Give Thanks...For Two Moms - I Really Wish They Could Have Known Each Other

It's Mother's Day and the social media is full of odes, dedications, and well-wishes for mothers, spouses, and daughter.

As it should be.

If you're adopted, you know some of the feelings I've had all my life when Mother's Day and Father's Day roll around. I could not be more blessed than to have been placed with my adopted family. Of course, since we live only one reality, it's impossible for me to know any different, but I cannot adequately express how amazing was my adopted family. My parents raised my brother, sister, and me (all adopted...) with love, compassion, discipline, and sacrifice. I can simply not imagine any other life.

In the fall of 2023 I found my birth mother. Had we more time, I could have met her in person, but we found each other only weeks before she passed away from a long illness. My adopted mother passed away in 2007. As I read posts from friends and family today, I couldn't help but wish these two amazing women could have met each other in this life.

I think they'd have loved it.

Of course, I really only knew one, but I've learned of the other since her passing. Both were short, spunky, brave, and from what I understand, both were very funny. I don't think I appreciated my mom's humor enough before she died. Man, she was a funny woman. At my birth mother's celebration of life held just over a year ago, the stories I heard described a woman who made everyone laugh.

Because of my philosophy, I believe these woman have indeed met. I'll bet it was a wonderful and special meeting between two women who gave me so much, without whom I would not be here (literally...), and not be the man I am today. I'm thankful for them both, for their love, their sacrifice, their incredible lives.

Happy heavenly Mother's Day...to my two moms. 

Give Thanks...For A/C

 It's coming, the warmer weather. I couldn't stop it even if I tried. Most worship warmer weather and welcome it with open sleeveless arms. Me?

It's complicated.

In many ways I love a good spring or summer day. I really enjoyed summer as a child, growing up on the side of a mountain with an amusement park only a few miles away wearing only shorts, a t-shirt, and shoes. I had amazing friends, amazing parents and siblings, and a wonderful childhood.

Then, you grow up.

Growing up means summer is just another season in which a person works--some don't, but I don't have one of those jobs. Growing up means having to wear enough clothing to be socially acceptable--some don't, but I'm one to obey local decently laws. I still have amazing friends, my parents have passed, but am having a wonderful adult-time.

However, there are things brought on by spring and enhanced by summer, namely allergies, bugs, and weeds. Three's always good with the bad and the older I get, the less I appreciate allergies, bugs, and/or weeds.

Turning on the A/C on my car is one of the first signs of spring. I'll use the A/C sparingly now, then as time goes on, it'll be on more and more until the hot months when it's pretty much a given. I'm thankful to live in a place where we have four defined seasons, where we live in a time when A/C is something to which we have access. I'm also thankful that with each passing day, we're closer to the time when the temperatures will drop and bugs and weeds disappear. It's only a matter of time.

Give Thanks...For Good Neighbors

 Like almost everyone in the state where we live, we got snow this past week...not as much as some, but more than others. It's interesting how something like a snowstorm affects people. After one storm, I took a break from work and shoveled our driveway (off the clock, of course...), then went back to the grind.

That's when I saw our neighbor and his show blower...

Removing snow not at his house.

I live in a fairly typical neighborhood. Everyone sort of takes care of themselves. It seems every home has a snow blower sufficient for their needs. When storms hit, we all emerge from the warmth of our houses and remove the snow. Then, we go back inside where it's warm and dry. But, some will look around and see if there's a driveway and sidewalk where the snow remains.

Then, they take action.

I've been told, and I do believe, that if you're down and you want to feel better, so service. Do something for someone else...something not expected, something you don't have to do. Even if the recipient doesn't know what you've done, you know and the universe knows and you're blessed for it.

I'm grateful for neighbors who I know will help if needs be. I hope I can be that kind of neighbor. I'm trying harder and harder to become one.

Give Thanks...For People Making A Difference

 A friend of Mine started a project. She's a teacher and she wants to make a difference in her students's lives, and her goal is to dot this through literature. By doing this, she understands a couple of important things. One, she knows the power of the written word, and two, she sees the impact a book can have on a child. 

If you click: HERE, you can access her site to get more details of this project. She's asking for donations to fund the project. It is a worthy and noble cause.

With a million choices for entertainment, I feel many have pushed books to the side in favor of flashier, snappier, screen-based options. It's come at a cost, a cost of education, a cost of understanding other people and cultures, a cost society will have to pay beck for generations.

Imagine a world where all all electronic media no longer exists, a world without, TVs, computers, smartphones (or any phones...), a world where games are not of the video kind and imagination once again reclaims its place as the most powerful force known to man.

Books have that power, and they are even more powerful for a chid.

Check out the site and help if you can. I'm thankful people are creating art and helping others find it.

Give Thanks...Open Spaces

Open Spaces...

