The Picture Grinch

We were ready for a Christmas party and I asked Walt to pose for a pic before we left.  He agreed to ONE.  I asked for a second, he said no, and tried to leave.  Our son-in-law snapped a pic during our "compromise discussion".  I would like to share at this point, I have been called to be the Family Relations teacher on Sundays.  Need I say more?

Walt's Christmas 09 a Family Affair

Children,some Grandchildren, and myself worked hard to give Walt the office of his dreams for Christmas.  After I was no longer going to the Health Department, I noticed he was meeting clients and suppliers at our home office.  When I asked why he did not meet them at his shop office, he said, "because our home office is nicer."  Of all my Walt's many talents, decorating and organizing is not one of them...at all.  Thus, the seed was planted to give him the office of his dreams, but keeping it a secret was the hard part.  Well, that and getting him out of the way to accomplish the task.  This is where the oldest grandsons came in.  They bugged, bugged, and bugged until they got a comitment to take them hunting a couple of days before Christmas.  He had bishopric Tuesday evening, then the boys took him hunting the next day, and we were able to get to work on our plans.  Considering all he previously had was a desk, an old office chair, one antalope head and four empty walls, I think we pulled it off.  Every thing we used as decor was of a personal significance to him.  We went through old pictures and found photos of four of his rigs.  We found some great photos a client had taken of him drilling their well several years ago.  These went by his desk.  We enlarged some of his favorite photos he had taken with his camera while on the mountain.  A bow his father made for him was hung below a statement we had done in vinyl lettering over his window.  Old snow shoes he has used in snow, the first bow he made, and arrows he made and got a buck with.  I very seldom see him get tears in his eyes, but when he saw it, he was touched.  At our big Christmas Eve home evening, he stood and thanked everyone and said it was the best gift he has ever received in his entire life!

Personalized Christmas Ornaments

This Christmas season I had a first for many years.  My contracts with the SW Utah Public HealthDepartment were not renewed due to cut backs, I was released from my Stake calling, and my new ward calling does not begin until mid January.  Walt and I decided to give our families assorted food storage.  I dry packed 2 /#10 cans of sugar, oatmeal, macaroni, and refried beans.  BORING.   However, I had time to play with Christmas.  I took on the task of painting a personalized glass Christmas ornament for those who are through having children, namely Cori, Brandon, Sheena, and Natalie.  I ended up doing small one for Katy, even though they only have little Ivy.  I set up my work area upstairs with the big tv.   I watched movies, mostly holiday, and some chick flicks.  First, I decided on the theme and most certainly it had to be snowmen representing their family members.  I am good at whimsical snowmen and good at trees, so that set the theme.    After the making my key design, I hand- painted them with a speciality glass paint.  I was surprised at how much time these simple little ornaments took to finish.   I baked them in the oven,  let them cure, and then found the perfect gift box.  A hard card board box that can protect them through the years.

The Tree and Me

    I was asked to give a talk by my husband Walt who is 1st councilor in the Bishopric.  When he  asked me to speak and I told him NO.  On Christmas Eve, he asked if I remembered I was speaking and I asked him if he remembered I had said NO.   He is persuasive when he thinks he's right, so I spoke.  I was given the topic of the Restoration, and I narrowed it to testimony of the restoration.  A conversation I had with my sister- in -law Sharon Arnold, a few years ago, was brought to recall as I put my talk together.  She and I had been discussing challenges many have in staying committed to the Gospel.  She had explained that she thought they must have a "tradition- testimony and not a conversion- testimony".  I had never heard that term before, so I asked her to share more.  She explained that a traditional testimony would be one based on family traditions. A testimony of the importance of  activities that revolve around family such as baby blessings, baptism, attending church,  blessing on the food, family prayers, even accepting a calling because they have seen their mother and father serve.  She said the traditions are important, but a conversion- testimony is one based on personal knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith is a Prophet, and that the Priesthood was restored.    I was going to use Sharon's insight, and I had the talk somewhat together, when I woke up Sunday morning remembering a tree that had blown down in our neighbors front yard a few years ago.  I liked that tree and had tried to plant one similar in our front yard.  The next image was of me struggling to remove a misplaced cactus last year.  What was this all about?  It finally dawned on me I was being given a personal parable to share with my talk.  This morning I awoke with the impression to record it here.
    When our neighbors built a new house, they planted one tree in their front yard.  It was beautiful, shaded their windows from the harsh west sun in the summer, and dutifully dropped its' leaves allowing the sun to warm their home in the winter.  The first to put leaves on in Spring displayed almost a fluorescent green color and seemed to glitter.  It grew quickly and majestically within the next few years. One day a violent wind storm came and blew it down.  The next day I went over to see for myself.  I was amazed at how shallow and weak the roots had been.  They seemed so small in comparison to the attached strong tree trunk and limbs that had put on such a show for the last few years.
    I had wanted a tree like theirs, so I searched for the perfect specimen.  I did not want to spend a lot of money for huge one, so I found a tall one that had a good size trunk.  I placed it in the middle of some evergreens that I thought would not only add support, but would look terrific with the hedge surrounding it.  I thought about staking it well, but someone told me that it weakened them that the evergreen hedge would be enough.  It grew for several years.  I would watch it sway occasionally, and from time to time, I would have a little voice in my head tell me to stake it.  The experts must have been right, I reasoned.  Look how well it grows, straight and strong.  The tree's beauty could not be beat with the trimmed evergreens encircling it.  I don't know if the sudden storm was forecast, I only know it came blasted in as the sun was setting.  I still remember looking out the front window watching its that seemed to come so quickly out of nowhere.  I saw my tree swaying from side to side.  An alarm went off in my head that I must hurry and stake that tree.  I ran out in the sideways rain, thunder, and a wind so strong that I could hardly stand up. Defeated I ran back in the house.  I had not been at the window long when above the storm I heard the crack and saw the tree trunk shattering just a foot or so above the ground.  Why had I listened to the "experts"?  Why had not given this beautiful tree the support that it needed?   Sometimes I think of that tree when I have taught my own children, grandchildren, or been involved with youth in the church.  Do I depend too much on others to provide the support until a firm testimony is secured? 
    Last year I realized a cactus, in our zero scape front lawn, was getting too big.  It was supposed to be a little accent, but it now blocked the view of a large clay pot that we put in front of our window.  I typically am not a cactus lover, but when I saw this variety I changed my mind.  It was purple with streaks of green, beautiful in it's own right, but it needed to go.  Due to it not being that large, I thought I would save it, find another spot or give it to someone who valued it.  I planned my removal early during the cool morning long before the sun hit the front of the house,  After much digging, and many shovels full of dirt, I realized I had not loosened much of the root, let alone got it to the point of transplanting.  When the shade disappeared, I soon abandoned my goal of gently transplanting and went into attack mode.  The root system was dense and deep, and the outer root layer thick and protective.  My shovel was a tough one, but was bending at the base.  I was afraid it would break, so I went in search of the perfect tool.   I emerged with a sharp bar, a sledge hammer, and leather gloves to my elbow.    I was now armed for battle.   As the roots began to give way, I was amazed at how heavy they were.  I had to chunk them into smaller pieces, so I could toss them into a large wheeled industrial trash bin that quickly filled to over flowing.  After the murder was over, I tried to wheel the bin to the curb and could hardly move it.  I looked into this now massive hole and could still see little roots that dripped water.  It was as if they were tears and the cactus was of saying it could have endured for countless years, if only I had left it alone.
     Traditional testimony is good, but it cannot endure on its' own.  Just like the tree, it looks good, feels good, and can even bring limited joy, but when winds of adversity come it cannot stand on it's own.  A testimony built on personal conversion is like my purple cactus.  A testimony that protects itself from the harsh erosion of the world, one whose roots are deep, keeping a reservoir of living water for the rough times.  One of my favorite scriptures I memorized years ago is Helaman 5:12. "...it is upon the rock of our Redeemer...  ye must build your sure foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you...."  May I, as well as my family, strengthen our testimony- roots and add to our reservoir of living water.

