Apparently, It Takes Two To Build A Fjellse...

We pulled out the box from the basement and brought it upstairs. I opened the box and saw the few pieces of wood and metal screws found therein. Those who have put together Swedish furniture delivered in a box know that, "Life is like a box of IKEA furniture--you never know how it's going to turn out."

Thankfully, the project was simple enough, but what I thought was most interesting, was the instruction manual...

And the illustrations.

It was the second illustration, specifically, that caught my attention. You see, according to the producers of this fine product, they feel having two people put the bed together is key. My first thought was they're telling me I needed a supervisor for the project. Of course, it's not necessarily a supervisor, just another smiling builder with a pencil behind his year--a clear supervisor trait.

Throwing caution to the wind, I forged forward, alone, buddy-less, supervisor-less. And I found success. But, unfortunately, when we purchased the Fjellse years ago, we failed to purchase the support that you put inside the Fjellse, thus making it an actual bed.

See, you never know how it's going to turn out.

Such is life.

To Hymn, Or Not To Hymn...That Is The Question

Do you remember the movie, Footloose? I remember the original Kevin Bacon 80s flick (can't say that I've seen the re-make...) for several reasons. First, it was filmed two counties south in Utah. Second, I knew at least one person who was in the film, and third, it was a huge hit.

And in it, they outlawed dancing.

Now, they've basically outlawed singing.

There's many things we used to do that we no longer can. Singing seems like a minor thing, but it really isn't. It's a big deal. Some of my most spiritual experiences have come from music, listening to it, performing it, singing it. There's a reason music and religion are so closely intertwined. 

Where I live, we've been allowed to return to church, but under many conditions. One is our congregation cannot all be in the building at the same time. Another is no singing. They even took away the hymnals. I understand why--even taking away the songbooks. But it still hurts.

There will be a day, hopefully soon, when everyone can worship they way they want, with friends, neighbors, and family...and singing. Until then, the songs will need to stay in our hearts.

A Room With A View...Sort Of

We drove up to the house just as the sun was setting, the orange and red sky to the west called to me to take its picture. The sun had dropped below the tree line so I went inside the house and opened the blinds to the door facing west.

I saw plastic.

Then I remembered...every door we're not using, every window on the house is covered in plastic. No, we're not getting our house fumigated. We're getting it painted. After seventeen years, it's needed.

It's a strange sensation, expecting something to happen and then it doesn't. It's exactly like going into a room when the power is out and flipping on the light even though you know the light will not go on.

The first day they washed the house. Yesterday and today they prepped it, masking off the windows and doors, and hopefully, tomorrow they'll begin the painting.

 I know as long as there's plastic on the windows and doors I'll continue looking out those windows and doors expecting to see a clear view, but the view I'll see will not be clear. That's just how it goes sometimes.

Sunset...Sunrise

Yesterday, I had the rare (as of late...) opportunity to see beautiful skies not only in the evening, but also in the morning.

The skies were incredible--my little phone camera can barely do it justice.

Back when I commuted to and from work, there as a time during the year when I'd see sunrises when I either climbed into my car or while I was driving to work or was on the bus. Then, another colorful sky met me as I journeyed home. Ever since I began working from home, I've missed almost every cool sunrise. I'm sad about that, but not enough to return working in an office.

I snapped another picture as well, one of the house with an incredible sunset behind. I've taken maybe hundreds of photos of our house over the years. It's something I never tire of doing (even though many may be tired of seeing it...).

I got lucky yesterday to see the sky as it rose and as it set. It's something I don't get to see very often nowadays.

When A Small-Press Book Gets A Great Review...Ruth Mitchell's "Deleted"

I've been fortunate enough to be associated with Immortal Works Press since almost its inception. They were kind enough to publish my first novel, Chaser.  Also, I've tried to help them as an Acquisitions Editor. I'm not the most productive editor--my bad--but I want to help the company succeed, because I believe there needs to be a place for good, wholesome literary art for people to enjoy and that can actually change lives.

Today, I found out one of the books published through Immortal Works, Ruth Mitchell's Deleted, received some high praise on the website, Indies Today. You can access the review by clicking: HERE. You can also check out other reviews of other books on the site.

As an author I've been told to not read the reviews because if you believe too much in the good ones, you'll have to accept the bad ones, too. Still, I reveled in a good review. Here's what Indies Today said about the book:

Imagine a world where everybody is attached to their electronic devices… oh wait, that is our current reality! But in Deleted, technology has advanced to a greater degree. A clever hacker, Nick, has found a way to not only see people’s memories, but to erase them. Nick has created a niche market for himself erasing undesirable memories for those that can afford his services. His lucrative career is jeopardized when his path crosses with the indomitable Lucy, a quirky young woman with strong opinions and stronger ethics. When Lucy’s memories prove to be just out of reach, Nick determines that he will stop at nothing to protect his secrets.

