. I feel loved. I take a few minutes to catch up on my email and look over the schedule for the week ahead. Mariah emerges from her room, towel in hand and hair rumpled. A brief "hey" and she's in the shower.

On Sunday mornings I tend to look at my life, examine my faith, count my blessings and find ways to strengthen relationships. Today I love my life, am secure in my faith, overwhelmed by my many blessings, and grateful for my many friends and family. I look forward to my morning church meetings with their renewal of covenants and new insights, a loud family dinner with the Weskes, the afternoon to rest and re-energize, perhaps a game or a movie with Mariah and Seth, phone calls and emails to my loved ones, and time to organize my efforts for the week ahead.

Sunday is a gift, a blessing, a day for family and faith and rest. I'm so glad it is Sunday morning.

Seth's Spring Adventure

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like falling leaves." (John Muir)

Seth recently finished a big block job and decided it was time to get out of "this false life" into the "reality" of the mountains. So last Monday afternoon he packed up his gear and headed to the hills. His plan was to drive as far as he could toward Lake Alice, stopping when the snow and mud made passage impossible, and then hiking up and over whatever it took to reach the lake. He left a kayak by the lake last fall and thought he'd see if it was still tied to the tree there and, perhaps, bring it out. He purchased a bear tag "just in case" and a fishing license "if the ice is off the lake". He filled his water jugs and gathered some easy-prep food and a fry pan (and real butter, of course) "for the fish". He headed out the door, turned back long enough for a quick kiss and "don't worry unless I'm not back by Saturday afternoon", and he was off.

A little more than three days later, Seth came home. He had a bleeding gash on his ear and he was still wearing his fishing waders. He was not carrying his pack into the house, had no fish on a string, and was not showing off any photos. There was no coat or rifle in sight. But, because I was occupied carrying groceries into the house, it was quite a while later before I realized that these clues were telling me more than Seth was!

To get all the details of this adventure you'll have to hear the complete version from Seth himself. However, the short version, from what I've been able to figure, goes something like this:

He drove to a spot where the river crosses the road, left the truck there, waded the river and hiked over the mountain to the lake. He saw lots of deer, elk and even a cinnamon colored black bear. For a couple days he enjoyed the quiet and the solitude, even the strenuous exercise. This was just the change of pace he had hoped for. The lake was still covered with ice. The kayak was still where he left it in the fall.

He decided to bring the kayak out, dragging it over the snow. At one point he left his sleeping bag and gun by the trail, planning to retrieve it in a couple weeks when the road opened up, and decided to ride the kayak out on the river. He loaded his pack and self onto the kayak and headed out. Wild ride. Great adventure. However, it ended in a bit of disaster. The boat flipped on a waterfall, throwing and sinking Seth in the cold, fast moving spring runoff water. He was in a "washing machine" for a time, lost his paddle but grabbed a branch as the boat drifted by. The powerful river pinned him against the tree, but his head was above water and he watched helplessly as the boat drifted down the river. His waders became filled with water, making it difficult to pull himself out. But, luckily, his squirrel-chewed life jacket held his head above water. The kayak became trapped upside down by a natural damn of collected debris, the pack still strapped to it. Thankfully, he was eventually able to get himself out of the water, but could not retrieve the kayak without some help. He hiked to the truck and came home.

Jason went up with Seth the next morning. They hiked until they found the kayak (it had moved several hundred feet down river) and together were able to hook it and pull it to shore. The pack, though, was nowhere to be seen, the straps holding it had ripped away. A thorough search of the area produced nothing. They gave it up.

I won't even tell you what was in the the backpack. It could give you a stomach ache. Suffice it to say, that little blue kayak is now worth a lot more than it used to be! Truth be told, it doesn't really matter. It was just stuff. But if any of you along the Smith's Fork come across a light gray backpack, full of very wet equipment and a once great pair of hiking boots, you'll know it belongs to Seth.

The important thing is that Seth came home, scraped and scratched and cold, but in one piece--alive. He is none the worse for the wear and tear. He is already planning his next adventure......what a guy!

"A little madness in the spring is wholesome even for a king." (Emily Dickenson)

PLANTING

Over the past few weeks I have been planting trees, tiny saplings no taller than three feet. Some are destined to become tall bushy shade trees. Some are evergreens. I've found joy in the process, though it has not been an easy task.

The soil in Wyoming is dry and rock-filled, some clay. The digging is difficult, requiring not only a shovel but a pick. My hands have developed blisters beneath calluses. Watering of the newly planted trees is a long process. Hoses must be carried to close proximity. Often ice still fills the hoses in the early part of the day. Care must be taken to fill the wells without damaging the tender roots just below the surface. The wind is already trying to bend over the frail trunks. I suppose there are reasons for so few trees in my desert home.

Planting requires a certain amount of faith, hope in nature's certainty. Natural laws say that what you plant will grow, if provided with what it needs. The very act of putting a seed in the ground, is an expression of belief in it's ability to flourish. A sunflower seed will produce sunflowers. An acorn will produce an oak tree. A tomato seed will produce a plant full of round, red, edible tomatoes. A zucchini seed will produce enough squash to feed the neighborhood! Our part is to dig and plant and water and fertilize and save the plant from weeds. We look to the sun and earth and the seed itself to do the rest. Each growing thing is its own miracle really.

Planting is worth the effort, even recognizing that as many as 60% of my little trees may not survive the brutal elements of our climate. My careful choice of species and constant vigilance may not be enough to help some of them "fill the measure of their creation". But I have hope that twenty years from now, on any given summer afternoon, you will find me sitting beneath one of my trees sipping lemonade and reading a good book. And so I plant.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

To all you wonderful women out there--

mothers,
daughters,
sisters,
grandmothers,
aunts,
friends,
neighbors

What would the world be without women?

Have a great day!

WICKED

This week I had the opportunity to attend the theatre to see the musical production "Wicked", thanks to a Christmas gift from Ben and Heidi. The whole experience was wonderful--comfortable seats, good view, great company, fantastic performance. I won't ruin the story for those of you who have not yet had the chance to see the play. Suffice it to say, it is the story of the witches of "The Wizard of Oz". It cleverly links all the familiar characters, revealing their history and more detail into their true character. The music, of course, was the highlight for me and the sound system brought you right down to stage level (even though I was sitting on the mezzanine). The energy of the performers was incredible and the nearly three hour production moved along very quickly, entertaining to the very end. Over all, the evening was fabulous. Even the late night drive home was pleasant as I relived it all in my mind.

I've always loved live stage productions. Since I was small they have been part of my world. Mom was involved in music and theatre as a performer. That's even how she found Dad, who took care of the production and promotion side. As much as I like movies, I will always enjoy attending live productions. (Just a little note about that: during one scene in "Wicked" a prop was thrown into the air and instead of coming down as planned, it landed on top of some scenery causing a brief break in character and lots of laughter from the audience.) You never know what is going to happen. It is real every time.

A few thoughts from the musical:

"Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes and leap..." (Elphaba)

"I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you." (Glinda)

So whenever you get the chance, whether it is a small local show or a Broadway production, attend some live theatre. It's always worth your time and will entertain in a way you will find no where else. The only thing better is to be performing!