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PROGRAMMING NOTE from the Author and Archivist


So obviously I just stopped blogging on this platform. I'll get back to it eventually. Or not. I'm taking a break from all social media. It seemed necessary for my mental health.

The last few years have been busy and … challenging:

- 2015 Happened.
- 2016 Let's call it The Lost Year. (Obviously words failed me.)
- 2017 about broke me. Literally. Mentally.
- 2018 was ridiculous, proving 2017 was just a warm up. (Good thing I was already broken so it couldn't hurt as much.#2018TrashCanFire I thought things were going okay, but maybe not?)

- 2019 was such a blur. I know there were highlights, but then stuff happened and carried into the next year...

- And then in March#2020 really took a turn. Who can even categorize 2020? Do we dare?


I kinda want a do-over of some of the last few years. But life doesn’t work that way.


So for now, I'm hunkering down. Regrouping. Trying to stay safe and sort some stuff out.


Stay safe everyone. Stay well.

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Photo of the Day: Camera Envy?

The Mercantile, Hurricane, Utah, December 2012
It was really hard to walk away from these. I love the ease of digital, but actually holding these old beauties made me miss my old Pentax, the tactile tension of trying to load a roll of film, and having to rationalize the costs of film, processing, and prints, not to mention the smell of the darkroom chemicals.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Junk or Art: Who's to say?

Out in Hurricane, Utah is a 'fine' establishment called Ugly Trailor Antiques .. home to, well, ugly antiques. However, if you look down at the side of the porch ... you'll see ... this
Look closely and the chaos will resolve into little scenes.
Hey, a little lady .. and sailor boy
This panel seems to be thematic.
Mr. Marlboro Man's right foot is walking away from the rest of him (look more closely).
 I kind of want the horse tile, not to mention the buffalo.

These are just a few feet of the panel. I need to go back and spend some time really examining the piece -- if I don't get distracted by the 'junk,' the used bookstore across the parking lot, as well as the other gently used antiques.

Is it junk? Is it art? It's up to you to decide.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Happy 8th Birthday Drew!

 Happy Birthday Drew!

I can't believe you are 8! You were just a wee little thing, but look at you now ... growing up before our eyes. Even if we need spectacles to see you. Wait, are you mocking us?
HEY YOU!
I mean, it's sights like this that make me realize that you will be off to junior and middle school so soon, and my lovely handwritten letters will possibly be replaced by e-mails or texts. Don't stop writing to me, please?
Then two seconds later, you are still that adorable little boy who likes to get cuddles, play, and get presents.
Hugs with Dad
Naptime on Dad

I'm so glad you let me tape you while you read your Holiday Card, in your own words ...


Happy Birthday my Drew. I'm so excited to be there with you on your birthday this year (for the first time), and then for your baptism. Such milestones!

Lots of love and birthday wishes, 
with real presents and hugs in person,

Auntie Nettie




Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Photo of the Day: On the Road Again

Idaho Valley, December 2012
So, I'm on the road again ... out West. Life is a winding road. I'll check in when I can.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Photos of the Day: City vs Country

In less than 24 hours I'll be back on the road and in the air again, studying the contrasts between City and country. Hopefully the colors will change from shades of grey and blacks and whites to shades of beige and reds.

View from this morning's train

Utah countryside, previous visits

Friday, January 18, 2013

Photo of the Day: Hiking up from the riverbed

Zion National Park, Virgin River, December 22, 2012
I like to visit in the winter. When the foliage is gone, you see little vignettes you might miss, like this staircase up from the riverbed to caves, nooks, and other trails.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Maternal Musings from Mary: January 16, 1975

Although my 40th year of celebrations is almost over, I'm still excited to share these glimpses back into my past. It's a good measure of how far I've come - though, to be honest, it's not hard to feel accomplished given that these entries are all about managing to learn how to deal with basic body functions and talking!

It's amazing how much you learn in your first few years of life, but how set you are in the core of yourself, really, in those few yearsDespite more than 30 years of exposure to new things, and other cultural, societal, culinary, educational, and geopolitical pressures, that core doesn't really change too much.


