Granny Grandson Camp

Back row Justin Cannon, Jade Cluff, Granny, Logan Cluff
Front row Jaxon Bradshaw, Morgan Irvine, Bradley Irvine

Yes, you read it right.  I take my boys camping every summer.  My younger ones, Colby (5), Cove (1 ½), and baby River were not invited for safety reasons and Granny's sanity.   This year was a lot of fun because the weather was perfect.  Last year we battled rain almost the whole weekend.  The tradition has always been campfire stories by Granny and then lots of war with air guns.  We have made a four- wheel trail where the wars are played out.  This year, however, Jade and Justin the oldest two, decided they were too old and cool for such juvenile games.  After holding out for an hour or two, soon they had to get in on it.  Then it was the two oldest against everyone else.  Everyone had a fun time including me.  I bedded them down in the front of our RV.  We have two good mattresses and lots of foam pads.  I had them draw straws on who got to choose first.  We did smores, but they were ready to hit the bedrolls right after, so my campfire stories were shared while they were in bed and ready for lights out.  I absolutely love my grand boys…I guess I better start saying young men.  All who attended have the priesthood except Jaxon who is ten.  Jade and Justin are DRIVING!


I am including pictures from an Arizona hunt Grandpa took some of the older boys on.  Grandpa has a soft spot for hunting requests from his grand boys.  I told him I think to his grandsons the word Grandpa means “Man with checkbook and drivers license.”

An event at Sportsman Warehouse had some drawings for prizes.  Justin asked his grandpa if he put gramp’s name in and he won, if Justin could have the binoculars.

Grandpa had a work project going on during Granny Camp.  Trimming  trees.

Walt got a call that he won and true to his gramp’s word, Justin got the binoculars.  Sportsman took a picture of Walt with them and it turned out to be a great picture.  The boys were trying to figure out what was so great about it and then it dawned on them.  He did not have a plaid cowboy shirt on…he had a stripped tee!  Wow, and to think that fact was documented with a picture!

Granny Grand-Girl Camp & Paying it Forward Experience

Josie Cluff, Lesley Cannon, Taiha Bradshaw, Granny,Victoria Cannon

This summer I held Granny-grand-girl camp.  My oldest granddaughters, Tori, Lesley, Taiha, and Josie,  usually opt for a sleepover at my house instead of the “camp” experience.  This year I did not give them a choice.  I told them we were going to the mountain, sleeping at our camp for two nights, and then spending a day in Panquitch, a little mountain town just 25 miles from our camp. The first night we played a rumor game around the campfire.  After smores, I led them out to the clearing where I had set up a big tarp.  I asked them to take a pillow and blanket, and after putting heads together in the middle, we looked at the stars while I shared some spiritual experiences of my youth.  After drawing straws for the bed spots, most of them giggled for hours after I put in my earplugs. The next day it was up for breakfast and off to Panquich’s Quilt Walk Days. I asked them to save their money for some girly purchase.  They worked hard and each came prepared with a little cash.  I asked them to just browse through the shops for a few hours and then we would return to stores for final purchase, as I did not want to carry bags around all afternoon.  The first store we went to was where Taiha realized she had lost her $20 out of her pants pocket.  She was so sad because she had worked hard for her money.  When we returned later in the day, the storeowner asked where the girl was that had lost her money.  My girls explained that she had not found it so she had not returned to buy earrings like they had.  After the girls had made their selection of pretty silver earrings with different colored stones, the owner told them to go choose a pair that they thought Taiha would like.  She put them in a bag to give to her asking for the following story to be told.  When the storeowner was a little girl, she had worked hard to earn $5 for a fair and carnival coming to her town.  Excitedly she arrived only to find on her first purchase that she had lost the $5 out of her pocket.  She burst into tears and a man asked why she was crying.  She explained she had worked hard for her money and had lost it.  He gave her $5 telling her, “One day you will meet a girl who will have lost her money and that is when you can pay me back”. The other day I saw the silver feather green stone earrings dangling from Taiha’s ear.  I was quickly reminded of the sweet experience of my grand girls and the kindly shop owner, and I pray they will always remember this simple example of paying it forward.  We had a great time together on Cedar Mountain at our camp.  They were such a joy and we plan to repeat it next year.

