banana bread

 This month I've been addicted to baking banana bread.  I never used to be a fruit person.  My Mom said that even as a baby I preferred the vegetable baby foods to the fruit.  But a few years ago grandaughter Isla told us she was eating a "luscious peach" and one girl brought a cup of blueberries as her snack everyday to summer school.  So I decided to try these out and became a fan.

So now I love peaches and blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, pineapple, oranges and apples and grapes, and have taken to experiment with baking some of them into banana bread.  The banana/blueberry bread was very yummy and I especially liked the banana/peach bread. Oh the possibilities!  It is an especially good, summery thing to do.

an understanding heart

 "If the Lord said to you, "Ask what I shall give thee" what would you ask for?' That was a question in our Old Testament, "Come Follow Me" lesson for this week.  It was referring to the Lord making that offer to King Solomon, in 1 Kings 3:5.  His response was "an understanding heart" and to "discern between good and bad"(verse 9). I love that, and I find it interesting that Solomon - who as King was in charge of judging and settling a lot of cases - didn't ask for an understanding mind, as I thought he might, but an understanding heart.  

I started to feel like I'm glad I do not have the profession of a judge.  But then I remembered when you are a parent, and/or someone who works with children, you are in the position of settling disputes, deciding who gets what and if someone needs a reprimand.  And as human beings who are just trying to get along with each other, an understanding heart seems priceless.  I hope to carry these words with me throughout this week and strive to have more inspiration, discernment and compassion - or in other words, an understanding heart.

My most recent journey to Idaho

I’m afraid I have that road-tripping fever right now, but because of current gas prices I am not sure how far we will go this summer. This got me thinking about and reflecting on my road trip to Idaho las year. I don’t think I’ve fully written about it - I did blog about a couple of parts and posted a few things on facebook, but I would like to just get it all together on the blog. So:

I knew that when my Mom passed away I would be going to Idaho for her funeral and burial.  I also knew that I would want to take my time, traveling and just being there.  Driving to and from Idaho, through the mountains of California, across Nevada and through Utah was a part of every summer of my childhood,  and plenty of my adult years as well. So, because Reggie and Samantha and Luke could only take a couple of days off we decided that I would go about a week ahead and come home several days afterwards.  It turns out that a road trip by myself was just what I needed - to stop as often as I wanted, at any and every place that held memories for me; to work through my feelings and cry as much as I needed without worrying those around me. It was a very therapeutic road trip.

We loaded up the Nissan with mementos and pictures to display at the funeral, as well as things my Mom had left for my siblings that would be too hard to ship. I headed out on a Saturday morning. I am happy to say I had no car trouble, no hazardous weather conditions, and I don’t remember any heavy traffic.  I stopped about every 3 hours for a bathroom break, to get gas, and to stretch my legs. I took pictures of the beautiful trees and hills and mountains on the border of California.  I love the wide open spaces and listened to all my favorite CDs and playlists. I did cry and cry which was good. I stayed Saturday night in a fairly new, reasonably priced hotel in Elko Nevada. (Elko is about the halfway point to Salt Lake City and where we stayed every year). I packed enough food for breakfast and lunch and snacks, and I did treat myself to plenty of lemonade and my favorite chicken strip restaurant - “Wingers”, and some chocolate for dessert of course.

The next morning I headed towards Tom & Madeline’s house in Logan, Utah.  I told them I wouldn’t be there until the afternoon because I wanted to stop in Salt Lake City.  Even though Temple Square is being renovated, it is my Mecca and I wanted to just be there and walk around.  The conference center was open so that was nice, and little parks nearby.

In the evening, in Logan, we had a nice dinner and visit. We took a ride around town - to the Logan temple and then a drive through the canyon.  We were able to over look Bear Lake which borders Utah and Idaho.  I have heard of Bear Lake as a great recreation spot and it is on my bucket list. We drove home as the sun was setting, which was beautiful.  Of course we all talked about my Mom, and my nephew Ben and I suggested song after song for Tom to play over the speakers.  Ben and I share a love of country music, but even more than that, a love of the meaning of songs and how they make us feel.