If You Dream It Will Come

I dreamed of a white Christmas and it happened!  This southern area I live in is great.  People come here to hike, bike, and get out of the snow.  Many a year, I have picked flowers in November and early December, but not this year.  IT SNOWED, not a lot, but it snowed.  Here is a picture of a rose in our back yard.  I asked Walt to take a picture before the sun melted it.  Here is the proof.

My Sister Robin's Visit

Don, my sister Robin Hollingsworth's husband, came home from Iraq.  Since her massive stroke almost a year ago, his returning home is such a blessing.  They decided to travel from Caldwell Idaho to Pheonix, Arizona for Thanksgiving, then on for a cruise out of San Diego.  It was sweet to see them for their night stay at our home.  Robin is walking without assistance, talking much better, and hopefully, she will get more use from her arm as time passes.  Her words are much clearer and she tried hard to visit with all our family.  We had a Mexican Fiesta to commemorate her visit.  Most of our family had not seen her since her stroke.  Our grandson Jade even missed his football championship party to be at our family gathering.   My family all hugged Robin before they left to get the kids in bed for school the next day.  My children and grandchildren have always valued extended family visits, dinners, etc.  I pondered that fact after they all left.  I know other "grandparents", such as Walt and I, who complain that their children do not support them in family functions such as we had for Robin and Don.  As I have thought about it, the reason is Walt and I have always valued our relationship with our siblings.  We hold them as most precious.  We speak well of them, we enjoy being with them, and we have supported them in as many of their special or non- special times as we can, even when it is not convenient or costly.  Because of that, our children value with each other and their aunts and uncles.  As I have observed seemingly snubs, or judging, or most common apathy displayed by adults to their brothers and sisters, I wonder if they realize the way they treat and value their siblings is exactly how their own children are going to treat each other when they are all out of the nest.

Farm Chores

Funny how things don't dawn on you when you are young, at least not me. It never occured to me until after I blogged this week that there was such a clear demarkation in our home on women's work and men's. Even before my brother's comments on my Dreamin of a White Christmas blog, I woke up that morning thinking about how Dad never did ask me to help with barnyard daily chores. I must admit that it never crossed my mind either. My contribution was to wash the milkers, when our herd was small.  Of course, harvest was another story, every one was supposed to pitch in during harvest. Who could ever forget my help driving the stick shift on the hay truck turning those corners or pole vaulting over a bump sending the hay or straw load to the ground? I recall many gentle words of encouragement yelled from the back of the truck bed from my brothers.  Words that my brother Steve could not repeat when he went on a mission.   However, Dad must have thought my speciality was picking potatoes, sorting potatoes, or cutting seed potatoes for planting. Also, I earned my VSW.  I became a Very Special Weeder, pulling weeds that took two hands and all my body weight to get out. You know, the ones that got the most water at the end of the rows. I can't recall why some got so big, but my guess is that Dad started to tell me to get out there and get weeding those potatoes, but I had better things to do at the time. I do remember hoeing, but the memorable ones were the big pig weeds. I do not recall hearing the word allergy until I moved to this dry southern area, but do I remember having it during weeding assignments! I just did not know what to call it. I would be so red itchey eyed and spoltch swollen, I thought I could not take another minute and the row had seemed to grow to at least a mile long.   Of course, it did not help that I wore shorts and something sleeveless, so I could get a tan. A "Penny tan" where my freckles on my naturally pale skin would blend closer to one another.   There was dumb and then there was dumber.  Now I am an adult, I call it learning "line upon line, precept upon precept".  If I am allergic, I don't go out in the stuff.  If the sun is baking, it had better not be my cancer- prone skin.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