Old Prompting Leads to New Prompting?

I made a quick trip to Idaho for my niece Mindy's reception.  I was invited to Rilz and Mindy's wedding in Hawaii and intended to go.  In fact, I was really excited.  I have never been to Hawaii, so with flyer miles, Robin's connection for housing, and planning on fun sharing a room with Nan Arnold, I was out of here.  I kept finding a reason to postpone making the reservations, but with it down to the last day to get tickets cheap, I started the process.  I still could not bring myself to go ahead.  The next morning, now the last possible day to use my flyer miles, I woke up with a memory of years ago when I had a prompting not to leave Rexburg for the trip home with my babies.  Vividly the memory rushed back of me leaving a day early to attend the temple wedding of my friend Ann in SLC on the way home.  I had arranged baby sitters and Ann was counting on me.  However, that morning  I had awakened with an over whelming feeling to not go.  Rationalizing that my car had been serviced the day before, my babies were well, and not wanting to let anyone down, I did not obey the prompting.  When I was about two hours from Rexburg, MY CAR MOTOR BEGAN TO BILLOW SMOKE.  The service guy, who did my car the day before, had not put the oil plug back in after filling my oil!  I ended up being stranded on the side of the road for hours with my little ones.  Dad helped me limp back to Rexburg.  If I had obeyed the prompting, I would have known about it while I was using my car in Rexburg and an early discovery would have saved our car which was never the same after that.    I learned a valuable lesson....listen and obey, even when it does not seem logical.  Now fast forward about 35 years, and I am laying in bed with a light slowing coming on in my fuzzy brain.....have I been being prompted to not make the reservations?  Is the Spirit using my old experience to remind me to listen and recognize a prompting?  Next thought....perhaps I should pray about this.  Next thought....yes you should.   After prayer.... I am NOT supposed to go to Hawaii.  Next thought...oh no, I have people counting on me.  Next thought....what terrible thing is going to happen if I go?  I called Robin and Nan.  Nan understood and luckily I got Robin's voice mail.  I knew she would be very mad, and she was cooled off by the time she talked to me a few days later.  "Why aren't you going?"  Don't know, just a feeling was my reply.  The Monday I was supposed to leave for my week in Hawaii, I felt like I was waiting for a phone call to emergency for a loved one or a catastrophe of some kind.  Tuesday I had a little muscle problem in my upper leg, but I am still waiting for the emergency phone call.  Wednesday I am now trying to not limp, but still waiting for the emergency phone call.  Thursday I realize I am the emergency, I now can hardly move my leg and have chills and fever.  Friday morning the pain in my leg was gone and I am feeling a little better, so I go to the mountain with Walt who wants to go on a long four-wheel ride.  Forget those plans because Friday night (on mountain) the muscle in my other leg begins to pain and now I repeat chills and fever until Monday, the day I would have been coming home from Hawaii!  Who knew I had such a weird virus waiting to take me down...Heavenly Father that's Who.  I would have been a total pain in Hawaii, people worrying about me, and probably wishing I was in my bed at home, not to mention me trying to walk all over with a gimpy leg.  Hawaii will still be there waiting for me someday.

