Friday, July 19, 2013
A trip to the Stone of Yellow
Thursday, July 18, 2013
17 Mile Cave
Abe's mother and his baby sister Ivy (who is now ridiculously 18 years old) came to visit us for a few weeks. It was fabulous having them here and we begged them to stay, but for some reason (something about Abe's father not being 'regular' when his honey was away) they felt like they needed to go home. So back to New Hampshire they went.
We tried to do some fun, touristy things while they were here, so my next few posts will be about that.
These are the two semi-decent pictures we got from our trip to 17 mile cave. I had only vaguely heard about this place, so it was fun to actually drive out and visit it. It's a huge underground cavern hidden right off the Arco Highway outside of Idaho Falls. The sign outside it says that Native American tribes used to use the caves as shelter as they traveled across the desert. I loved imagining the cave lined with families gathered around fires, little children skipping around in the cool, damp darkness, women visiting with each other while they cooked and sewed, men doing whatever it was that men did when they weren't hunting.
The layers and layers of graffiti were also interesting and delightful. We were all surprised at some of the places people had reached with spray paint. It's amazing the energy and effort shiftless hoodlums will expend in the name of vandalism.
The cave entrance.
Inside the cave. Yes, that is a camera strap. Yes, I am thinking about going pro.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Liam Update: July 2013
I'm sitting at the breakfast table with Liam, who has persuaded me to let him break his fast with Ritz crackers. He sits in the morning sunlight, swinging his feet, and holds up a cracker. His little mouth shapes itself down into a scrunchy "O" and he speaks in a squeaky voice. "Hi, Mommy!"
"Hi cracker," I say.
"What you doing?" squeaks the cracker.
"I'm eating breakfast. What are you doing?"
"Eating Liam!"
"Liam is EATING you?"
"Mmmhmm!" And to demonstrate, the cracker jumps into Liam's mouth. Now just a crescent of its former self, the remaining bit of cracker waves at me, and continues to talk through Liam's puckered lips.
"Hi Mommy!" The cracker is cheerful as ever.
"Do you LIKE getting eaten?" I ask.
"Mmmhmmmm!"' says the cracker enthusiastically.
"Is it nice in Liam's tummy?"
"Mmmmmhmmmm!" And with that, Liam pops the remaining bit of cracker in his mouth and swallows it down.
"What a lucky cracker!" I tell him. Liam beams.
_______________
Liam boards the big preschool school bus and sits down just as it is pulling away. He looks out the window and finds me. He is smiling. I blow him a kiss. He blows one back. Still smiling. We wave. The bus pulls away.
_________________
Liam is writing on a piece of paper. He is making what he believes to be letters. When he is done, he says, tapping the paper with each syllable, "S.O.A-- Liam. I did it!"
__________________
A typical conversation:
"What's Daddy doing?"
"Daddy's at work."
"What's Soren doing?"
"Soren is eating a cracker."
"What's Mommy doing?"
"Mommy is talking to Liam."
"Mommy is talking to Liam? What the-- are you kidding me?"
___________________
Briar is sitting in the computer room. It is after 8 PM. The door opens, just a crack. Bright little eyes peek in. She knows she should tell him to go back to bed. But he looks so hopeful. "Oh, come in," she says. The door opens more to reveal a smiling little Buddha. It's impossible to send him away. She pulls him up onto her lap and he contentedly leans into that comfy spot between her arm and her chest.
__________________
It's morning. Liam is stretched out across Abe's mother's lap She is playing his little belly like a bongo drum. He is delightedly singing a single long note, in love with the percussive cadence made by his voice and his belly. They are both smiling.
__________________
A not-uncommon scenario:
Soren: Mommy, can I have some water?
Liam: Mommy, can I have some water?
Soren: Are you copying me?
Liam: Are you copying me?
Soren: Stop copying me!
Liam: Stop copying me!
Soren: Mommy, he's copying me!
Liam: Mommy, he's copying me!
Sound of a fist connecting with flesh. Ear-shattering wailing.
____________________
One evening as I was tucking him in to bed, Liam said, "Mommy, I sosty." ("Sosty" means "thirsty.") Sure he was stalling, I decided to ignore him, hoping he would forget he had asked.