   The weather man said that it would snow in St. George Utah last night into today.  It rained.  I thought it would get cold enough to turn to snow during the night, so when I woke up at 4 a.m. I excitedly peeked outside to see the snow.  Nothing.  Don't get me wrong, I like where I ended up with this southern man I married, but December has to have some white stuff.  My favorite non-religious Christmas song has always been (since I moved here)  I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.  Walt has often reminded me that a warm and dry Christmas is better.  The kids can play outside with their presents, but most importantly, husbands can do "man things" in the afternoon like go shooting. 
   I was raised in snow country on a farm southeast of Rexburg Idaho. Every Christmas I experienced had a blanket of white.  I remember looking out a large window in our living room watching the snow fall soft and gentle or sometimes sideways and hard against the glass.  Some years the snowy roof of the barn dissappeared seamlessly into a huge drift at its side. The farm animals, mostly cows, seemed to breathe white frosty clouds as did my father and two brothers as they dutifully did the chores morning and evening in the cold dark winter.  I felt sorry for them, when even on Christmas, the cows had to be milked, calves and live stock fed.  Mother would always have a hot delicious meal waiting to serve just as soon as they peeled off the layer of winter gloves, boots, and coats. 
   I knew people who did fun winter sports like skiing. I could only think of one word to describe them back then...what was that word?  Oh yeah, rich.   We could never afford the skis let alone the lift charges.  Our winter sport was to dig  a snow fort into the drifts, or when we had a horse, hook a rope from a sleigh to the saddle horn and slide through the field.  The farm had belonged to Grandpa & Grandma Arnold, before Daddy bought it from them, so I have many very early memories of playing in the snow.   The snow clothing then were not superior as now.  My indicator of when it was time to go into the house was when I was totally wet.  I remember standing by Grandma's coal stove and seeing steam come off my clothing.  After such a snow adventure, hot cocoa was ladeled right out of the pan where it had been made from scratch with whole fresh milk and cream.  Hot Cocoa is the first recipe I was taught to make when I was about 8 years old.  No powdered mix in those days.  So today, perhaps I will make a cup of hot chocolate, watch the rain, and dream of a white Christmas.

Government Corruption

I want a record for my children's children, so they will know I stood for freedom, truth, and considered living in this land one of my greatest blessings. I decided to begin making a record of what is currently happening to America, during my lifetime, destroying the foundation of freedom our founding fathers sacrificed to build. What seemed as a trickle of corruption a few years ago is now as a tidal wave threatening to destroy and shred the constitution. The Obama administration does not even seem to try to hide the corruption anymore. It is as if they know those of us who care can not really do anything to stop them. The following is a list of just some advisors he has put in positions of power. They do not represent the values I and my husband hold to. They represent all that we abhore.

Richard Holbrooke
Afghanistan Czar Ultra liberal anti gun former Gov. of New Mexico. Pro Abortion and legal drug use.

Ed Montgomery
Auto recovery Czar Black radical anti business activist. Affirmative Action and Job Preference for blacks. Univ of Maryland Business School Dean teaches US business has caused world poverty. ACORN board member. Communist DuBois Club member.

Jeffrey Crowley
AIDS Czar Homosexual. A Gay Rights activist. Believes in Gay Marriage and Special Status, including free health care for gays.

Alan Bersin
Border Czar former failed superintendent of San Diego . Ultra Liberal friend of Hilary Clinton. Served as Border Czar under Janet Reno ? to keep borders open to illegal?s

David J. Hayes
California Water Czar Sr. Fellow of radical environmentalist group, ?Progress Policy?. No training or experience in water management.

Ron Bloom
Car Czar Auto Union worker. Anti business & anti nuclear. Has worked hard to force US auto makers out of business. Sits on the Board of Chrysler which is now Auto Union owned. How did this happen?

Dennis Ross
Central Region Czar Believes US policy has caused Mid East wars. Obama apologist to the world. Anti gun and pro abortion.

Lynn Rosenthal
Domestic Violence Czar Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Vicious anti male feminist. Supported male castration.

Gil Kerlikowske
Drug Czar devoted lobbyist for every restrictive gun law proposal, Former Chief of Police in Liberal Seattle. Believes no American should own a firearm. Supports legalization of drugs


Carol Brower Energy and Environment Czar
Political Radical Former head of EPA - known for anti-business activism. Strong anti-gun ownership. SOCIALIST on Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which calls for "global governance" and says rich countries must shrink their economies to address climate change.

Joshua DuBois
Faith Based Czar Political Black activist-Degree in Black Nationalism?seek a separate black nation.. Anti gun ownership lobbyist.

Cameron Davis
Great Lakes Czar Chicago radical anti business environmentalist. Blames George Bush for ?Poisoning the water that minorities have to drink.? No experience or training in w ater management. Former ACORN Board member

Van Jones
Green Jobs Czar
(since resigned). Black activist Member of American communist Party and San Francisco Communist Party who said Geo Bush caused the 911 attack and wanted Bush investigated by the World Court for war crimes. MARXIST, said whites are poisoning blacks, said transformation from ?suicidal gray capitalism to econ-capitalism to the complete redistribution of wealth.? Black activist with strong anti-white views.

Daniel Fried
Guantanamo Closure Czar
Rights activist for Foreign Terrorists. Believes America has caused the war on terrorism.

Nancy-Ann DeParle.
Health Czar
Former head of Medicare / Medicaid. Strong Health Care Rationing proponent. She is married to a reporter for The New York Times.

Vivek Kundra
Information Czar born in New Delhi, India. Controls all public information, including labels and news releases. Monitors all private Internet emails.

Todd Stern
International Climate Czar Anti business former White House chief of Staff- Strong supporter of the Kyoto Accord. Pushing hard for Cap and Trade. Blames US business for Global warming.

Dennis Blair
Intelligence Czar Ret Navy. Stopped US guided missile program as ?provocative?. Chair of ultra liberal ?Council on Foreign Relations? which blames American organizations for regional wars.

George Mitchell
Mideast Peace Czar Fmr. Sen from Maine Left wing radical. Has said Israel should be split up into ?2 or 3 ? smaller more manageable plots?. Anti-nuclear anti-gun & pro homosexual

Kenneth Feinberg
Pay Czar Chief of Staff to TED KENNEDY. Lawyer who got rich off the 911 victims payoffs.