New Attitude, New Neighbor, New Job

A New Attitude,  A New Neighbor,  A New Job

I have wanted to post many times, but just couldn’t get the brain power to do it. I couldn’t even get the brain power to read other people’s blogs.  I finally gave myself a surprise diagnosis.  I have been battling depression since Spring.  As I have never really known depression, I guess I had a hard time identifying it.  Several years ago my daughter who was battling depression for a time told me,  after I tried to say something encouraging, “What do you know?  You are one of the most disgustingly happy people I know.”  At the time I had a good laugh over that one.  It is not natural for me to be sad, grumpy, out-of-sorts, so I guess that is why it took a while to identify.   Also, I do not rave on about my problems nor go on and on about poor me.   I can genuinely listen with empathy to other’s problems, but I usually personally opt out of the personal pity-pot  parade.  Once I did identify depression, I started an attack plan of eating better, faithfully exercising,  increasing vitamin Bs, and increasing magnesium.  I think the exercise helps most of all.  I feel like a different woman when I come home from the rec center.  I also started a new hobby of crocheting around fleece I make into a blanket.  It is mindless repetition and relaxes me.  Maybe that is why most of the old ladies I ever knew took up crochet in their old age.  I thought they were bored, so who knew it was therapy!  So here's to my new attitude or a renewal of my usual attitude.   I know life is what we make it, happiness is found when we look for it, and  joy is always found in the moment if we allow ourselves to feel it.   I love the saying:  I AM TOO ANNOINTED TO BE DISAPPOINTED AND TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED—Billy Chrystal’s wife has this hanging over her kitchen sink.

My new neighbor is going to be the Curtis and Katy Lee family, our daughter’s family. They are buying a lot from us and Brandon is building the house.  It is going to be a wonderful spacious home.  They will be between our house and Cori’s house on the other block.  Ivy and I were walking to Cori’s past their new house and she said, “My room is so cute.  Do you want to see it?”  Her room did not even have the sheetrock done yet.  Her little mind already had it perfectly decorated, I found out, as she told me about the rugs, bed, and pictures on her walls.

My new part-time job is Victim Advocate for Washington City Police Department.  I was formerly my daughter Cori’s volunteer when she had the position.  She did a remarkable job and now serves as my volunteer.   It is one of the best jobs I have ever had….lowest pay…..but best job.  It entails working with victims of crime who lack resources or knowledge of the criminal justice system.  Mostly, I help women of domestic violence place protective orders, stalking injunctions, or act as an liaison in court proceedings involving the perpetrator.  I can link victims to safe houses, legal protection, or even therapy particularly if children are involved.   I have a Bachelor Degree in Criminology/Law Enforcement from BYU and years ago I started out in part-time Juvenile Delinquency work.  Now I have gone full circle and am comfortably  back in the criminal system again.  So here I am at the age of sixty-four starting a new job.  It seems like God is not through with me yet as far as my contribution in the temporal scheme of things.  I will keep on keeping on, but the fact is I would rather wear out than rust out anyway.

Special Arnold Visitors

In order to deal with the stress of being at my house, did she take up smoking?  I wanted to get a pic of Robin, but said her lollipop looked like a cig.  Nati decided to light it.

 

Tim, Ginny, Penny, and Walt at Little Black Mountain



Last August, I was given a sweet surprise from my brother Steve and his daughter Rebecca.  Steve flew from Oregon to Idaho to help Rebecca move to California.  They stayed with us on their way there.  Even though they were tired from the trip, it was wonderful reunion.  My family did not know Rebecca, only from my sharing occassional news through the years.  Many of my family came over that evening.  I loved hearing Rebecca laughing with my children just like they had always been close proximity instead of over a thousand miles. 

 My brother Tim and wife Ginny Arnold came for some days of fun and relaxation.  Robin came just two days after they left.  Walt and I completely enjoyed their company.  All our children and grandchildren got together for a big Saturday morning breakfast with Tim and Gin.  It was fun for them to renew family ties to my children.  Later that night, we attended the Tabernacle Choir concert which was very nice.  We enjoyed the old favorites like Battle Hymm, Shannondoah, God be with you, and others.  However, there was one song that was called Liberty or Independence or something like that.  Anyway, I think it lasted ten minutes.  I should not have sat by Tim, because when I whispered to him that it should have been named the "Never Ending Story" and he agreed.  We got a case of the giggles, at least I did.  When the people in front kept looking over their shoulder, I tried to contain it, but.....   When the long boring song finished some people went crazy with applause.  Are you kidding me?  I guess Tim and I aren't very cultured.   Another activity we shared was a visit to Little Black Mountain, a large group of rocks a few miles out of town that have hundreds of Native American writing on them that date span back 5,000 years.  Of course, we ate out almost every day, laughed and talked a lot.  It was a sweet time and we hope they come back every winter.
 