Ruth Mitchell knows how to tell a compelling story! Between the suspense and action, Mitchell has also managed to work in a charming love story. The technological aspects feel totally believable, adding another layer of intrigue to an already page-turning novel. Of all the dynamic characters, Marco is my favorite! His awkward charm and humility make him somebody I want to know. And for those looking for a clean read, this book absolutely hits all the marks! Deleted is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel that has just the right mix of excitement and heart.

Ruth Mitchell has penned an exceptionally well plotted and perfectly paced tale. You won’t want to miss a single word of Deleted!

Yes, high praise, indeed!

If you'd like to order Deleted, just click: HERE to reach the book's Amazon page, or: HERE to reach the publisher's page. I love seeing others find great books from someone other than the big boys.

So...I Missed The Comet

Trust me--this is a picture I took at night earlier this month. There's a faint outline of my neighbor's house (if you look at it and kind of make your eyes go "fuzzy," you'll see it...), but other than that, the picture shows basically nothing. 

Kind of like my attempts to spot and photo the Neowise Comet.

I missed it--got nothing--bupkis.

And I won't get another chance for six millennia.

Growing up, the subject of Hailey's Comet used to come up. I think it's because it's one of those events that most people have a reasonable chance to see it at least once--some of the lucky few might be able to see it twice. I often wondered when I thought about the comet coming once every 75 years, what if it was cloudy on the night it passed by. That would suck. The last time Hailey's hit was in 1986 and I was living as a missionary in Denmark at the time. There was an excellent chance I was in my room when that comet was visible. I tented to keep that rule.

Turns out, comets are not a "one night only" kind of event, at least that was the case for the latest comet to become the subject of millions of photos. And because they said the Neowise Comet would be visible for several days, I kept putting off trying to see or photograph it. Plus, we live on the west side of a hill, so seeing things in the eastern sky are different for us than if we lived in the valley.

No matter the excuses, I flat out missed it and by the time I seriously tried to see it, it was too late.

When I used to think about Hailey's Comet as a kid. I thought it would be so cool to see something in the sky that only happens every 75 years. This time, it's a 6000 year opportunity missed. Oh well... maybe one day I'll get to see one of these things. Here's hoping.

This Year's Pioneer Day Celebration...

Looking at our three unopened boxes of Pop-Its on the kitchen counter reminded me of how things have changed. Of course, the whole world has changed this year...family gatherings, picnics, baseball games--all changed.

But those Pop-Its boxes...just pathetic.

And what's worse is, we bought those for the Independence Day holiday and never used them.

We're not allowed to set off fireworks in our neighborhood and after seeing reports of terrible fires due to fireworks, our fireworks ban is understood and appreciated. Still, we picked up the boxes at the grocery store thinking we might go outside and glean some enjoyment from them.

Nope.

My wife and I were talking about the month and the holidays that fall in July. There's Independence Day, of course, but our state has a holiday on July 24th, the day pioneers entered the valley in 1847. For my family and my wife's family, July has come to be a reminder of lost love ones. My mother passed away on July 1, and my wife's father passed away on July 21. For both funerals, holidays were taken into consideration.

Tonight, I stepped out onto the back deck and heard distant booms. Some people were celebrating--there were more displays yesterday, of course. Usually Utahns like to light off controlled explosions before, during, and after our July holidays. This year, it just seems different.

I wonder what next year will be like.

For us, it'll remind us of more than just getting the day off work.

When A Pomegranate...Is More

My son waited until the pomegranate arrived.

Then he asked.

And she said, "Yes."

Our oldest is engaged and will be getting married.

And he used a Pomegranate to ask.

The Past Couple Of Nights...Looking West

I thought I'd share a few of pictures I took of the sky the past couple of nights. They're not great shots, but they show some interesting colors and meteorological events.

The first was just before sunset when I actually caught the sun hovering just above the trees. Plus, all the haze from fires and such set the sky ablaze.

The next picture was one I used as my "Pic Of The Day." I remember it being more colorful when I took it, but sometimes what I see doesn't communicate well in the picture. Still, it's subtle and I like it.

Yesterday, storm clouds filled the sky most of the day and as the sun set in the west, shards of light filtered through the clouds illuminating sections of the valley below. Several years ago a co-worker talked of his love of photography. He showed us some of his personal favorites. He showed us one landscape picture and he pointed out the clouds. He said he loved photographing clouds, because without clouds, you have just a blue sky.

Summer skies can be interesting. Many times, there's no change--not a lot of rain here in the summer. But, every once in a while, the skies open up and give you a show. I've had a front-row seat the past couple of nights.

