Toys

   Thanks to my husband's great generosity, I am now one of those selfish elitists (according to the internet) who own an iPad.  So far, so fun!  I've played word games with Cori and Tyler, looked at my house on Google Earth, read my scriptures, won several levels on Angry Birds, and spent $1.98 on unnecessary apps.  My hip leg (as opposed to my knee leg) has been giving me fits the last few days, so I love having something to occupy my mind.  Thanks again, Larry!  You're a saint among men.

Fall in Utah

    Larry and I took a drive up to Park City today.  It was incredibly beautiful.  The sky was deep blue, fading to light blue at the horizon, with cotton-batting clouds making ever-changing shadows on the hills.  There were patches of dark green evergreen trees, surrounded by the light green deciduous trees that haven't changed yet, forming intricate quilt patterns.  Some hillsides were covered with the russets and golds of fall colors, others were still almost entirely green, with an occasional bright-orange tree in the spotlight.  Bridle Veil Falls looked gorgeous, surrounded by terraced gardens crafted by nature.  Deer Creek Reservoir's slate-gray waters were livened by dancing diamonds on the surface where the sunlight hit.  Bright yellow wild daisies lined the roads, and there were fields of acid green-yellow grasses, which provided contrast to the more sedate colors on the mountain slopes.  I could have kicked myself for not bringing my camera, although I think stopping every five minutes to take pictures is frowned on anyway.  We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place.  We are also very blessed to have good roads on which to travel our beautiful canyons.  Every time I take a drive like this, I imagine what I would be feeling as a Pioneer, and give thanks that I'm not one.

Getting Old

  I was pondering the pros and cons of getting older.  Start with the cons:
1.  I'm falling to pieces, one bit at a time.
2.  I have hair where I don't want it, and I don't have hair where I do want it.
3.  I'm running out of time to do some of the things I want to do.
4.  Time has flown by too quickly.  I didn't take the time to savor every moment when my children were young.
5.  People who I loved dearly are gone, and I'm not ready to be the oldest generation.
6.  I still haven't decided what I want to be when I grow up.
   I guess that's enough to start with.  But there are some pros as well:
1.  The maple trees we planted thirty years ago are huge now, so we have lots of shade.
2.  Larry has retired, so he has time to work in the yard.  It's never looked better!
3.  I don't care as much about what people think of me.
4.  I've overcome some of my compulsions--I don't have to finish every book I start, and I can turn off the car in the middle of a song on the radio.
5.  I've lived to see my children become awesome adults.
6.  My awesome children have produced awesome children of their own, who are the light of my life.
7.  My brain still works, even if my body doesn't.
All in all, I guess getting older isn't so bad.  Especially considering the alternative.