After they left, I picked my sister Robin Hollingsworth up at our new city airport.  I was planning on having Robin with us for many weeks, but her husband Don received an assignment overseas and she flew home after only two weeks.  Robin stroke recovery is still in progress.  She was talking better than last time and she has lost more weight.  One of the first things I wanted to do was get her into the new style skinny pants.  She looked so good in them.  We did something almost every day and her stamina was amazing.  As usual, my family got together for a dinner, and then later in the week we had a girl's craft day.  We set up the sewing machine, Cori had her  vinyl cutting  Circut, Sheena made a bracelet, I sewed some bibs, Nati made a pillow, and Katy did a paint project, Cori helped Robin make a very cool birthday calendar board.  Jessica flew in from Provo to join our fun.  Her little Emma was the center of attention. My house was a wreck, but with the girls help, we got it mostly cleaned up in time for dinner and a movie.  What a fun day for all.  Sadly, I put her back on the plane, but she had bought or made so many fun things, she had to pay to have a big box sent home.

Some how the camera got set on raw and the pictures would not be accepted by blogspot.  Unfortunately this is one of the few that went through.  There were some great picture of our get together with everyone in.  Oh well.....

A Real Winter




Who's the kid?  Walt and grandson Colby enjoy a very rare snowball fight in our backyard. Snow laid for five days. Unheard of for our climate.



Walt and I went up to Cedar Mountain first of January.
This picture is a few miles from our property.

January had some cold weather.  We did not have it for Christmas, when I like it.  It came after.  It was fun for the children, but I was ready for our St. George climate after a couple of weeks.  I am no longer an Idahoan, but a southern belle these days.  February and beginning of March is like living in Oregon.  The mornings are cloudy and moist, clearing off to blue most afternoons.  Very strange for our part of the woods.  Of course, this would be the year I took a winter gardening class at the college.  I planted in October and gave it a try.  I guess it works most years, but this year it froze and froze again.  The garden was a bust and many of our permanent yard plants were damaged.  So sad.  I planted another winter spring garden. I have beets and peas about three inches high, and broccoli about seven inches.  Maybe I can get something off this one.

Old Friend and a New Creation

Kareen Winder, a friend of more than fifty years, came to St. George with her husband Ken who was attending a business conference.  Kareen and I made plans to spend Wednesday afternoon together.  I always have enjoyed my friendship with her, so I decided to make her a "thank you for being my friend" apron.  Tuesday night Walt has bishopric meetings, so I thought I could whip it up while he was gone, easily having it done by bed time.  Now my thinking has always been, wrong as it may be, that when one is doing something nice for someone else usually things fall into place.  Don't ask me where I came up with that theory, but my apron project was proof it Iis wrong.  I started with selection of material not thinking about the quality the pink material versus the perfection of the color match.  I later found out that the material  had too much stretch and became a nightmare sewing the ruffle flounce, taking twice as long as another apron I made out of the same pattern.  Next my needle broke, that often happens, but this time braking the tip down in the casing where I had to dismantle the bottom of the machine to get it out, and I am mechanically challenged.  Wednesday morning I woke up earlier so I could get it done by 11 a.m. when Kareen was coming.  I sewed the entire ruffle on, taking great pains to be very slow, working each stretch carefully under the foot pushing it with my  little implement I devised.  Ah, beautiful, so I took it out from under the foot and the ruffle fell off!  The thread had broke right when I started the seam! I had been so worried over the stretch, I had not noticed the thread was not there.  This was when I could have cryed, but instead I had a good laugh, cranked up the volume on my pandora radio station, and sang a little louder.  What a comedy of errors and all mine.  I then threw perfection out the window and just pushed to get the apron finished.   I called Kareen to bounce the date a half hour later and got it done.  It was all worth it.  She looked cute in my friendship thank you and we went on to spend a great afternoon together.  As usual, the time flew as we caught up on the happenings of our busy lives.  God has blessed me with such wonderful friends. Kareen is and always will be one of them.