To wit, please note: I'm about the age in the musings that nephew Nathan is currently. What will he be like in 20, 30, 40 years? Hopefully still the happy, optimistic, sunny kid, not too fazed by his older sisters' antics. Maybe he'll love horses, books, animals, or ... be involved with automobiles ... or some sort of police or fireman, or military man, protecting home, family, and country.

Anyway, these musings are by Grandmary about me ... lo, those many years ago.


L: February 13, 1974, Second Birthday ~ R: TBD

January 16, 1975 [AN: New typewriter and I'm not quite three here, 2 years, 11 months]

My, it’s has been over a year and four months since I wrote about our [Nettie] and she is nearly three years old now; quite a young lady. She has a little two month old brother, Jed, now and does not seem to be too jealous of him. His is another story for another book, so let me see if I can summarize the last year with [her.]

FEEDING

[Nettie] eats what we eat now and has nearly mastered a salad sized fork. I say she eats what we eat now—everything but potatoes, except fried ones. She will eat them raw, but that’s the only way. She doesn’t eat bananas either. [AN: I have apparently NEVER LIKED BANANAS!] In fact, she is not much of a fruit eater, but will eat any type of meat given her. [AN: Meat good.] In October of ’73 when we flew home to N.C. last, she began to eat eggs, and we try to have an egg at least once or twice a week. She likes food and usually east well at meals, but not in between. The past August, she stopped her snack in the afternoons and now usually eats three good meals a day. She doesn’t like milk in the mornings, preferring to have Tang whenever we will let her. On 18 Dec 1974 she weighed 28 pounds and was 36 inches tall. [AN: Tang! Chemical Tang!]

SLEEPING

[Nettie] now goes to bed awake, and I doubt that there are many nights that she goes directly to sleep without playing. Starting sometime soon after writing the last installment, we played a radio in her room at night until we got ready to go to bed and throughout her afternoon naps. This radio was to keep the noise down in the apartment next door. This July, after moving to [AN: REDACTED], Max got her bed done and she has not fallen out of it yet. She still sleeps 12 hours, or is in bed about 12 hours and takes naps at 1:00 until usually three. At her check up at 2 ½ the doctor found that she had a heart murmur and encouraged us to let her have all the rest that she would take. A bedtime ritual is reading two books which has been going on since the last writing. Now, she has quite a collection of books. [AN: And that’s when I started collecting books!]

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Bathtime means bubbles now. She loves to play in them. She still only gets the one bath a day now, and does a sloppy job washing herself.

[Nettie’s] vocabulary is great now and she puts sentences together well. For over a year now she was watched Sesame Street regularly and can now count to 10 and say the alphabet to P, and in generally recognize all the letters and numbers. She knows all the names of the colors but does get them confused often. For the past four months, she has been a Romper Room regular too and is really absorbing ideas and relationships. She started Junior Sunday School January 8, 1975. She is not quite as helpful as she once was, which may be is partly my fault, but then is so busy exploring her world and its limits. She can set the table and does put all the toys away. Since Jed was born, she has become a little more helpless. Before it got too cold, she had about mastered her tricycle, and I look forward to spring when she can play outside more and become more coordinated.

She is all potty trained, but we did not get down to serious business with that until after she was two. For several weeks, we tried the potty on the big toilet but that did not work at all. She just would not go. Finally, we borrowed a potty chair and after several more days of working with her for twenty or more minutes and spanking her, she would cry and relax her muscles enough to go. I would cry with her and give her big kisses. For several months all I did as take her to the potty at least every hour. To BM train her was easy after that. Then too she got milk poisoning from whole milk about that time and the diarrhea made it easier. By summer of ’74 she was dry at night too. It was simple after she realized what she was supposed to do! [AN: I *think* I’m thankful Mom recorded all this, I suppose?]

[Nettie] is still a generally happy child but right now she is really asserting herself and telling us no and not doing what she is asked. I hope I have the patience to endure this phase! [AN: HA! Just you wait woman.]


