Taisley Runs for Stanley

Taisley and friends took part in Bloomington Elementary Schools mini-Relay for Life on Monday, April 20. Knowing she was going to be "running for people with cancer" really freaked our little 7-year-old out and she was hesitant to take her running shoes to school, until Grandpa explained that she could run for Uncle Phil who died of cancer or our friend Stan Blackett who is currently in treatment for cancer. At that point, she asked Grandpa to set up Grandma’s treadmill so she could practice and invited him to join her on the school track to run - or walk - for Uncle Phil, but she was going to walk for Stan Blackett because she really likes him and wants to help him get better! When Grandpa got to school, Taisley and her little friends had already worked up a sweat so he obliged them by spraying them down with a garden hose - probably the most memorable part of the event for her!

On the evening of the Relay for Life, Taisley really, really wanted to go down to the Hansen Stadium at Dixie State College to run in the real event. Guess who we ran into? Neal Maycock, a lean, mean running machine; Whitney's dad and a devoted best friend to Bill Miller who died in February from brain cancer.

Zac Pays a Short Visit

It works really well to be midway between the coast and the Wasatch Front because we get to see grandchildren from time-to-time. This weekend, Kris asked her family to pick Zachary up at the airport in Las Vegas - after spending a week in Sonoma with his "mommy and sissies" - then bring him back to St. George to connect with his dad and Tai on Sunday morning for the drive home. Stacy, Kendi and Tais made the 250-mile round trip to pick him up at McCarren Airport. Once in St. George, he and his cousins - along with some of the neighbor kids - played Night Games in the warm spring evening. We set up a bed for him in the office, but on Sunday morning we found him sleeping comfortably under Taisley's bed and when he woke up, he requested - what else? - "Grandpa's waffles." He is so full of energy, he wears us all out . . . but it was great fun to have him here, even for just a few hours. He is planning to go back to Sonoma for the summer . . . and perhaps, if his dad approves, he will move back to California permanently!

My Victory Garden

Yesterday, I planted tomatoes and strawberries. It felt really good to be outside in the 78-degree sunshine, and I am looking forward to next weekend when Taisley and I will plant cucumbers, pumpkins and watermelon. But in talking to a couple of my neighbors and friends, it seems in 2009 - as it was in World War II - digging holes and planting a few things in the backyard is now considered a political act.

Historically, victory (also called liberty) gardens were planted to help the United States cope with food shortages during the war years. By 1943, Americans had planted more than 20 million victory gardens -- at home as well as in schools and parks -- which produced 8 million tons of food.

Today, in backyards like mine all over the country, a new victory garden movement has captured the attention of people who want to lessen their reliance on mass-produced or imported food, reduce their carbon footprint, foster a sense of community or save on their grocery bills in a fractured economic climate.

Aside from the political aspect, I have some concern about my garden - not because of the possibility of tomato worms or birds eating my produce. My biggest worry is that I will come home from work to find a "For Sale" sign on the front lawn. As my kids know, it is a long standing family trend . . . whenever Mom plants strawberries, Dad sells the house!

Tax Day Tea Party

The numbers are not in yet, but Washington DC had better be listening because millions of the "silent majority" from every race, creed, color, ethnicity, religion and yes, even political persuasion, stood up today in an estimated 2000 cities across the United States to say, "we are fed up with the way this country is being run . . . and the tax burden which has been placed on the people and we're not going to take it anymore!"

Here in little old St. George, Utah approximately 2500 residents gathered on the college campus tonight to send a rallying cry to our government "leaders" (a little joke). The main stream media is going to have a hard time turning a blind eye to this tremendous outpouring of irate citizens.

Our country is in a terrible mess!!! Is it Bush's fault? Yes? Is it Obama's fault? Yes, but its also Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter and Clinton's fault. It's the fault of the Democrats . . . and the Republicans, the President (whichever one you want to name) and definately the fault of our Congress! And probably I'm even partly to blame because I voted for some of these guys who call themselves leaders! Including Obama's stimulus package(s), our government has now indebted (or is it indentured) the next ten generations of Americans, even if they don't spend another cent.

Another indicator of the mood of the country . . . (conservative) Fox News now has more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined!!!

Not sure where this energy will go from here . . . but I don't think its over and it sure feels good to finally have a voice, because hey, I thought I was the only one who was "tea'd off" by all this insanity! I think we should dump all our congressmen and senators "overboard" and start over . . . and if Glenn Beck wants to run for president, I would vote for him in a heartbeat!!!

Larry and Grandma Doris Visit

Larry finally got his Christmas trip to St. George - postponed from December due to ice and snow in Seattle - when last week, he flew into Ontario Airport, rented a car and drove with Grandma Doris to spend a few days catching up with family and soaking up the warm spring sunshine! They have been here many times - in fact, Larry lived here for a short while - so there wasn’t much they wanted to do, other than see everyone and relax. Michael, Tara and Lilly came for the weekend - a chance for them, too, to get out of the cold and snow of northern Utah. On Sunday, after the final session of General Conference, we celebrated Lilly’s 2nd birthday with a bar-be-que. It was the usual noisy gathering of Sappington’s with Kaytee, Josh, Adyn, Stacy, Kendi and Taisley around the table. Bruce and Georgia came for dinner on Wednesday - a chance for "the cousins" to reminisce about "the good old days" before we played a rousing game of "Golf!" And, we had fun taking Larry around to look at condos although Grandma Doris would have preferred us to dote more on her rather than on the grand kids and Larry . . . who was very glad to be home to Seattle.