"Go to sleep, honey. Can I have a kiss?"
Kisses. "Good night, angel!"
"Mommy, I sosty a water. Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssse?"
"Oh, okay."
As I walk into the kitchen, I hear him say to himself, "Yessssssss!"
___________________
Liam is wearing my hoodie. I don't remember why. But obviously it looks more like a dress than a jacket on someone his size. He's got the hood up. We just came home from somewhere so Abe and I are standing in the driveway. Liam wanders off and we find him tiptoeing down the sidewalk in an exaggerated sneak motion. Abe called it a "weird creeping Yoda walk." We both think it is adorable.
___________________
Everywhere we go, Liam runs. He's got this little trot that he does, not much faster than the grown-ups walking. He holds his arms up high, so that his hands swing more by his armpits. His shoulders swing back and forth. The little wiggle he does is cute. Even Soren says so. He can go and go and go. Often, he likes to run away-- down the hall at church, out the front door at home, into the baseball field, into a different section of the store-- giggling wildly, contagiously, so that the adult chasing after him won't scold him too hard when they finally catch up.
__________________
Liam is playing with a little stuffed cheetah and a little stuffed bear. He hides one under a blanket. The makes the other one hold its paws over its eyes and count to ten. When the counter's eyes are uncovered, it immediately looks under the blanket. "I found you!" it exclaims happily.
"Hi cracker," I say.
"What you doing?" squeaks the cracker.
"I'm eating breakfast. What are you doing?"
"Eating Liam!"
"Liam is EATING you?"
"Mmmhmm!" And to demonstrate, the cracker jumps into Liam's mouth. Now just a crescent of its former self, the remaining bit of cracker waves at me, and continues to talk through Liam's puckered lips.
"Hi Mommy!" The cracker is cheerful as ever.
"Do you LIKE getting eaten?" I ask.
"Mmmhmmmm!"' says the cracker enthusiastically.
"Is it nice in Liam's tummy?"
"Mmmmmhmmmm!" And with that, Liam pops the remaining bit of cracker in his mouth and swallows it down.
"What a lucky cracker!" I tell him. Liam beams.
_______________
Liam boards the big preschool school bus and sits down just as it is pulling away. He looks out the window and finds me. He is smiling. I blow him a kiss. He blows one back. Still smiling. We wave. The bus pulls away.
_________________
Liam is writing on a piece of paper. He is making what he believes to be letters. When he is done, he says, tapping the paper with each syllable, "S.O.A-- Liam. I did it!"
__________________
A typical conversation:
"What's Daddy doing?"
"Daddy's at work."
"What's Soren doing?"
"Soren is eating a cracker."
"What's Mommy doing?"
"Mommy is talking to Liam."
"Mommy is talking to Liam? What the-- are you kidding me?"
___________________
Briar is sitting in the computer room. It is after 8 PM. The door opens, just a crack. Bright little eyes peek in. She knows she should tell him to go back to bed. But he looks so hopeful. "Oh, come in," she says. The door opens more to reveal a smiling little Buddha. It's impossible to send him away. She pulls him up onto her lap and he contentedly leans into that comfy spot between her arm and her chest.
__________________
It's morning. Liam is stretched out across Abe's mother's lap She is playing his little belly like a bongo drum. He is delightedly singing a single long note, in love with the percussive cadence made by his voice and his belly. They are both smiling.
__________________
A not-uncommon scenario:
Soren: Mommy, can I have some water?
Liam: Mommy, can I have some water?
Soren: Are you copying me?
Liam: Are you copying me?
Soren: Stop copying me!
Liam: Stop copying me!
Soren: Mommy, he's copying me!
Liam: Mommy, he's copying me!
Sound of a fist connecting with flesh. Ear-shattering wailing.
____________________
One evening as I was tucking him in to bed, Liam said, "Mommy, I sosty." ("Sosty" means "thirsty.") Sure he was stalling, I decided to ignore him, hoping he would forget he had asked.
"Go to sleep, honey. Can I have a kiss?"
Kisses. "Good night, angel!"
"Mommy, I sosty a water. Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssse?"
"Oh, okay."
As I walk into the kitchen, I hear him say to himself, "Yessssssss!"