It Took Me Fifty Years...But I Finally Saw One

 My family moved to Farmington, Utah in 1970.

I was Four.

There's been only a few years when I did not live on this street or on this mountain. Living on a mountain means you get to interact--occasionally--with wildlife. And of all the wild creatures prancing, swimming, crawling, flying, and buzzing on this mountain, there's one thing that slithers that I hadn't seen...

A rattlesnake.

Until last week.

I know rattlers live in the mountains. You just have to be careful when hiking--from what I understand, they don't like people so they'd be happy if people just left them alone. Fine with me. I did a lot more hiking on the mountain as a kid, but in all the time I've lived here, I never saw one.

Last week there was a commotion in our backyard. My daughter came in from work and said they caught a rattlesnake next door. I had to see it. A Farmington City police officer already had the situation cleared. The snake was caged. I took out my phone and started taking pictures.

"You want a better picture?" the officer asked.

"Really?" I said.

"Yeah...I can take the top off."

"No thanks," I said.

Today, my friend posted a picture of him and his wife that he took while the two of them were hiking on the mountain. He said they saw some rattlers. Maybe, if I had been more fortunate (or unfortunate some might say...) I would have seen this beautiful animal sooner. Then again, a half a century is okay by me.

As long as it's caged.

Two Years...

Anniversaries are funny things, sometimes. We look forward to some--wedding anniversaries, and not others--anniversaries of an unpleasant event. Still, others--like birthdays--can be both. We look forward to birthday anniversaries when we're younger, and not so much as we get older.

Then, there are anniversaries we dread, remembering the day loved ones left us.

Those can just plain hurt.

Two years...

Loved the time we had, wish we could have more.

Anyone Looking To Pick Up A $5 Piano? Because...We've Got One

We've had the piano in our front room for years. The Everett Cabinet Grand sits in the corner of the front room and it provided a learning opportunity for almost all our kids. The piano was a gift from a friend and co-worker--it was his mother's. It's well over one-hundred years old, and sounds pretty good, considering. When my friend's mother passed away, the piano needed a new home.

"Free piano," he said, and we took him up on the deal.

Years have passed and countless tunes have been practiced and perfected. The complexity that is music became intertwined with our children's brains as they took lessons, learned songs, and worked through the missed notes and uneven tempos. Growing up, we had a Spinet piano in our front room. My brother and sister took lessons. I took accordion lessons--same thing, but not really. But I did plunk out several songs on my mom's piano.

Time has come for this instrument to find a new home with new kids plunking out new and old songs in someone's front room. Or, because it's not the prettiest piece of furniture, it can sit majestically in another room in your house.

I know I put in the title of this blog post that the piano would cost you 5 bucks. But, really, it's free. Just come and get it and bring several sturdy lifters. If you're looking for a free piano (truth be told, we'd even offer to pay you $5...), let us know. There's nothing like learning to play the piano...

Or the accordion.

July 19...Turns Out It's Been An Artistic Day For Me

If you're familiar with Facebook, you may get one of those notices telling you that you have memories from the day to look back on. This morning, I got just such a reminder, and it showed an adorable picture I took of my cousin's family seven years ago.

Of course, I ignored it.

But then, I remember that picture and some comments I received on it, so tonight I clicked on the reminder tab and checked out all the things I've posted on July 19th for the past eleven years. Turns out, a lot of my memories have an artistic side to them.

In 2009 I was in a Rodger's Memorial Theatre production of, Joseph and the Amazing Techincolor Dreamcoat. I loved that show. I got to do the show with my then nine-year old daughter and I made many life-long friends. I even posted a video of the brother's pre-show warm-up ritual. I've included it below.

Then, nine years ago, on this very date, it appears I took the kids to a movie. I have no idea what movie it was, but it looks like we were the only ones in the theater, sort of like movie theaters nowadays.

Fast forward to 2018 and I added another picture of another cast in another show in another theater. Rodger's went the way of all the earth and became Centerpoint Legacy Theatre. The show we did in 2018--The Pirates of Penzance. Me and some of the other pirates congregated at the local Dairy Queen for dessert and story swapping. Once again, I did the show with my daughter and I met a new group of good friends.

I have no idea what I will find if I choose to check out the July 20 memories. It'll probably include artistic memories. When you choose to do artistic things, you get artistic memories.

Attending A Drive-Thru Wedding Reception...

Humans are amazing adaptors. They can adjust to situations that we may think impossible. Ever since the pandemic hit, people have had to change plans, tweak situations, and roll with the punches. If you're on social media, you know what I'm talking about--people posting about, video meetings, mobile graduations, and even drive-by wedding receptions.

On Thursday, we got to experience the latter.