Cass Sunstein
Regulatory Czar Liberal activist judge believes free speech needs to be limited for the ?common good?. Rules against personal freedoms many times ?like private gun ownership. Says animals should be able to sue people. Anti-hunting..

John Holdren
Science Czar Fierce ideological environmentalist, Sierra Club, Anti business activist. Claims US business has caused world poverty. No Science training. OK to abort a child until the age of two. Thinks TREES should be able to sue humans.

Earl Devaney
Stimulus Accountability Czar spent career trying to take guns away from American citizens. Believes in Open Borders to Mexico . Author of statement blaming US gun stores for drug war in Mexico .

J. Scott Gration
Sudan Czar Native of Democratic Republic of Congo. Believes US does little to help Third World countries. Council of foreign relations, asking for higher US taxes to support United Nations

Herb Allison
TARP Czar Fannie May CEO responsible for the US recession by using real estate mortgages to back up the US stock market. Caused millions of people to lose their life savings.

John Brennan
Terrorism Czar Anti CIA activist. No training in diplomatic or gov. affairs. Believes Open Borders to Mexico and a dialog with terrorists and has suggested Obama disband US military

Aneesh Chopra
Technology Czar No Technology training. Worked for the Advisory Board Company, a health care think tank for hospitals. Anti doctor activist. Supports Obama Health care Rationing and salaried doctors working exclusively for the Gov. health care plan

Adolfo Carrion Jr.
Urban Affairs Czar Puerto Rican. Anti American activist and leftist group member in Latin America . Millionaire ?slum lord? of the Bronx , NY. Owns many lavish homes and condos which he got from ?sweetheart? deals with labor unions. Wants higher taxes to pay for minority housing and health care

Ashton Carter
Weapons Czar Leftist. Wants all private weapons in US destroyed. Supports UN ban on firearms ownership in America . No Other ?policy?

Gary Samore
WMD Policy Czar Former US Communist. Wants US to destroy all WMD unilaterally as a show of good faith. Has no other ?policy?.

Kevin Jennings SAFE SCHOOL CZARS As a teacher when a 15 year year said he was having sex with an older man, instead of turning in the man?the law for a teacher, he asked how it was going and suggested they use condoms. Held a conference with the MAXIMUM age of 18 to teach homosexual issues like ?fisting.? Wrote the intro to the book, ?Queering Elementary Education.? Has repeatedly praised and claims to be inspired by Harry Hay, early supporter of NAMBLA, (North American Man Boy Love Association).

Goodbye Washington Stake RS

I was released from serving as Stake RS President in stake conference and today was really my first Sunday back into my ward.  It felt so good.  I introduced myself to a young woman in relief society.  I asked if she was new and she said she had been in the ward for a long time.  I simply shook her hand and told her I hadn't.  Last year I attended our ward and new door greeters shook my hand.  They did not know me, and asked if I was new.  I told them who I was and thought they might pick up on the Cluff last name, as my hubby serves as first councilor in the Bishopric, laughingly telling them I don't make it very much.  They then told me all about how they used to be inactive TOO.
   I coud not leave this part of my life experience without acknowledging the wonderful councilors and secretary I was blessed to have before the Stake split and they went into the other stake.  Helen Lund was my capable and inspired 1st councilor and Cinda Peterson served as secretary.  I learned so much from them and treasure our experiences.  One of the most spiritual experiences I had in my life was regarding the names .to present for those to serve with me . when I was first called.  I look back on it and am still astounded at how powerful the spirit can be in such things.  When I was asked to come up with the names and present them for consideration, I had a major brain freeze.  I drew a blank, explaining that I knew many in my own ward, but few in the stake.  (After I came up with the names, I could think of many woman outside my ward who would have served very well.) The Stake President said he could take care of that problem and handed me the names of every woman in the Stake.  The Stake at that time was 15 wards, there were over 3,000 names.  I went to the temple with the list and came out with two names.  I wrote the President a note with the names and these words.  "Here are two names.  I do not know them, nor do I even know if they are active in the Church."  He let me know they were both "faithful and valient woman" and he would be immediately making the call.  I did not meet either of them until after they had accepted the call.  Helen Lund had been hit by a car a couple of years before, breaking everything below her waist.  She came to my home for our first presidency meeting on a cane and could hardly get out of her car.  She could not kneel for prayer for many months.  In her setting apart, she was promised healing due to her faithfulness to serve. She became the Stake RS President of the new stake when it was created  two years later.  She is a walking miracle and was a joy to serve with.

Who I Want To Be When I Grow Up

As part of my stewardship being Stake RS President, I go on stake visits with various assigned ward RS Presidents. They choose who we visit, so during the past  few years the variety has been across the spectrum.  I have visited with those suffering from cancer, those who have lost a spouse or loved one, those in the hospital, and the inactive.  My last Stake visit was spent in the home of the most "with it" 92 year old sister I have ever met.  The RS President wanted to cheer her up, this sister was depressed because her doctor had told her she could no longer drive due to her side vision deterioration. If she was depressed, I would love to be around her when she is cheerful.  After a delightful conversation and mentioning we must hurry to our next visit, she jumped to her feet so SHE could help the 70 year old president out of her chair!  She asked if she could share a story with me before I left.  Expecting a selected spiritual experience, here is the story she wanted to share about the importance of not stepping on a duck, and with a very serious face, hoped perhaps it would help me.  Her story was as follows:
   Three faithful old sisters died and went to the other side.  Before the keeper of the gate let them in, he told them how valued ducks were in the "kingdom, so do not step on a duck".  If one did, they would immediately be chained for time and eternity to an old faithful priesthood holder.  When the gate opened they saw that ducks were every where.  They no sooner got inside and the first sister stepped on a duck.  A golden chain immediately formed on her ankle and she was attached to a very very old priesthood holder.  The second sister upon seeing what happened to the first, decided to step very carefully, but she bumped a duck.  The golden chain appeared and she was linked to a old, very old man.  The third sister thought "I no longer have to eat, drink, or sleep.  I do not even have to move, I am staying right in this spot."   A short time later a golden chain appeared on her ankle attached to a handsome muscled young man with a full head of wavy hair.  This sister could not keep in her joy and exclaimed "What did I ever do to earn this?"  The young man said, "I don't know what you did, but I stepped on a duck."
   When I am 92, I want to be just like the sister I met on my stake visit, and oh yeah, and not step on any ducks.