The next morning I continued on my journey.  I hadn’t gotten quite enough of the Logan Canyon so I stopped one more time to walk by the stream.  By this point these yellow daisies had accompanied me through my entire drive from state to state.  I just love them.

I had planned on taking the freeway into Idaho but somehow ended up on the highway that took me on some backroads.  I was actually very happy about this because I stopped for gas in Preston.  Preston is known as the location of the movie “Napoleon Dynamite”.  It is also one of many small towns where my Dad grew up and my brother David & family lived for a while.

By the afternoon I reached Rigby where the funeral and burial was to be.  I stopped at the funeral home to make sure everything was in order.  I then stopped at the florist to pick out my Mom’s flowers.  This was a sweet task.  I thought about what she would like, and how these flowers would honor her - in the funeral home, on her casket, and eventually on her and my Dad’s grave. I blogged about it here: flowers for Ruth The flowers also made it to several family members homes after the services - like to Julia’s and Lester’s where those of us who could gathered for a couple of days afterwards, and to my Aunt Dorothy’s, who couldn’t make it to the funeral because she was sick, and to Rocio’s who housed so many of us for several days before and after. So, as everything seemed in order I headed to Julia’s for the night.

Rigby is a very small town

Tuesday must have been a relaxing day because I don’t remember much about it, except that I think Julia and I watched Father Brown into the night (one of ours and my Mom’s favorite show) and I blogged and blogged the details and emotions of my Mom’s last couple of weeks.

Wednesday we went to Rexburg to get our hair cut from the college interns.  (Fun fact - this was only my second haircut in the last year and a half, because of Pandemic shut-downs.)  We also stopped at a burger joint that serves the best lemonade - all kinds of varieties, like cactus pear and huckleberry. 

That night all the family that could, started arriving, and a lot met up at Julia & Lester’s place.  The pandemic was still causing airline issues and a lot of family had a hard time getting there, but they persevered through canceled and re-routed flights and we met them at the funeral home. I moved on over to Rocio’s to stay with Reggie, Samantha and Luke, along with Natalie and family, while Hillary and family stayed with Julia. (Mariah was expecting grand baby Lillian and so they could not make the trip, but went to our house instead to "be with" Grandma's spirit, things, etc. and watch the funeral).

Thursday was the funeral, and it was pouring rain. Nonetheless so much family and extended family attended  - it was wonderful.  We had a display in the foyer about her life and a nicely printed program. Marianne conducted/introduced the program, Lynette introduced the slide show that she and Roger had made and my three brothers spoke. Julia led the music and Uncle Dennis accompanied on piano for one hymn and the accordion - a family tradition - for another hymn.  The pallbearers, her grandsons, carried her casket.

It was raining heavily during the graveside service; Uncle Lynn said the dedicatory prayer and we all headed inside for a luncheon that Tom & Madeline ordered and my cousin helped to set up.  There was so much visiting; so much family bonding: so many cousins we hadn’t seen for decades, from both sides of the family.  It was a wonderful show of love. I blogged just a little about it here: the most touching moment, for me 

That evening, though all were invited to stay and hang out, much of the family had to get on the road or to the airport to head back home.  Some were able to stay a little longer.  We hung out at Julia’s again and visited, held babies, played cards, played in the front and backyard. Reggie and Lester smoked a brisket and did other barbecuing.  Julia made some amazing fruit tarts and of course there was lots of ice cream - from a grocery store and from a visit to a creamery called ‘Reed’s Dairy”. 

