Eldon, Eldon, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

Eldon is having a lot of fun with his garden. (Risen from the dead lawn out in back.)

We had the first fruits of his labors last night in the form of beet greens and they were quite tastey.

Oops

This seems to be the weekend for auto accidents.

Last night Pam was taking her kids to Pocatello to a Children of the American Revolution event when a deer jumped out and bashed in the front end of the station wagon. Luckily no one was hurt (except the deer). They were outside of Burns. Emily borrowed the Dodges' station wagon and headed on to rescue them.

Then today we were coming home from the temple. We were on the off ramp from I-5 to highway 34. We were stopped there waiting for traffic to clear and a girl in a truck rammed us in the back. Her truck had no damage to it but our bumper with the tail light and trunk lid are kaput.

So while Dad is calling the insurance company, I'm blogging about it!

P.S. It turns out the damage was to the tune of $4,800. We are now driving a rental until it gets fixed.

Father's Day

A young father spoke in church today and said that fatherhood had changed who he was. That it had re-centered his values. I thought that was insightful.

I asked Eldon if he was glad he had become a father. He thought for a minute and then slowly declared, "My kids have given me many proud moments."  The latest proud moment was having his two oldest sons want to spend a day together biking up Mt. Saint Helens in the freezing cold and rain and enjoying being together.

All of you kids do things and make decisions that make us proud! I am very proud of the way you're all good parents to your children.

Awareness of our environment

It's always fun to visit Bend. Brenda's girls were intrigued with the baby chickens.

The High Desert Journal invited Terry Tempest Williams to come to Bend to speak. Three students were chosen by the Journal editors and Terry to read their essays about the environment.  The youngest of the three was our very own Trevor Dodge.  I was so proud of him.

You can see him reading his essay at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhaNRMCkafg

Here is the essay he wrote:

Seeing Through the Blindfold by Trevor Dodge

As I slowly exit the car arriving at Tumalo Creek, I enter a new world. I'm standing in the bottom of a valley covered in a blanket of trees and young vegetation. I look up and all above me I see cliffs surrounded by trees staring majestically down at the landscape below.  The ground is covered mostly by rich, brown soil, under a thin blanket of pine needles.

From here, my ears grasp the faint rush of a river in the distance. I listen to the other kids around laughing and talking to each other. But the trees are silent. No chirping birds or squirrels or any animals add their share of chatter.

After a brief circle meeting, we head towards the creek. As the sound of rushing water gets louder, my nose begins to detect some interesting smells. Small rocks that fill my scent with a soft, sandy aroma cover the floor. A gentle breeze blows by, carrying the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil.

As we near the creek, the rumble of its water clearly leaks into my ears. It's like a hose trying to fill up a wading pool on a hot summer day, like a water slide pouring into a swimming pool, and a bucket being slowly dumped onto the ground.  All three of these together would sound just like Tumalo's rushing stream.

I stare into the ice-cold river. The clear and shallow water allows me to easily perceive the rocks and pebbles that have been polished and smoothed by the constant flow of water.

Why do we go to Tumalo Creek? Do we go just to study the wildlife, to study what kinds of plants grow there? To learn how to find the shoreline and how to measure water quality levels? Do we go just to learn new art techniques and how to draw things without using outlines? No. Tumalo was damaged and can't fully recover on its own. We go to offer stewardship, to watch over it, be loyal guardians, to repay for the losses others of our kinds have caused. And in return we get a place to sit in solitude and learn to become fully connected to a place.

We 8th graders were born in a world clouded with technology like video games, TV, and E-mail. As we continue to come up with new ways to make life easier, we have forgotten what an incredible world we already live in. Tumalo has taught us that there is more to the wildlife than meets the eye, because it has taught us to see through the blindfolds that separate us from nature.

Our first grandson to become an Eagle Scout!

We were so proud of Zachary. His Dad got to give him the award.

 

Zachary gave a nice response.

The scout leader who conducted told this story about Zachary when he was 12. The Scouts were going on a rugged hike and the people in front (including Neil) came to a fork and drew an arrow to the right. Zachary came along behind them and didn't see it and took the wrong fork. So when they all got there and there was no Zachary, they were worried. Meanwhile Zachary realized he was lost. His first thought was to kneel down and pray. He received the comforting feeling that his Dad would soon come for him, which is of course what happened. The faith of a 12-year-old Scout strengthened all of our faith.

Zach is a good example for his younger brother.

I was happy to get a current picture of the whole family.

Hearing our progeny give talks

We LOVE the opportunity to hear our descendants give talks.

Last Sunday we went to Ken's ward to hear him speak. He was the main speaker and spoke on retaining a change of heart. He likened it to entropy where things tend to become disorganized or disordered without constant care. Our testimony needs constant nourishing through prayer and scripture study to stay strong. He said when you're feeling down to remember how you felt when your testimony was at it's strongest and it will lift you up. His talk was well prepared and delivered in an engaging manner.

Today we went the student ward to hear Em speak. She spoke on what members should know. Baptism is the beginning. She recalled hers on July 4th, 1998. It's like "toeing" for the race. But you must finish the race and not stop in the middle. She talked about the Holy Ghost who is like a cheer leader helping you along the way. She talked about the ward family, no matter where you go that will help you. She talked about enjoying the journey and enduring to the end. She was cheerful, friendly, and also engaging.

Looking for a good book?

You know how when you find an author you like, you want to read every book they've ever written? That's happening to me. Sheryl and Eldon also like this author--Lynn Austin. Fortunately she's written many books! Her books are historical in nature so you learn about the time period she writes about while you're enjoying a good story.

1. A Proper Pursuit. This was a Book Club book so it was my introduction to Lynn Austin. It was set in Chicago at the time of the World's Fair. The heroine goes to Chicago to stay with her grandmother and three great aunts. They each have a different viewpoint towards marriage. And she meets four possible choices (each very different) for marriage. It was interesting to see what a marriageable young maiden of that era did to find a husband, versus today! I loved it.

2. Until We Reach Home. This is about three sisters from Sweden who immigrate after their parents die. They have some struggles getting through Ellis Island and finding out their uncle had arranged marriages for them (to pay their fare). But they manage to come out on top. It makes you appreciate what our ancestors went through.

3. A Woman's Place. Four very different women become friends when they go to work at a factory during wartime. Each one overcomes trials and has adventures.

4. All She Ever Wanted. To help her rebellious teenage daughter, a woman visits her past.

5. Eve's Daughters. The stories of four generations of women in a family and how their decisions affect the generations on down.

6. Hidden Places. About a widow trying to run an orchard during the depression. It was made into a Hallmark movie that wasn't nearly as good as the book.

7. Though Waters Roar. Flashbacks to prohibition days to Grandma Bebe. Lots of action!

8. Wings of Refuge. I haven't read this yet as Eldon has appropriated it. He says it's about an archeologist in Israel and it flashes back to the time period they're digging up!

She also wrote a series about King Hezekiah in the Old Testament. Sheryl really liked it. I've just started it and I'm not so sure.

She also wrote a trilogy about the Civil War which I think Eldon will love--Candle in the Darkness, Fire by Night, and A Light to My Path.

Happy reading!