Dad (off the couch) in Japan

All of Dad's reading and planning for our trip to Japan really paid off. He was able to choose wonderful places to eat the few times we were on our own for meals, made sure we saw some outstanding sights in each city and even gave our Japanese guide and group members good leads on restaurants. In fact, several of our friends cited their favorite meal of the whole trip as one in a restaurant Dad had mentioned. We ate there and it was excellent.

It will take me a long time to organize and post memorable scenes from our trip, but I thought I'd start with these showing Dad in various locations. He was sometimes willing...sometimes, not so much (especially when it took me too long to fiddle with the camera before shooting) - you can imagine.

The first scene (from the top) was taken in a huge, atmospherically gloomy, cemetery on Mount Koya-san. The second is in a famous Japanese garden - note the HUGE bonsai-style tree in the background. Next I took a picture of Dad in a familiar role...taking a picture...at Matsumoto castle. The fourth picture is taken inside the castle on the top level, overlooking the grounds. I think Dad was smiling because we had arrived at the top!!

Dad is preparing a DVD with beautiful scenes from our trip - complete with music. I'm showing you some "human interest" shots.

Dad Reads a Book

Every so often Dad lays aside his magazines and the computer and gets lost in a book. I captured one of those moments recently! We are both reading Confucius Lives Next Door by T.R. Reid, our trip expert. It is a fascinating comparison of Eastern and Western attitudes, and great preparation for our stay in Japan. Probably the best part of this experience is the sharing of thoughts and favorite parts of the book as we read it - not aloud, but at the same time. It's a mini book club for two.

Quadruple Birthday Fun!

September birthday cousins get ready to blow out the candles on their cake. It's the traditional favorite...a Carvel ice cream cake. There wasn't much left when this family got through with it!

Left to right: Jake, Erica, Kathleen and Sam

The Boys

Sam and Jack wait patiently for Grampa to come downstairs
for the present-opening "ceremony."

Wrong Side of the Fence

Kate enjoys breaking into the "restricted zone" at the foot of the stairs!

Happiness is a Couch Full of Grandchildren

Grammy moves out from behind the camera to make an appearance on the blog!

Sam, Kate and Jack pose with me at the end of our fun weekend with the New Jersey branch of the family.

It's Clean-up Time

Another project! Much to the Hermans' delight, the wild tangle of grapevines, scrub, a dead lilac bush and weeds on the back roadside bank is gone. It's been the view from their living room and bedroom windows for too many years. Marty (our "hero" who keeps the lawn in tip-top shape) and his sidekick spent a long day performing this feat. They sawed, chipped, raked, shoveled and even hauled away a ton of stuff we'd pitched over the wall through the years...branches, grass clippings, weeds, etc. We never expected it to be this clean and really love the new look. Needless to say, no more dumping here! Not only will Marty keep this area under control from now on, but we're hoping to turn it into a mini meadow. Dad bought a bag of New England wildflower seed mix and broadcast it over the entire area. Little seedlings have sprouted and there is a "mist" of new green growth coming up. If the plants winter over, as they should, we may have a new Secret Garden next summer.

Speaking of Dad...

I never posted this photo I took of Dad and Jeff while we were in Utah last August. I really like it...a rare shot of Dad, proving that he was on the trip. That's the benefit of Mom catching the blogging "bug" - I've taken possession of the little Sony camera (simple enough for me to manage) and now, after all these years, Dad's in the picture!

Plain Yogurt...Who Knew?

I have NEVER liked plain yogurt...until now. The few times I tried it, it was just too sour! Then, while in Utah with Jeff and Leah this August, they took us to a frozen yogurt shop with only three flavors - plain, berry and green tea. After sampling some, I chose plain with three kinds of fruit and it was delicious or, as Leah would say, "delish." I thought that was a one-time experience and continued to buy my big containers of lemon or vanilla yogurt until last week, when I reached behind the stack of vanilla containers for a "fresh" one and didn't read the label. You guessed it...it was plain yogurt. I thought I'd have to be creative and use it in cooking or something to get rid of it. Then I decided to just give it a try and the rest is history. I love it, love it, love it! It's so fresh and tangy, fewer calories and fuit, though not necessary, just makes it better. How nice to find a new food "addiction" that's actually good for me!

The bad news is...

...we needed a new pump. Here it is, ready to be hooked up and lowered into the well. The "doc" says the old pump has the date 1983 on it, so it has given us 25 years of faithful service. Think of all the gallons of water it's delivered during those years...Jeff's entire lifetime. Here's to the next 25 years of water for our home!

The good news is...

...we have plenty of water. The concern that our low water pressure was due to a failing well was proved untrue - the well is actually 120' (40' deeper than we thought) and the water is up to within 16' of the top. There is the well "doctor" on the left, getting ready to go down into the well room or, as he calls it, the pit. Good thing he had Dad nearby to be his "go-fer" so he didn't have to climb in and out of the pit all day!

We're gonna pump you up!

The well "doctor" to the rescue! After almost 24 hours without water, we were happy to see him roll in. Washing hands with bottled water is harder than it sounds...soapy hands, slippery bottle...you can just imagine.

From the Sublime to the Ridiculous!