___________________
Liam is wearing my hoodie. I don't remember why. But obviously it looks more like a dress than a jacket on someone his size. He's got the hood up. We just came home from somewhere so Abe and I are standing in the driveway. Liam wanders off and we find him tiptoeing down the sidewalk in an exaggerated sneak motion. Abe called it a "weird creeping Yoda walk." We both think it is adorable.
___________________
Everywhere we go, Liam runs. He's got this little trot that he does, not much faster than the grown-ups walking. He holds his arms up high, so that his hands swing more by his armpits. His shoulders swing back and forth. The little wiggle he does is cute. Even Soren says so. He can go and go and go. Often, he likes to run away-- down the hall at church, out the front door at home, into the baseball field, into a different section of the store-- giggling wildly, contagiously, so that the adult chasing after him won't scold him too hard when they finally catch up.
__________________
Liam is playing with a little stuffed cheetah and a little stuffed bear. He hides one under a blanket. The makes the other one hold its paws over its eyes and count to ten. When the counter's eyes are uncovered, it immediately looks under the blanket. "I found you!" it exclaims happily.
Liam loves eating outside. He'll take his meals out on the balcony whenever he can.
Monday, July 08, 2013
Soren Update: July 2013
Ear-splitting screams come tearing through the house. "MOMMY! MOMMMMMMYYYYYY!" The boys have been playing outside and I was sure that Liam had fallen off the swing and had stopped breathing. I run up the stairs to see Soren standing at the top of the stairs, bright red blood dripping over his lips and chin. He is catching it in his hands while the neighbor girl looks on in what appears to be confusion, mingled with horror. "MY NOSE IS BLEEDING! Soren shrieks. "MY! NOSE! IS! BLEEDING!" He is shaking his head back and forth, sending blood splattering all over the walls and floor. This is a typical nosebleed at our house and I've learned how to handle it. Mostly it involves avoiding carpets. Speaking in a soothing voice, I hurry and shuffle him off to the bathtub, where blood can be washed down the drain. I help him get his clothes off and sit on the edge of the tub. Gently, I try to assure him that it will be okay but that he just....needs...to calm....down. But nothing I say matters. (Once, though tears and tripping blood, he croaked out "Mommmmmmmyyyyyyy" like he was dying and actually blew a blood bubble.) In the bathtub it takes about a minute to get the bleeding to stop and he calms down. "I just hate bleeding," he tells me emphatically. "Me too," I say, as I get out a rag and a bottle of bleach.
_________________
We are in the park. He is holding the handle of his brand new kite. It is a perfectly windy day. He lets out the string and runs, little legs kicking out at angles. His face is lifted to the sky. The wind blows against his face. He is smiling. Laughing. Aglow.
________________
Soren is playing in the yard while I weed our flower beds. He follows me around while I work, as he often does, chattering away. He is imagining creatures that might exist that no one in the world knows about yet. He tells me about a whale that lives deep in the ocean and is so big that "a blue whale would look tiny next to it." He says it's covered in lights like an angler fish and that it has scoops on the bottom of its body.
_______________
We are taking a walk as a family. Soren has brought his tricycle but remembers, after we've crossed the street, that he's not wearing a helmet. "You'll be fine," I tell him, but a half a block later he stops his trike, folds his arms, and bows his head. He is praying that he will tricycle around the neighborhood in safety.
_______________
Soren and I are in the bathroom at my office. It is a Saturday, but I'm on a payroll deadline, so following a free breakfast of pancakes and ice cream (courtesy of Reed's Dairy), the boys and I have come to work. Soren has pulled me away from my laptop to help him with a mess. "I accidentally got some soap on the floor," he had told me. And, indeed, lo, there in front of us was a little pile of foamy soap. "Well, just wipe it up with a paper towel," I tell him. "I can't," he says. I roll my eyes. "Oh, sure you can." "See?" I say, and I rip off a paper towel and clean up the pile of bubbles with a single swipe. But just as I wipe it up, the soap dispenser sensor picks up on the motion and immediately ejects another squirt of soap, right into the spot where the previous pile had been. "See?" said Soren, giggling a little. I giggle a little too. "Maybe if I do it faster," I say, grabbing another paper towel and going for a quick swipe. Squirt. More giggling. "Maybe if I do it from this side." Squirt. "Or in super stealth mode from above!" Squirt. "What if I cover up the sensor?" Squirt. By now Soren and I are laughing hysterically, sitting side by side on the bathroom floor.