Pumpkins Hanging on the Apricot Tree

Ever since  our children were old enough to hold a spoon, we have carved pumpkins for  home evening activity on Monday before Halloween.  What started as Walt, myself, and toddler Cori Ann has now grown to 25 people weilding spoons and carving knives.  My sister came for a visit a few years ago and spent our memorable Halloween evening with our family.  She laughed and teased us in that she had "never attended a halloween gathering where the lights went out, scarey pumpkins were lit, and then singing primary songs ."  This year we added our own Cluff rendition of Pumpkins Hanging on the Apricot Tree. 

"I looked out my window and what did I see?  Pumpkins hanging on the apricot tree. 

Fall had brought me such a nice surpirse, pumpkins hanging right before my eyes. 

I can take an arm full and make a treat.  A pumpkin pie that would smell so sweet.  It wasn't really so, but it seemed to be.  Pumpkins hanging  on  the apricot tree."  At least at the Walt & Penny Cluff house.

Fish Finds Soul Mate

Walt and I went to San Diego for a week.  I enjoyed Shamu Show, but I was mezmerized by the huge fish aquarium.  There was not one fish the same.  I have never seen so many colors.  Walt took a picutre of a huge room of fish, but we did not know until we looked at the photo later that he had a reflection on me watching the fish.  We laughed hard because it seemed like the yellow fish is watching me with the same dumb smile on his face like I have on mine.  It is as though he is smiling at his new soul mate....me.  The first couple of days we were involved in a conference summit.  It was excellent.  We listened to top business people on marketing, the affects of the economy, and some interesting information given by a scientist on 2012.  We then spent a day touring the Midway Aircraft Carrier.  I accidently dropped my new glasses in a little hole in the floor of a war plane.  Five men had to take the floor out of part of the plane to retrieve my glasses.  Other than my blunder, it was a great tour.  We visited Old Town, traveled to Coronado, and then spent a day at Sea World.  There were very few people there on a Tuesday, so we walked into everything.  Walt and I enjoyed this relaxing few days together.  It was a sweet refreshment to spirit and our marriage.

Penny's Pity Pot

   (Washington Stake RS Presidency, standing Kathy Gardner, Penny Cluff; sitting, Sue Jolley, Linda Schimbeck;  Three of the greatest women I have been blessed to know)

 We had some hard family news this week, directly following the news from the owner of the business we lease to at our shop.  He told Walt that he could rent a shop down the road a little bigger than ours with fenced black top (our fenced is gravel) for $1000.00 less than he rents from us.  When Walt told me, he premised with the words "I have some bad news".  I was elated the man did not say he was going out of business.  Walt is going to negotiate a lower rent.  Therefore, it has been easy to be weighed down with the challenges of life, and climb on for a bumpy ride on the Pity Pot.

     The ride on the pity pot ended tonight.  I serve as Stake Relief Society President and as part of my stewardship, I go on Stake visits with designated ward leadership.  This ward presidency member had lined up two visits, one of which greatly humbled me.  After being introduced, I inquired about the two cute children clamoring for the sister's lap.  This very young grandmother explained that she watched over her grandchildren most of the time due to some "serious problems" her daughter had in caring for them.  She said she keeps a mattress in the other room where they can sleep and be comfortable.  One was 9 months the other 2 1/2.   The presidency member asked if the medicine she was taking was still making her exhausted.  I found out that she is battling cancer and has to be on a med for a much longer period of time.  She explained that she was working in a doctors office, a job she had enjoyed for thirteen years, until she got cancer and had to have surgury.  With a sweet smile, she said it coincided with having to watch over her grandchildren, so perhaps it was a good thing.   I asked if she had ever wondered how hard it would be to go through this tribulation without the comfort of the gospel.  She said the peace of the gospel was what pulled her through, and especially this week.  She explained that her husband had owned a fence business and had to close it last year.  He was able to get a job a few months ago, but had just found out that company was closing its doors and he is once again without work.   Her youngest son, about ten years old, needed help with his homework so we left.  I could not leave until I embraced her.  As I held her to me, I was humbled to the marrow of my bones. 

Sleepovers

Of course, any loving married adult over the age of 60 knows that God's greatest gift is GRANDCHILDREN.  There is a very marked discrepancy at this point, however.  I think mine are the best, the smartest, the cutest, the most polite, and the most loving.  I have a sleepover before they all go back to school.  The boys always choose the mountain, so I load up my SUV as full as I can with boys, air guns, bows, arrows, and many other boy toys.  This year I had to arrange for a couple of them to go up in another vehicle.  Walt said I am going to have to get a school bus before I am through with this tradition.  They had a great time, but Brad said he had really been cheated this year.  We did not go until August and I usually take them late June or July.  I spent July with my sister Robin, so it threw me off schedule and this grandson let me know about it.  They love it.

The girls are all too prissy to want the mountain experience.  This year they chose to sleep at our house, picked out a movie, and opted to dine out instead of roast over the camp fire.  They had a great time.  Tori (Victoria) is in Young Women now and she is the oldest.  I was impressed with how patient she was with the younger ones.  Lesley, after everyone  voted on where to eat, quietly asked me if it was too expensive and that they could select one that is cheaper.  They decided to watch Sound of Music.  They had so much fun playing that the movie was put off until 8:30, which made for only Taiha and Tori making it to the half way point.   At 1:30 p.m.  Josie woke all of them to go down stairs to the bathroom.  She was too scared to go alone.  They all trailed down, so she would not be afraid.  I think when I was that age I would have yelled "Go yourself you little coward" and went back to sleep.    (9-27 post script:  I have since been corrected.  Perhaps they all woke up each other and one of them had to go to the bathroom.  As I said previously, when I was that age, I would have not been as sweet as all these girls were to each other.  I would have rolled over and said something not very nice and definitely went back to sleep.  I am so pleased with the kindness they all show to one another.)