Happiness is "single stream" recycling! Ok - it doesn't take much to make me happy. Years ago, when our kids were small, we had to travel to the city recycling center at the dump to recycle our washed and flattened cans, bottles and newspapers (which had to be bundled and tied with twine). The children had fun hurling glass bottles and jars into the brown or clear bins...what glorious smashing and splintering!!!...but it was a lot of work and took a commitment on our part.

Next came home pick-up of recycleables, which were put out in the little green bin. The good news was that the papers could be put in brown bags...the bad news was that we still could recycle only glass, cans, limited plastics, newspapers and corrugated cardboard. At least the recycling truck came to us, which was a step up.

Now, at last, we have this beautiful blue can just for recycleables...all of the above, plus cereal boxes, milk and juice cartons, catalogs, etc. Not flattened, not tied, just tossed in with gleeful abandon. Our recycling bin runneth over and we have an almost-empty garbage can. We've come a long way and I love that we are doing our own small part to conserve the world's resources. It is easier than ever to be green!

IT'S ALL IN THE ATTITUDE

Last Sunday I read a short, but wonderful, book by Randy Pausch called The Last Lecture. You have probably read or heard about him. Although he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, he made the most of his remaining months and tried to pass on some important perspectives about life to his family, students and friends. There is much to think about in this book regarding family life, getting and enjoying a job, priorities and the necessity of a positive attitude no matter the challenge. This is right up there with Tuesdays with Morrie in my list of important "reads."

www.thelastlecture.com

Then again, I just learned about the NieNie Dialogues through an article in the Sunday NY Times. It is amazing to me that a young wife and mother in Arizona, "reporting" on marriage and motherhood in her blog, would have attracted readers from all over the world. I think they were drawn to her celebration of life and love...especially when many these days are so cynical about them. Then came the tragedy of a private plane crash in which she and her husband were critically burned. Now blog readers, TV audiences and others are following their progress and praying for them and their family.....me, too.

nieniedialogues.blogspot.com

Another Pet!

We have another pet. Not a dog....you know Dad's thoughts on that subject...but a frog. His name is Mr. Peepers and he lives in the fish pond. He has gotten huge since we discovered him there in the spring, and keeps the bug population under control in his little domain. Actually, he wanders (or rather, hops) around quite a bit. I have been startled to have him jump out of the nearby plants when I was weeding, and sometimes he visits the neighboring birdbath. We enjoy looking out in the evening and seeing him on the coping of the pond - during the day he often pretends he's a lily pad and hangs out in the water. A truly fun and carefree animal "friend."

...And Waited.

While the guys waited I walked all around the gardens and fountains, capturing scenes like this one. The temple is beautiful in every season - each providing a different setting for its graceful spires. Our family members (in various combinations) have enjoyed the delicate spring tulips and daffodils, the intense colors of summer blooms, the rusty palette of autumn leaves and flowers, and the sparkling lights and snowy blanket of winter. This is a place to enjoy the beauty of the world around us and to savour time together.

...And Waited...

The colors are fantastic in every garden!

While Jeff and Harold Waited...

I had to take some pictures of the gardens!

A Devoted Couple

I love this sculpture of Joseph and Emma Smith. It speaks volumes without words! This kind of love and devotion is an example for all of us to emulate.

Temple Square

I think this is a beautiful view of the Salt Lake temple, taken on a perfect summer day. Yesterday was the 34th anniversary of our sealing in this temple. Being here on Temple Square 34 years later has prompted me to think about all that has happened since that special day...how our family has grown from 3 people to 14...and to look forward to all that is yet to come. The sealing ordinances of the temple are a blessing now and through eternity.

Mighty Hunters

Jeff and Dad hung out a yellow jacket trap to lure the "beasts" away from Eddie's food dish.
As you can see, the yellow jackets found their final home right away and business was brisk.

The Utah Branch of the Family

Here are Jeff, Leah and Eddie in their backyard. Eddie loves to play fetch with his tennis balls and other toys, and also enjoys playing with his special green bucket. It was supposed to be a source of water for him during the day, but he decided right away to make it a toy. He throws it up in the air and catches it on his head...very funny! Jeff has taught him to come to a special whistle and he's doing well at finding Jeff, who hides in different spots in the yard. The only place that gave him trouble was when Jeff hid up in a tree :)

Dad and Eddie

Dad plays ball with our new granddog Eddie.

At Cecret Lake

Proof that M.A. made it to the top!

Albion Basin Stress Test

On the trail to Cecret Lake...a steeper climb than anticipated, but with a few rest stops we made it!
The sun was out when we started - wild flowers in the meadows so pretty - but it started to pour and hail as we made the hike down. We were soaked, but happy to have passed this "stress test" on our first day in Utah.

Winston Takes the Office Max Challenge!

Office Max promises a 15% discount on everything you can fit in this bag. Winston has taken the challenge, but he's having a little trouble squeezing in. Will Office Max honor their promise?

Winston - King of the Castle

Winston, a Blue British Shorthair, joined our family in January 2007. He was born in New Hampshire, surrounded by numerous cats, but quickly decided that life as an "only cat" is a good thing. He has a great personality and is a loyal and loving companion...our shadow.