___________________
In the past couple of months, Soren has:
-Told me that a lady we were talking to did, indeed, look like a grandma "because she has wrinkles."
-Loudly remarked on the odd shape of a co-worker's head (for the record, in my opinion, said co-worker has a perfectly normal shaped head).
-Asked his auntie why she has red dots on her face.
-Asked me if the person standing next to us in the produce department was a boy or a girl. Multiple times, as I tried to quickly shepherd him out of hearing range.
_____________________
Two sets of words that Soren gets mixed up:
-Blister and Splinter
-Modest and Honest
_____________________
Soren runs inside and slams the door behind him. He runs a few steps into the kitchen and then stops, looking at Briar in horror. "What have I done? What have I done?" He runs back and opens the door again. "I'm so so sorry, Liam. I'm so sorry I closed the door!"
_____________________
If he is not the source of Liam's suffering, Soren often cries alongside his brother when he gets hurt. Abraham's mother was watching them one morning when Liam was stung by a wasp. She reported that at the end of the affair, it was Liam comforting Soren, hugging his upset brother and reassuring him, "I okay, Soren. I okay."
_____________________
Abraham, Soren, and Liam are watching a youtube video of a monster truck rally, at Soren's request.
"When are they going to start fighting?" he asks.
"Monster trucks don't fight," Abe tells him.
They watch for another minute.
"When are they going to start fighting?" Soren asks.
"Monster trucks don't fight!" Abe says.
Another minute.
"When are they going to start fighting?"
"MONSTER TRUCKS DON'T FIGHT!"
Even after a ten minute long video of monster trucks who didn't fight, I'm pretty sure Soren still believes that, in another time and another place, there are monster trucks fighting.
_________________
We are in the park. He is holding the handle of his brand new kite. It is a perfectly windy day. He lets out the string and runs, little legs kicking out at angles. His face is lifted to the sky. The wind blows against his face. He is smiling. Laughing. Aglow.
________________
Soren is playing in the yard while I weed our flower beds. He follows me around while I work, as he often does, chattering away. He is imagining creatures that might exist that no one in the world knows about yet. He tells me about a whale that lives deep in the ocean and is so big that "a blue whale would look tiny next to it." He says it's covered in lights like an angler fish and that it has scoops on the bottom of its body.
_______________
We are taking a walk as a family. Soren has brought his tricycle but remembers, after we've crossed the street, that he's not wearing a helmet. "You'll be fine," I tell him, but a half a block later he stops his trike, folds his arms, and bows his head. He is praying that he will tricycle around the neighborhood in safety.
_______________
Soren and I are in the bathroom at my office. It is a Saturday, but I'm on a payroll deadline, so following a free breakfast of pancakes and ice cream (courtesy of Reed's Dairy), the boys and I have come to work. Soren has pulled me away from my laptop to help him with a mess. "I accidentally got some soap on the floor," he had told me. And, indeed, lo, there in front of us was a little pile of foamy soap. "Well, just wipe it up with a paper towel," I tell him. "I can't," he says. I roll my eyes. "Oh, sure you can." "See?" I say, and I rip off a paper towel and clean up the pile of bubbles with a single swipe. But just as I wipe it up, the soap dispenser sensor picks up on the motion and immediately ejects another squirt of soap, right into the spot where the previous pile had been. "See?" said Soren, giggling a little. I giggle a little too. "Maybe if I do it faster," I say, grabbing another paper towel and going for a quick swipe. Squirt. More giggling. "Maybe if I do it from this side." Squirt. "Or in super stealth mode from above!" Squirt. "What if I cover up the sensor?" Squirt. By now Soren and I are laughing hysterically, sitting side by side on the bathroom floor.
___________________
In the past couple of months, Soren has:
-Told me that a lady we were talking to did, indeed, look like a grandma "because she has wrinkles."
-Loudly remarked on the odd shape of a co-worker's head (for the record, in my opinion, said co-worker has a perfectly normal shaped head).
-Asked his auntie why she has red dots on her face.