Josie Ann Got the "Cleaning Machine" Gene

Josie went to the mountain with her Dad during Labor Day weekend and did not want to return with her brother and mother, so she hung out with me for a few days.  I taught her to ride the 4 wheeler.  She would drive at 3 miles per hour, while I got my walk.  Walt and I came down from the mountain to attend a funeral and then went back a few hours later.  I explained when Josie wanted to stay that she would be alone at the camper while we were gone.    Josie said she could stay alone, so her mom left her.  We returned from the funeral and Josie had completely scrubbed clean the 5th wheel trailer.  I think she might suffer her Granny's trait of having to make use of energy caused from worry or anxiety.  She had even beat the rugs.  She even got down on her hands and knees using the scrub side of a sponge to clean the kitchen floor.  Those spots had been there all summer.  What an dedication and focus!  It probably took her a long time on one little ugly spot.   I was impressed.  Walt always knows when I am upset over something because I become a cleaning machine...cupboards, floors, drawers, closets.  The louder the cleaning noise the better I feel!  Regardless, I think of all my "interesting" ways to handle times of anxiety would be the one to pass on to my posterity.  Being a cleaning machine for a few hours is better than getting into words with someone, filling a kleenex with tears, tearing someone's head off for no some unknown reason, or watching a clock tick by until I feel better.  Yup,  utilizing the cleaning -machine- gene works almost every time at least for me and Josie Ann.

Fruit Leather (crying over peaches)

Walt signed us up to help at the Cannery last week.  I had a ton to do, but went without complaining  UNTIL I started putting the greenest peaches in a can I had ever seen.  They were so hard that they would not go into the cans.  They would not mush down.  I was the last of the assembly, so they were already washed and preped for the can.  After about two hours of this, I started to get very sad.  I was raised on a farm and taught that you harvest when the fruit, potato, grain, or hay is ready.  It is against the law of the harvest to take a beautiful fruit, pick it on your time schedule, and tell it is ready.  Crazy.  I did not know how much it bothered me until we were at KFC later for lunch and Walt asked me what I was thinking.  As I tried to explain to him how I felt, I had to actually wipe tears from my eyes with my napkin.  Crying over a green batch of peaches! Later he told me that we could have had free seconds from the day before.  The seconds were ripe from the previous day, I made jam and fruit leather.  I read in Cori's dehydrator book that you can add nuts to leather before starting the drying.  I sprinkled them on top and it was not just good, but I could not stay out of the darn stuff.  Walt took an entire dryed tray with him for his day of hunting.

Mountain Get Away

Walt and I finally got away to Cedar Mountain for five days. His last words while loading the last box was "We will only come down if someone dies". Someone did. Someone we have come to love and respect through the years. We came down for viewing and funeral and went right back up. Walt surprised me with an invitation to go on a 15 mile 4-wheel ride on a trail near Stout Canyon. It rained for a few hours before we left, so the dust was minimal, and the trees and rocks were spectacular. The dust reduction was important to me because I follow Walt on my 4-wheeler and eat his dust,so usually lag far behind, but this trip I did not have to. It was fun and relaxing. My thumb was sore from running the gas feed, but fun none the less.

Doer Not Hearer Only?

Today is the primary election in Washington City. Walt and I are going to vote before he goes to Bishopic meeting tonight. The condition of our country through government decision at the highest level has been on my mind today due to casting a vote today. I decided to take try to make a difference in my own way. This is a copy of email I sent to family and friends to join the Patrick Henry Caucus. The email communication says it all:"Here is our personal invitation to join this Caucus. Here is my personal invitation to make a difference and it does not cost you a cent. Walt and I have found their updates and notifications to be very integrated with our core values. Another thing is that we have found their substance for opposing many of the decisions being made by government based on fact not drama, racism, etc. It is growing around the US. What I like about the Caucus is that it saves a lot of work and research. Their updates give you exactly who to contact where it will make the most impact. They were very involved in the organization of the 9/12 march in Washington DC. We were the 400th to join the caucus. We have not been disappointed. This is my perspective, we can sit on our rears and complain and say the country is going to pot or we can join a movement that wants to make a difference in an effective organized way. Here it is....mine and Walt's personal invitation, or you can just keep complaining, sending email to your friends about your disapproval of what is happening in DC, and not getting anything but frustrated. Or you can add to your email a communication to those whom it might make a difference. We have seen that the squeeky wheel got the grease in the environmental movement, and now we think, how did such a small group of society get such a mammoth amount of power is America? They organized and yelled. Now you can become an important spoke in a squeeky wheel that will really make a difference to restore common sense as we safe guard the constitution. Here is a question I want to ask all of you, just for your personal perspective. Does there need to be a change? How many letters, phone calls, or email have you personally sent to those in power making government decisions you disapprove of? How many times have you expressed your concern and complained to friends, family, or anyone for that matter? If the answer to the first question is a lot smaller than the answer to the 2nd question, then there needs to be a change, but maybe it starts with the person looking back in the mirror. " Following the email was a link to education and opportunity to join the caucus.

Political Penny?