Four letter words

(Copy of email I sent to my family.)   Since the passing of a couple of weeks,  my mind has  returned to the discussion on swearing I had with some of you  at a get together at Cori’s house.  One of you said she had set a new years resolution to stop swearing.  As none of you say many cuss words around me, I was surprised. I shared with you at that time, due to the cussing environment I was raised in, I had constantly battled the problem  of swear words coming to mind, but with hope, prayer, and time eventually swear words have  faded from  my mind as well as not come out my mouth. Why? Because I did not want my children to learn to swear. I did not want my children to be raised with the lowest level of word usage. Since the afternoon I spent with you, I have thought often of what I should have said and there are a few things that have come to mind. First is the simple true fact that we are judged by others by what comes out of our mouth. We can act one way, but if we express ourselves contrary to our actions there is now a question mark of who one really is and what that person stands for. When words match actions there is never a doubt as to what that person truly stands for. I sincerely think that you are all wonderful women who want the highest level of communication in your homes, that you desire to be exemplary mothers, wives, and friends, and each has a personal love and belief in the Savior. Shouldn’t these actions match spoken words? Most things thrown at us in this life are out of our control. However, one thing we always have control of is what comes out our mouths. It is my observation that the greatest power in the world is the power of the spoken word. Words can heal, words can bring understanding, words can uplift, words can give courage, and words can inspire. A word seems like such a little thing, but out of small things comes that which is great. Even though the following story is not about swearing, I think it illustrates this point. I love each of you with all my heart.

Story emailed to me :
Several years ago, a newly called Mormon Missionary accepted a call to serve in Houston , Texas . Some weeks after he arrived, he and his companion had occasion to ride the bus from  their apartment to the downtown area. When
he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him  a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.' Then he thought,
'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.'
When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed
the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change ..' The driver, with a smile, replied, 'Aren't you the new missionaries at the Mormon Church in town?' 'Yes' he replied.
'Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if  I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.'  The now stunned missionary got off the bus and silently expressed a sincere prayer of  forgiveness and said,   'Oh Heavenly Father, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.'
Our lives are the only scripture some people will ever read. 
Watch your thoughts ; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
 Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Christmas Eves Blast from the Past



Seven Christmas's ago Logan was Joseph, Victoria was Mary

Walt is attending the Utah Ground Water Association convention held each year in Nevada. ( I am still trying to figure the location choice.)  Anyway, I am alone for a few days and decided to do some catch up.  Christmas was wonderful as usual and it seemed even more so with not having to worry about adult gifts this year.  The pain I have been putting up with in my right shoulder was almost gone by Christmas Day, so I was able to totally enjoy it.  Christmas Eve was held with our usual breakfast.  We are still able to seat everyone for big occasion dinners, but it is getting pretty tight.  We always do buffet.  We supply the ham, pancakes,  and paper goods.  The rest of the family brings eggs, hash browns, syrups, strawberries, whip creme, juices, and everyone brings bacon.   We always have a family home evening centered on Christmas.  This night is probably my favorite night of the entire year.  I was going through some of the older pictures and found some from our Nativity Christmas Eve home evening years ago.  As I am using my blog for journaling and will publish to hard copy every couple of years, so I wanted to get these included.  The children are so much older now, and of course, some grandchildren were not even born yet.  The pictures were taken with my old camera so the quality is not too good  

Our three wise guys, oops, wise men, Jade, Justin, and Brad

Brad was a very wise man.

Walt was the narrator.  (Does Walt ever age? He looks the same today) We sang a song about each event of the birth of Jesus. Taiha, our angel, looks tired.

Morgan was a shepherd, Lesley a cute little lamb

Josie and Taiha are angels, Morgan a shepherd, Lesley a lamb

Then appears our grouchy donkey, Jaxon



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Even our dog Moe made an appearance.  Precious Moe was killed in a four-wheel accident several years later.