They are becoming an endangered species.

For the moment, we live at the edge of a field on a sloping hillside. To the west and south of us, homes are popping up like weeds. It's only a matter of time they'll expand north and east, too. Such is life.

I never noticed how much I enjoy an open field, a place where deer and wild rabbits call home, until we moved. There's something about looking out and not seeing humanity everywhere...it's almost spiritual. I can only imagine what those who first spotted this valley--and other valleys like it--centuries ago. Were they filled with awe? Could they envision roads and interstates criss-crossing the land and incredible inventions of machinery screaming over those roads at 80 m.p.h. or faster. I doubt many could ever imagine jet airplanes thousands of feet overhead flying people to all parts of the world.

Maybe they guessed some things correctly...

I also wonder if they looked over the dry desert landscape of this valley and it filled them with wonder...a place where a man could build a home, grow their food, raise a family, and be basically left alone to live as one saw fit.

Two weeks ago my wife and I drove through valleys and mountain passes to attend a funeral. The views were amazing. And the D.N.A. from many of those people who long ago traveled to this part of the world to settle still resides in those doing the same thing now. I'm grateful for open spaces. I'm grateful some are still around.

Give Thanks...For Work

I just finished a long weekend...a very long weekend. I worked my regular job, then did my weekend gig. Because of fall break, my weekend gig lasted four days instead of three. We just walked in the house from our last shift and I'm tired...

Very tired.

But, I'm also something else...

Grateful for work.

Even though "work" is more difficult as I get older, both physically and mentally, work is what allows me to provide food, shelter, and clothing for my family. It also allows me to interact with others and make the world a better place. At least, I hope so.

There's opposition in all things. And because of this, there's a time to play, and a time to work. I'm grateful for work...

Of course, I hope to enjoy retirement, too, even though I'm sure I'll need to do something some would call "work."

Give Thanks...Community

 We experienced Tremonton City Hay Days for the first time. We had a great day. Since it was a new experience for us, we didn't know what to expect. Well...that's not entirely true. We came from a close-knit community and they had a community celebration, too. Pretty sure all communities have do this. It brings the residents closer together. It's important.

And I'm so grateful that it happens.

We started the day at the park enjoying a free breakfast. We saw vendors and several classic cars. We also saw a baby contest and diaper derby. Since we have attended the same type of event in Farmington for decades, I expected things to be pretty much the same. They were, and they weren't. The biggest change was the number of people enjoying the events. In short, we were able to find a parking spot close to the park and walk around without being surrounded by people.

One of the coolest parts of the day is when we went to the Bear River Museum where they put on a quilt show. The quilts were amazing (I found MY favorite...), but I loved seeing all the other things, the recreation of a pioneer school, a dentist's office, a doctor's office, and a typical home kitchen. I've seen that kitchen before...at my Grandpa Knight's house.

The evening ended with a fireworks display. It's been a while since we've been to one that close. It wasn't the best display we've seen, but it didn't need to be. It was a way to close the day by the city saying, "thank you" to its residents with beautiful lights and exploding booms that echoed across the valley.

Even though we know hardly anyone here, it didn't matter. We felt welcomed as we walked the park and the museum and watched the pretty colors in the sky. It felt like home.

Give Thanks...Good Neighbors--And A Lot Of Rocks

 Moving can be scary. Flat out, one-hundred percent. There are many things that can make it scary, one of which is who you're going to live next to...the neighbors. And to add to the equation, we had the best neighbors where we used to live--and not just because I personally chose (or persuaded...) many of them to live next to us. No, they are top-notch, quality families. We love them and it was tough leaving that street because of it.

I think our moving experience was unique. The pandemic created its own unusual situations, and almost everyone in our neighborhood was new. The people were friendly, but we rarely saw anyone. People were "encouraged" to not interact with each other. Thankfully, we did so anyway.

A new home means a new yard. The builders gave us a finished house, but they left the yard to us. We've been working like dogs in the yard since the spring, but there was one thing we could not do by ourselves. Well...we could, but it would have taken us months to do it.

Move tons of rocks.

When we put in our sprinkler system, we didn't want anything to grow on the north side of the house or the park strips. We looked into buying landscape rocks and having them delivered, but when we saw huge piles of rocks in our neighbor's back yards, we had an idea, and after speaking with those neighbors, we came up with a plan. Move the rocks to our lot.

Our neighbor Gary offered to move the rocks for us. For just over a week he drove his skid steer from his house to the rock piles to our house where he dumped them and we placed them where we wanted them to go. So much work. Yet, our neighbor brought load after load and when we discussed payment--he would have none of it.

We've only been here less than a year and the more we get to know our neighbors, the more blessed we feel. We're grateful that they've welcomed us and made us feel a part of their community. Good neighbors and rocks...sometimes they're related.