Now when I say, I am not nor ever been politically active other than to vote, there was never a truer statement. That has changed. I am so fed up with what is going on, as far as government decisions, I have made a huge decision that I have no right complain if I sit on my rear end and do nothing. Washington City power rates are higher than any where in our county. Last year "the powers that be" built a huge community center much bigger than we ever needed. Now when I say big, two swimming pools, two basketball courts, huge reception center, climbing wall, track, every weight and elliptical type available, and it is only in use about 25% of the time. All of this is indoors. The lure of gov grant money to get it going and the glow of "our little city can now be a big city" ideology was more powerful than long-term brain power and common sense. After only one year, the new center is going in the hole $30,000 a month in just part of the over head. At last count, the estimate is a deficit of a million dollars by the end of next year. The answer I am sure will be a bond...which to me is another word for financial bondage to the residents who do not use, nor ever planned to pay the $395 yearly fee per family they are charging now. Now add to this, financially ruining several businesses in our city that they are directly competing with. The center opened a day care with every modern anything complete with their own little rocking chairs, nap stations, and learning modules. We have five excellent day cares and the competition has hit them hard. Next, the reception centers that have catered to weddings, business meetings. Our City Center rents cheaper and has more room choices. Next, the Gold's Gym, Curves, and other work- out places. Our City Center is open from 5 in the a.m. to 10 every day with every new bell and whistle. A former mayer who guarded against government competition against it's own citizens, will not even go in the building. It is a sad commentary on a lcity government that does not value it's own contributing citizens, those who hire residents and provide local jobs. Especially in this economic climate. A governments job is to protect and never every compete with hard working residents.

There are elections in November for Mayer and 2 Councilman. The youngest of the bunch is Bill Hudson, a man who has been so concerned over the ignoring of what the city citizens want, that he has sat in on most of the city council meetings for over the last year. His philosophy, Walt's and mine are right on. I came up with this campaign idea, my new son-in-law Cody cut the vinyl, and we are distributing these signs to a lot of people this week. Those running against Bill Hudson have put thousands of dollars into their campaigns, three of them teaming up for more power. We will see how this goes. I am also going to make calls and take some fliers around to influential people I have come to know through the years. Concerning the campaign, I had a thought to link emotion to what is going on in Washington DC right now. Bill liked it so here it is: Can't change the White House? You can change our house, Washington City! Vote Bill Hudson I hope my little contribution will help. We shall see.

First Personal Experience with Going Green

After today's dishwasher repair experience, I am rephrasing "going green" to "green going" out of my pocket. After paying the repairman $95 to get my dishwasher back to efficiency, I asked what all that white gunk was from he removed from the filter. He explained that since the new "Go Green" Federal guidelines, the manufacturers of dishwasher detergent are slowly removing phosphorous. Some have already removed it. He explained that phosphorous it what keeps hard water softened, keeps glass shining, and most important, keeps calcium from building up on your filters. He showed me a little number on the detergent container that starts with a P or a Z. If the number has a Z there is no phosphorous in it, and he added no strong efficient cleaning power. According to him, liquid auto- dish detergent is the lowest phosphorous content, and usually granulate has the highest "for now". He suggested applying a strong phosphate treatment a couple of times a year, or you will have a green going experience like I had. He went on to say that since the new cap and trade guidelines, efficiency will be so low, the manufactures are worried that the public will think it is their fault, but in fact it will be due to gov regulation. The water tubs will be smaller, the rinse cycles not as long. He attends repair schools for all the main appliance manufacturers, it will affect them all, not just dishwashers. I won't bore you with the info he shared on frigs. Hold on to your pocket book, here it comes ...Going Green or shall I say your green going. Of course, we must be fair, I am sure it will eventually make sense like the guideline to take lead out of road paint making it so the lines fade within just a few months. It has saved the lives of those who get their nutrient from licking the lines on the road. Oops, I guess though to be really fair, I need to factor in the lives that have been lost due to not being able to tell where the lines on a road are. Silly me, what was I thinking.

Costco Canned Chicken vs My Own

The other day after pouring the liquid off my can of Costco Chicken Breast for my yummy Chinese salad, I decided to weigh just the meat. I got just less than 8 oz from a 12 oz can of chicken! I figured it up and I was paying almost $6.00 a lb on a good sale day! I dusted off my mother's old pressure canner and went looking for some chicken breast. Due to being in my experiment mode, I did not look for best sale on skinless boneless breast, but bought at the cost my grocery store was selling that day. I packed it in jelly jars and 75 minutes later better chicken than Costco at over half the price. I had a bottle the next day and found it to be juicier and much tastier. It does naturally make some broth, but it is pure chicken broth, not water as Costco chicken. I called around and found out that Lins is having a chicken breast sale in two weeks where it is only $1.29 a lb. I can get the same amount of chicken as in a Costco can for about 75 cents a jar at that rate. ...about a 75% savings.

Directions on bottling chicken: Raw pack, do not cook before It makes it dry. (NOTE: Every thing I found said to cook first, but Wendy DeWitt, a provident living specialist has been doing hers raw for years. Even had a bottle after storing for years. It was perfect. The intense heat cooks and kills all bacteria.) Boil jar lids, this is not to sanitize but to soften to seat. After placing lids on jars, place in pressure canner at 15 lb for 75 minutes. Let the steam come our of the hole a top for about 4 minutes, place weight on, let pressure build until weight is rocking steadily. On my smooth top stove, it is at about 7.5 heat. Pressure for 75 minutes and turn off heat. You can remove from heat, but do not remove weight or lid until completely cool. It is that simple.

The Mother of all Composters

I was raised on a farm. When you made garbage, it went to a barrel and eventually burned. The crops were turned under every fall, manure was piled high and then distributed for a few smelly days a year. I don't know where along the way I lost my value to compost. During the years, I have sent enough organic waste down the garbage disposal to fertilize a football field many times over. I know, you "save the planet" people are thinking what a shame. One day last spring I made mention to Walt that I would like to compost the debris I removed from our yard every fall and spring. Wow, I had no idea what key I had turned in honor of composters every where. He began to plan and then build the mother of all composters. He recycled a pressure tank that came from a water well repair he had done several years ago. He put mechanisms inside to turn the compost. It works great and after he painted it dark green, it even looks like it belongs in our back yard. Sometimes, I am amazed at what this man of mine can figure out and build. I have a mechanical disability, according to my family, I cannot open a box of cereal the right way.