Friday, those of us that were left went on a day trip to my Mom’s “paradise”, Island Park.  It was such a big part of her life that we wanted to honor her there.  I blogged about it here: Big Springs, Island Park 2021

We also stopped to visit Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Grant at their farm, especially since they were not able to attend the funeral.  I blogged about it here: 4 weeks and 4 days apart

That night, to my great concern, Reggie and Luke and Samantha decided to pull an all-nighter and drive home.  That put them home Saturday and Reggie had to fly out on a business trip on Sunday.  

Once all the family left I moved back to Julia & Lester’s. I spent much of Sunday at my parent’s gravesite.  I set up a chair and sat there for hours, looking at my mom’s memory book from the funeral home, her pictures and cards. For some reason it just felt like I could talk to her there, outloud. But, I knew that walking away from the cemetery and “leaving her there” would be the hardest part. But I said goodbye and hit the road Monday morning, with some of her flowers drying on my dashboard.

I took my sweet time.  I stopped and walked along a trail at my favorite rest stop near Pocatello, among the ancient lava flow terrain and desert plants. 

I stopped in Salt Lake City for one last visit, and stayed at the same hotel in Elko Nevada.  I thoroughly enjoyed the drive in the mountains of California again and have that on my bucket list for a vacation. My last stop was at Hillary and Andrew’s, a few hours from home.

We are now approaching the one year anniversary of my Mom’s death.  I want so much to go be with her and my Dad at their gravesite.  Julia and Lester have since moved out of the state, but I still have Rocio and family there. I am okay waiting; I envision going back when Temple Square in Salt Lake City is done with it’s renovation.  That will be a beautiful and epic combo trip.  Until then I do have a spot in Pacifica that has great significance for me regarding my Mom and I drive by it everyday.  But that is another story for another day. 

round 2 and backyard shenanigans

 I had a few days off in-between school and summer school and Reggie was coming home from a business trip, so we had some fun things planned.  But then round 2 of Covid hit our house.  Reggie was the only one who got it, and we think it's because of the vaccine that it wasn't nearly as bad as round one, back in 2020.  By the time his covid test registered positive he had experienced the worst of it, but he stayed home and isolated the 5 days to keep others safe.  It was strange to be in the same house but social distancing - strange to be in the same house but missing each other.

I so appreciate that Reggie spent some of that time fixing up the backyard.  He bought a nice weed-whacker and blower and tackled the foliage growing a-muck on the hill.  He swept up the cement and cleared away old boxes, old toys, washed off the good ones, and got it all ready for summer fun.  We took turns relaxing in the camping chairs in the evening sun.  All his hard work paid off as some of the grandkids visited and were excited to play back there again.  

(Luckily his isolation was over in time for us to have one day together to go see Jurassic World Dominion!)

Here's a song for the occasion, from my summer playlist

and a trailer from the movie.  We both really enjoyed it

this week's scripture - actually, spiritual thought

 Every Sunday School week I ask Samantha and Reggie how the lesson went.  Being in Primary I can't attend, and I like to hear of and participate in a discussion.  Today it was about David and Goliath and Samantha shared how profound the Beginner's Bible video was to her as a child - and even now.  I have to admit, I always loved the following song and sentiment.  Next time I get that scared-of-life feeling I am going to think of it "I've got a giant of a God with me!"

Beach Boys

 a little bit chilly when the wind blew, but otherwise today was a great day at the beach.  These beach boys built some great sandcastles, and then Andrew built a whole mote/plumbing system.  This beach has the tiniest of waves - ripples really, even at high tide, so the kids were able to go back and forth to get the water themselves.  

And don't get me wrong, the girls had just as much fun. 

I'm so glad we've had weekends with the Lasts and weekends with the Dobbins, but I certainly am missing those Pinedas.  I am so grateful for Marco Polo videos that have made it possible for them to show us their new place in Washington State, and all of the fun places in their surroundings.  I can't wait to have them home for a visit, and I especially can't wait to visit them!

Before we headed out today I had my summer playlist on and the kids discovered the Beach Boys.  Eli requested a replay of Barbara Ann, and I love Good Vibrations.