AN Notes: Grandmary and Grumpa Max lived in a series of apartments in Logan, Utah in their married life, and then one house. I think I lived in two apartments with them and then the house. I only remember living in the house, seen here on the right, in its incarnation in 2010. On the left, is the apartment probably referred to above - also taken in 2010. It was down the block from the house. This was probably the first instance in my life, of us literally moving next door, or down the block. That includes my most recent move, in 2006, from down the building two addresses down the street, to the most current studio from which I am blogging.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Happy 3rd Birthday Nathan!

Happy Birthday Nathan!

You've gotten so big since I saw you last. I can't believe you're three now. It was too long since I got snuggles and wet sloppy kisses from you in person. I'm so glad we got to spend about a week together over Christmas so I could see you in all your big boy glory at your house and catch up.


Thanks for putting up with my camera when you were trying to eat!
'Pisgetti Time


And for grinning and bearing it every time I asked you to pose. I see you gritting your teeth.


Wasn't it fun going out on adventures? 
I'm glad you brought your tools, or in this case, your imaginary garage door opener.

Playing in the snow was fun, though, it does make your nose run, 
and if your gloves are too big, or if your sister dumps you off the sled, 
you can get wet and cold and cranky.

I'm glad to see you that your love of toy horses transcends the toy store aisles and extends to the Appaloosa Museum. Did you have fun with Hap A. Loosie? Riding the hobby horse?
Finally! A real smile, though you don't look so sure about being up in the saddle by yourself.

At home was fun too; trying on your sister's hat, sharing in pedicure time; 
or showing off your new NYC cab, train, or bus. You look super cute in your overalls.

You were most adorable just being yourself, especially loving on Mama and Papa at bedtime.
GROUP HUG WITH THE FOLKS!

 "OH YEAH", I love you buddy. 
Let's talk about pirates and Ice Age and Madacasgar  
and protecting the house from the bad guys and play horsie again soon.

Happy Birthday Buddy,

Lots of Love,

Auntie Nettie

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Photo of the Day: Winter Gray

Virgil Phillips Park, Moscow, Idaho area, Dec. 31, 2012
Per the "snow" setting on my camera, filtering out the weak winter sunlight - creating shades of winter gray.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Photos of Family Fun: Vacation Vignettes

Vacation 1 was a whirlwind that I'm summarizing for the office as: 
  • 15-17 days 
  • 5 states 
  • 3 time zones 
  • 6 nieces and nephews 
  • 2 major holidays 
  • 5 planes 
  • 1 hyper extended elbow (see if you can see when I did it over here)
  • Countless muscle strains/bruises from being a human target/jungle gym/wrestling mat, and 
  • Lots of snuggles, cuddles, sniffles, books, yarn and food 
Then 12 business days in the office and I turn around and head BACK to Utah and Nevada for Family Vacation 2! [Only 2 planes this time, and only a week .... but more family milestones. Baptisms & Blessings!]

Given the above, and the fact that I currently have 3 weeks of work to catch up on, over 900 pictures and video to process, three bags to unpack, an unusually odd transition at work with no office and a temp desk/desk-hopping and a training situation of a newish replacement for part of my job ...

Regular blogging will resume ... um ...

Eventually!

Here are a few snaps from the first trip, to give you an idea of some of what happened.

And, oh yeah ... Welcome back and Happy 2013! 

Stage I: Utah/Nevada
So glad to see that someone in the family is anxious to see me
View from the parents' backyard in Utah. Big Sky indeed
All hands on deck: tag team feeding the twins (Cannon in foreground, Sarah behind)
Peaceful moment: Grandmary and Cannon
Brotherly Love: (No photos please Auntie) Drew kisses on Cannon
Sarah already has Grandmary wrapped around her fingers
Grumpa Max is not grumpy holding Sarah
Zion National Park
Stage II: Idaho
I don't think I'm in the desert anymore. (Taken through car windshield)
End of the road. Mountain top in Idaho
Goofing around with Nathan, Elle, and Amber
All dressed up for Church
New Year's Eve Sledding with the family at the Virgil Phillips Park
Storey time with Papa


Don't worry kids. I don't know when, exactly, but I will be back in Idaho soon.

Stay tuned. More photos will be posted eventually.