-Asked me if the person standing next to us in the produce department was a boy or a girl. Multiple times, as I tried to quickly shepherd him out of hearing range.
_____________________
Two sets of words that Soren gets mixed up:
-Blister and Splinter
-Modest and Honest
_____________________
Soren runs inside and slams the door behind him. He runs a few steps into the kitchen and then stops, looking at Briar in horror. "What have I done? What have I done?" He runs back and opens the door again. "I'm so so sorry, Liam. I'm so sorry I closed the door!"
_____________________
If he is not the source of Liam's suffering, Soren often cries alongside his brother when he gets hurt. Abraham's mother was watching them one morning when Liam was stung by a wasp. She reported that at the end of the affair, it was Liam comforting Soren, hugging his upset brother and reassuring him, "I okay, Soren. I okay."
_____________________
Abraham, Soren, and Liam are watching a youtube video of a monster truck rally, at Soren's request.
"When are they going to start fighting?" he asks.
"Monster trucks don't fight," Abe tells him.
They watch for another minute.
"When are they going to start fighting?" Soren asks.
"Monster trucks don't fight!" Abe says.
Another minute.
"When are they going to start fighting?"
"MONSTER TRUCKS DON'T FIGHT!"
Even after a ten minute long video of monster trucks who didn't fight, I'm pretty sure Soren still believes that, in another time and another place, there are monster trucks fighting.
We all had a nasty stomach bug a while ago. Poor Soren got it the worst. He couldn't even hold down water for a couple of days.
Soren and I made some homemade slime.
Soren's end-of-the-year Kindergarten concert. It was a Sesame Street theme. His nose was itchy through the whole thing, so he spent a lot of time scratching it, but he was otherwise delightful.
Dance party.
Soren made me a present one day and even crafted his own wrapping paper. The wrapping paper is above; the gift is below. Isn't it so cuuuuute?
Helping me make ravioli...Soren LOVES ravioli.
My little mud monster.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Cress Creek
We recently went hiking as a family on a little kid-friendly trail near Heise along a stream called Cress Creek. Soren wanted to be carried about 100 yards into it and spent the remainder of the trip begging for breaks and snacks, but Liam sped all the way to the top and down. Love these boys.
Briar's Birthday
If loving Briar is wrong...
...I don't wanna be right!
Briar recently turned 23. Her big birthday gift was a surprise visit from her little sister Ivy and their mom, all the way from New Hampshire. Also, I had several of the above t-shirts made (slogan by our co-worker Laura; design by me) and a bunch of our co-workers wore them to celebrate her big day. Also, our co-workers decorated her desk with streamers and construction paper ferrets. Her mother made her a chocolate lasagna. That evening Abe, Briar, Ivy, and I went to see Man of Steel. Good times.
Book Journal
Rebekah
By Orson Scott Card
I always enjoy Orson Scott Card, and this book was no exception. It added a lot of flesh to a familiar Bible story, breathing life into the characters and making them real, tangible, and accessible.
Cry the Beloved Country
by Alan Paton
Beautiful. Along the lines of Grapes of Wrath. A simple, sweet story about change, about faith, about despair, growth, love, redemption. It made me feel safe, giving me a sense that while life can hurt, it can also be beautiful. That there is always hope, even in the darkest of despair.
by Brandon Sanderson
I have such admiration for Brandon Sanderson-- he can not only create a cast of believable characters, but a whole world with its own geography, history, and political and social structures. I seriously loved Elantris, which (along with the recommendation of my friend, Andrew) is why I picked up Mistborn, the first book in series. And I enjoyed Mistborn. Good characters, interesting ideas, good plot shaping. I did feel like it could have used a little more editing, as some of the fighting/allomancy scenes ran a bit long and detaily, but overall it was a good read.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Dream Themes
I have a very active dream life. I have vivid dreams pretty much every night and remember almost all of them. If you've spent any amount of time around me at all, you've probably heard me blather a bit about some dream or another that I had just recently. They're just so interesting to me. One thing that I find particularly interesting is that I have several recurring dream locations and themes. When I was a kid, I'd have nightmares about running away from either Nazis or drug pushers. Nowadays, my recurring dreams are a little different. I'm not sure what it is about these particular things that makes my unconscious mind feel the need to probe and re-probe while I sleep, but I thought I'd compile a list of some of my more frequent dream theme repeaters.