Time Heals All Wounds?

I woke up very early this Sunday a.m.  We now go to meetings at 9:00 a.m., so with yesterday being New Years Day, I did not prepare my Strengthening Family lesson until this morning before church.  I awoke long before the alarm, probably close to 4 a.m.  There in the dark my mind replayed, almost in panorama, the last decade of the most major of tribulations we have experienced.  I am a naturally positive optimistic person.  I do not work at it, it is just there, deep in my soul, I am happy with a smile on my face.  I was born with it.  So it was extremely unusual for me to experience scene after scene of harder times of the last ten years.  First, to my mind came the vivid pictures of my our nephew Bruce Cluff's death.  I loved him as a son.  I tended him when he was little as he and my daughter Cori Ann became the closest of friends.  He was in and out of our home constantly, lived with us before his mission, and lived with us again after until he was settled in college.  When he was a father of two, with one on the way, his military plane crashed in Columbia.  We housed his siblings during the two weeks he was missing.  It was an ordeal I never want to repeat.  I still think of him often and miss him terribly.  Next to my mind came the sale of our drilling business to a person we trusted.  Walt gave him every advantage financially to help him get a good start.  We soon found ourselves in a betrayal. Without our knowledge, this person turned quickly around selling the business for double the amount to a another man who had also wanted the business from us.  Walt had honored the first person because of a handshake to keep his word. Our buyer did not disclose to his quick- sale party the terms of our agreement to settle tax liability, pay off supply expense incurred on a drilling job that he received payment for, and drill a well on our property on Cedar Mountain.   Our accountant firm, who had drawn up the contracts and had been present at every negotiation, offered their lawyers free of charge to prosecute this dishonorable person citing numerous breach of contract.  However, after much prayer, Walt decided against it and I honored my husband's decision.   Next my mind relived the excitement of our daughter's mission call.  We were thrilled, she was our first missionary.  She had several emergency admittances regarding asthma and allergy.  She had been ill at times, but still loved her mission.  Several months passed when we received a call from her mission president.  Due to the more strict medical guidelines, she was asked to go home.  She had refused to return, so in a tearful phone call, after prayerful council, we said come home.  Our broken hearted faithful daughter came home from a treasured beloved mission.  My mind replayed when Walt was involved in a accident where his hand and arm were seriously burned.  He had to go to the burn unit to have the area scrapped several times a week for a long period of time.  My mind went to some trying times when a couple of our children had marital challenges.  My sister, whom I am close to, suffered a massive stroke losing use of an arm,  leg, and fluid speech,  even though she is only in her forties.  This greatly affected me. Next in my panarama came the termination of my contract with the Southwest Utah Health Department due to budget cutbacks.  Over an eight year period of time, I had built two programs.  I handed them over to two people still in their twenties who would  "work them into" their already busy schedule.   My mind then went to this unprecedented economical crash, our future retirement depending on rent of two commercial buildings. One now sitting empty due to  the tenant going out of business, the other having to lower the rent to the point that it hardly pays the expenses to keep our real estate investments.    We are now at the age we projected for an early retirement, but my husband is running his water pump installation and repair. There are fewer clients nor  are there business  buyers whom we planned on selling to by this point of time.  After this panorama was complete, it came to me how we had gone through all of it with calm and peace.   As my mind's eye looked at each tribulation packaged into a decade, and I don't think I had ever viewed them in such a context nor dwelled on them,  I realized there was a silver thread that ran through every experience.  I could see with each tribulation, Walt and I had been been wounded, a jagged tear, a gaping hole.  I saw clearly that the wounds had been cleansed with the blood of Jesus Christ then sewn up with the threads of the atonement.  Through this last decade, we have experienced peace, love,  joy,  long suffering, and hope.  Our faith and testimony is stronger now than ten years ago.    I had someone say to me once that time heals all wounds.  Perhaps, but time's healing can leave a jagged scar.   Through the application of faith, I have found that the Savior heals all wounds,  but His healing leaves no scar and in place of a wound, gratitude.