We arrived early and decided to walk the grounds. The wedding party was finishing up dinner inside the venue. Eventually, everyone came out and prepared--not for a line of people, but a line of cars. Fortunately, the reception center had a paved driveway allowing well-wishers the opportunity to remain inside their cars while the wedding party practiced social distancing.

I know millions of people have had to change their plans during this time, none more than the bride who has been planning her wedding and reception for years. In all the stories I've read of altered plans, the brides have faced the challenges wonderfully. And if they haven't, I haven't heard about it.

Hopefully, when couples and their loved ones look back on this crazy time, they'll realize theirs is a special event, one almost no one can match. Let's hope their experiences will be even more rare and we can get back to normal soon...

The old normal, and not the new.

Who's Hungry? Basmati Indian Street Tacos Can Help You With That...

I have amazing friends. I don't know how I became so fortunate to be associated with so many incredible people I call friends. So, what do several of my friends do during a worldwide pandemic?

They start a food truck.

A few years ago, I was cast in a local production of You Can't Take It With You. I got to share the stage with two actors with whom I'd done shows before, and another with whom I had not. The performance talent in Amanda, Jared, and Jennie is staggering. Add Amanda's amazing photography skills, Jared's technical--including sound design and furniture/food truck construction--skills, and Jennie's directing and costuming skills, and you've got three performers that can carry any show. Now, they've turned their attention of the culinary arts.

This afternoon my wife and I watched the three of them working away in an incredibly hot, custom-built/painted food truck serving up delicious Indian tacos.

And it was GOOD!!

This week is the truck's maiden voyage. Why they decided to attempt such a leap of faith at a time like this is beyond me. But, upon further thought, it makes sense. Tell any of these amazing people they can't (or should't...) do something, it makes them work even harder. The show that had all of us together ran into so many problems--If you're familiar with community theater, you know what I'm talking about--the show almost didn't go on. But it did, and it was incredible.

I snapped a few pictures of the truck, then took the food home. I wanted to take a picture of the tacos before I started eating, but I was so hungry, I dug right in. So, the photo of food is not a true representation of the full meal I had.

If you'd like to follow Basmati on Facebook, click the link: HERE. If you'd like to try the food for yourself, I posted earlier where Basmati was going to be from 5pm - 8pm on Saturday, 7/18/20, but that's not going to happen. They had to cancel.    :(

However, you can always check on their Facebook page for future events.

Yes, the food at Basmati Indian Street Tacos is fantastic...

Almost as much as those running it.

Taking Pictures Of Bees...

We arrived early and had some time to kill. I brought my Nikon D3300 because we were attending a wedding reception, and since no one was outside when we showed up (they were inside finishing up dinner...), we walked the grounds.

The building was beautiful--a decades, maybe century-old structure. The mature trees and detailed landscaping made the location perfect for a young couple to start their married lives together. It took a while, but eventually, I saw the flowers...

And I saw the bees.

Time was, I searched out opportunities to photograph insects, especially bees on flowers. There's something almost cathartic about seeing bees buzz around flowers. Back when I worked in downtown Salt Lake City, there lay a half a block to the east an incredible flower garden. Many a time I would pack out my good camera in hopes of getting a "bee on a flower shot."

Around our house my wife has planted several amazing flowers. I spent a lot of time in the garden trying to get "the shot." It wasn't until I saw the bees flying around those flowers tonight that I realized it's been a long time since I even sought out "the shot."

It's been too long.

Tonight, that wonderful feeling of being a photographer returned.

Xchyler Publishing...Dare To Dream...What A Ride!

I received a notice today that royalties from Xchyler Publishing were sent out.

What a ride!

I hope I don't imply the small publisher is gone or non-existent. As far as I know, you can still order their books. You can go to their website: HERE. I also just checked on Amazon--they're good. But, things have changed. In the past, I've written dozens of blog posts about Xchyler, their books, and their authors and even though none of us will get rich from those royalties, and I'll put Xchyler's stories and covers up against anyone's any day.

I can't fully express how important this imprint has been on my literary career. Without Xchyler Publishing, I don't know if I'd ever publish a novel, or get involved in writing conventions, or been an assistant program director at the Salt Lake FanX Comics Convention.

And this doesn't include all the amazing people I've met along the way.

Xchyler published my first short story in anthology titled, Mechanized Masterpieces; A Steampunk Anthology. They published two more of my short stories. Because of this, I was considered a published author--even though my contribution to the writing community was small. This opened doors for me that may never have opened. This led to meeting other authors and being on panels and allowing me fantastic experiences.

I may never have  another thing published--I hope this isn't the case, but as an author you never know what the future will bring. I'd like to personally thank those at Xchyler, especially Scott Tarbet and Penny Freeman. Scott sent out today's royalties--it's truly a labor of love.

Xchyler Publishing--they created so much more than stories.

Dare to dream.