Water
Frequently there will be a large, pulsing, powerful source of water. An ocean or a sea. Sometimes it seems to be getting closer or larger or moving inland. It can be threatening, but mostly I'm just drawn to it on a deep emotional level.
I also have a lot of weird water/LDS temple dreams. There will be big waterfalls in the middle of the building, or water cascading down stairs or down the walls in locker rooms. One time I dreamed that the basement of the temple was filled with water. The walls were lined with stores and temple patrons could glide along in gondolas, Venice-style.
Organ
These started a couple years ago when I started playing the organ in church. In my dreams, I'll show up late for church and everyone will be waiting for me to play. The organ will be pulled away from its spot and unplugged, or buttons or pedals or keys will be missing. The bench might be way too high or way too low. Sometimes it's in my church building, sometimes it's in other churches. The sound might be all wrong. Sometimes there won't be any books and I'll be trying to play hymns from memory.
That School Dream
I frequently dream that a review of my high school records showed that I was actually few credits shy of graduating from high school, which means that I have to go back and re-do my senior year. I'm my current age, and I know I have a Bachelor's degree, but for some reason I still have to go back. There's all the usual locker distress (I can't remember my combination!) and then I inevitably forget about a class or two until the semester is almost over. I'll scramble around, trying to catch up on all the missed work and material, looking into correspondence courses, and generally panicking because I might have to do it all over again. .
Houses
There are a couple of homes I frequently visit in my dreams:
The McCabe's house. I would say at least once a month I dream about the house of my childhood best friend, Becky. I spent many a happy day (and night) there from a very young age up through high school, and the place has wormed its way into my psyche in a serious way. It's an interesting house, with lots of rooms and unusual carpet colors and two stories (something I've always loved in houses). In my dreams it often has even more rooms and sometimes secret levels and winding tunnels. (The house pictured here is the McCabe's house. They sold it recently--and not to me!)
The Liddell's house. My "best cousin" Ashley and I would take turns spending weeks at each others' homes during the summer. I also spent a lot of Easters and Thanksgivings at Ashley's house, since she lived in Utah, not too far from our grandparents. Frequently my dreams center around bathroom mix-ups, a theme I blame on my once having accidentally walked in on her other grandma naked in the bathroom. And probably because I'm making this list, last night I dreamed that Ashley and I were going to begin attending high school at her Alma Mater, Carbon County High. She was concerned the other high schoolers would make fun of me for having gray hairs.
Dream houses. Sometimes I dream about luxury homes that I live in. They feature lots of winding staircases, big bathtubs, and huge windows.
I very rarely dream about the home I grew up in. I suspect this is because I spend so much time there now.
Anyway, there you have it. A good inside look at my unconscious mind. So please, someone, pull out your copy of The Interpretation of Dreams and let me know what's going on in there. Or at least share your own recurring dream themes.
Water
Frequently there will be a large, pulsing, powerful source of water. An ocean or a sea. Sometimes it seems to be getting closer or larger or moving inland. It can be threatening, but mostly I'm just drawn to it on a deep emotional level.
I also have a lot of weird water/LDS temple dreams. There will be big waterfalls in the middle of the building, or water cascading down stairs or down the walls in locker rooms. One time I dreamed that the basement of the temple was filled with water. The walls were lined with stores and temple patrons could glide along in gondolas, Venice-style.
Organ
These started a couple years ago when I started playing the organ in church. In my dreams, I'll show up late for church and everyone will be waiting for me to play. The organ will be pulled away from its spot and unplugged, or buttons or pedals or keys will be missing. The bench might be way too high or way too low. Sometimes it's in my church building, sometimes it's in other churches. The sound might be all wrong. Sometimes there won't be any books and I'll be trying to play hymns from memory.
That School Dream
I frequently dream that a review of my high school records showed that I was actually few credits shy of graduating from high school, which means that I have to go back and re-do my senior year. I'm my current age, and I know I have a Bachelor's degree, but for some reason I still have to go back. There's all the usual locker distress (I can't remember my combination!) and then I inevitably forget about a class or two until the semester is almost over. I'll scramble around, trying to catch up on all the missed work and material, looking into correspondence courses, and generally panicking because I might have to do it all over again. .