Mighty Cluff Hunters

When Walt and I were dating and discussing marriage, I timidly revealed to him that I had a $400 loan I had taken out in order to get through with BYU that spring. He then "revealed" to me that he really loved hunting. He was an avid outdoorsman and he asked if I would support him in this endeavor. Oh, I can support that "hobby". All I can say is he got off pretty easy with that loan repay. I have been paying for the "hunt support" promise many years. I was CLUELESS. Now we have an entire family of mighty hunters and my support has been been multiplied a hundred fold.

Our son Brandon's son, Jade got a nice four point with his bow just before dusk. He was pretty proud. It is his first "big one". I was the cook for the crew of hunters until we came down late Saturday night. I should say Sunday a.m. Walt got about five hours of sleep before he made it to Bishopic meeting at 6 a.m. It was quite a thrilling night for the mighty Cluff hunter.

Cedar Mountain

At last, I am relaxing at our property on Cedar Mountain. Our fifth wheel survived all the comings and goings of the "men" in my life preparing for the deer hunt. They archery hunt and it starts the middle of August here. Right now, that means scouting. Yes, scouting must start at least a month before. This year grandson Jade, Dad Brandon, and son-in-law Brian have placed a motion activated camera on a deer trail near a blind. They have seen many big bucks this year.

I listen to narrations of their adventures, cook occasionally, and kick back with a book, art, or my harp the minute they leave. Walt and I are 4-wheeling today, then he is off to scout with his brother Ray. I love the peace of the mountain. I take long walks, watch the wild life, find my rock and gaze at the beauty. We can see many miles to the south from a high point. I call it my peace rock.

The hot hula mamas

All of us enjoyed our evening of hula and excellent food. My neices were excellent dancers. I am happy to see them preserving their heritage.

Ashley Inn without Rhett Butler.

I felt like I had entered the book "Gone With the Wind".

Ashley Inn

This Inn was something else. All victorian, every room, a real female kingdom. I could not visualize a single male daring to enter or perhaps only "real men" would dare enter.

Robin & Family

The last few days at my sister Robins was a whirlwind of family and loved one renewal. Brother Steve & wife Sharon, Aunt Ruth and Uncle Darrel, Brother Joshua and Tim & wife Ginny all came for dinner at Hollingworth home Tuesday. It was great to see everyone. They all were amazed a Robins' progress. Wednesday was movie and dinner out with my Nati and Katy who flew into Boise and traveled back home with me in my car Sunday. Thursday night Josh came out again and we all watched the dvd from the Arnold reunion in June. Heidi and Ren joined us. Friday night everyone gathered at Mindy's boyfriend's cafe. What great food and the floor show was excellent too ...my neices doing hula. They looked beautiful and danced like true Hawaiians.
We stood outside and talked for a long time after it closed. Saturday a.m. Kristi, Mindy, Katy, and Nati all went to garage sales and returned with some serious good deals. Robin and I were invited, but were completely wore out from our week of "relaxation". It was so nice to see our girls enjoying their "cousin friends" and loving the time they spent together.

Driving Miss Daisy (helping my sister)

I am in Caldwell Idaho. I came here with the intent to help my sister Robins' family take a little time off. Even though she is only in her 40s, Robin suffered a massive stroke just before Christmas. Her daughters organized themselves into an extraordinary team of mother helpers. Kristi has assisted with Monday through Fridays, Heidi takes nights, and Mindy does Friday night through Sunday afternoon. This has been devastating with Robin's husband Don in Iraq, medical and financial challenges, and their entire life being turned upside down, to say it has been hard would be an understatement. Robin was improved since I last spent time with her in March. She had a little "outing" planned for us, a night at Ashley Inn located in Cascade Idaho, a beautiful mountain town. Last week we had fun at this awesome victorian inn, but to my surprise it did not stop there. Robin decided she wanted to go on to McCall and stay at the Lakeshore. Robin no longer uses a walker or cane, but she does have a cumbersome brace, a limp, and one arm that does not function at all. She confuses words even though she is very with it in her mind, but her words do not come out the way she wants. This really discourages her, but I reassure constantly that if she does not give up, her articulation will be restored. It is that "give up" part that is the challenge right now. We found out on our trip that she can sing her words very plainly and in full sentences. We sang to some favorite songs I had bought off I-tunes. She could sing almost all of them.

We had a good laugh at the Lake Shore Lodge. She drives a fancy BMW and I could not find a close parking space to unload. When I inquired, they assigned us a valet. He got the keys and assisting us at the car removed Robin's luggage. I did not take my large suitcase because I thought we were only staying one night. I had put my "stuff" in a Albertson's grocery shopping bag. After helping Robin, he asked me where my luggage was. I pointed to the shopping bag. When Robin was out of hearing, the valet asked me if I was her driver? I said I was and turned and asked Robin, "Is you ready for yo room, Miss Daisy?" We did a lot of "Miss Daisy" teasing after that.

Decision to become a BLOGGER

I learned to type on a Royal manual typewriter when I went to High School. They were able to get electric typwriters when I was a junior or senior. Let's put it this way. I have come a long way. I was an okay typist, but when I was able to get my hands on an electric, I became a fast and efficient one. If you were making multiple copies, on the manual this required a razor taking off the letter on each copy, then replacing a small piece of paper to transfer a new letter on the paper after you had the hit the key hard enough to imprint over the mistake. Took forever. When the great new technology of electric typewriters was invented, a mistake was painted over with a product called White Out. A bad typist could easily produce a paper that looked with it had fallen in a paint bucket because White Out never matched the color of the paper. Fast forward to the computer age. I could not get over the fact that I could just do spell or grammar check and then click "print". Now fast forward again, I have made myself learn to text (which my husband says they had back in the days of the telegraph, so what is the big deal?), I love google, and then came the BIG decision...do I face book, blog, twitter, all of it or none? Most my age have nothing to do with any of it, unless they have children dragging them into it due to long distance. As we have all our children within a few miles, I did not need to utilize tech means to communicate. I see them often. However, to use blogging for journaling? My decision was made. I am now a blogger. Those who want to share, that is nice, those who don't, that is okay too, but hopefully I can journal and have some fun while I am doing it. Then to actually be able to click and publish it? Unbelievable!