Houses
There are a couple of homes I frequently visit in my dreams:
The McCabe's house. I would say at least once a month I dream about the house of my childhood best friend, Becky. I spent many a happy day (and night) there from a very young age up through high school, and the place has wormed its way into my psyche in a serious way. It's an interesting house, with lots of rooms and unusual carpet colors and two stories (something I've always loved in houses). In my dreams it often has even more rooms and sometimes secret levels and winding tunnels. (The house pictured here is the McCabe's house. They sold it recently--and not to me!)
The Liddell's house. My "best cousin" Ashley and I would take turns spending weeks at each others' homes during the summer. I also spent a lot of Easters and Thanksgivings at Ashley's house, since she lived in Utah, not too far from our grandparents. Frequently my dreams center around bathroom mix-ups, a theme I blame on my once having accidentally walked in on her other grandma naked in the bathroom. And probably because I'm making this list, last night I dreamed that Ashley and I were going to begin attending high school at her Alma Mater, Carbon County High. She was concerned the other high schoolers would make fun of me for having gray hairs.
Dream houses. Sometimes I dream about luxury homes that I live in. They feature lots of winding staircases, big bathtubs, and huge windows.
I very rarely dream about the home I grew up in. I suspect this is because I spend so much time there now.
Anyway, there you have it. A good inside look at my unconscious mind. So please, someone, pull out your copy of The Interpretation of Dreams and let me know what's going on in there. Or at least share your own recurring dream themes.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Cool Things You May Not Know About My Dad
My pappy. I love this man!
1. My dad has a degree in Diesel Mechanics and can fix just about anything, given enough trips to the hardware store.
2. My dad is a outdoors guy. If you don't know this about him, it's because you've never met him. He loves to fish, hunt, hike, and camp. I spent many a childhood weekend bushwhacking to streams and letting my dad help me fish by touching all of the gross things, like worms and, well, fish. He recently got to go on a dream fishing trip in Alaska with his cousins (pictured above).
3. When my parents first got married, my dad worked as a coal miner in Utah. Later, he got a job as a nuclear technician at the Idaho State Laboratory. The site where he works is an hour and a half drive out of the town we live in; he has ridden the bus back and forth to work for almost 35 years. The work hasn't always been thrilling, but he has always worked hard and been an excellent provider.
4. Many of my dad's work buddies have already retired and get together periodically for breakfast at Frontier Pies; he joins them when he's on the right shift to do so. On his birthday this year, my sister and I got to meet this group of men. Adorable. And they dress just like him. I love that my dad has made this wonderful group of lifelong friends.
5. My papa can not sit still for very long. He is always busy doing something-- fixing things, building things, digging holes, pruning trees, gardening, snow blowing, going to the hardware store, getting ready for a fishing trip, getting ready for a camping trip, etc.
6. My dad is a fabulous husband. For example, he is not naturally interested in sports. However, because he is supportive of my mom's avid interest in sports, my dad now watches games, gets depressed when BYU loses, knows the names of the major tennis players, and even spent an entire day in Boise happily watching tennis matches.
7. My dad is a faithful member of the LDS church and has always been willing to serve in any way asked of him. He has been a home teacher, a scout leader, and a primary teacher, among other things. When his work schedule made it so he could only attend church half the time, my dad was the Church Magazine Subscription Guy. I still remember him coming home from a twelve hour work shift and sitting down at the kitchen table to call people about their magazine subscriptions. I didn't think much about it at the time, but it brings tears to my eyes now to think about how willing he was to do what was asked of him, even though he was tired, even though it wasn't a particularly glamorous or exciting calling. He just did it.
8. My daddy loves music, especially classical music, and can play the piano quite well. My sister remembers him playing a lot of Mozart when we were younger. When I was a child, he was the Primary pianist. When he retires in a year, he plans to learn how to play the violin.
9. Speaking of churchy things, my dad served his mission in New England. That's also where my father-in-law served his mission. And it's where the father of my children grew up. That New England is just a fathery place.
I am so grateful for my sweet and handsome papa. He is a powerful source of unconditional love and support and I am overwhelmed by my good fortune in being able to call such a man "Dad."
Happy Father's Day, Daddy.
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