Mom and Dad Visit Ely

Josh loves it, but Kaytee is still not so sure Ely, Nevada feels like home. With only about 3700 people in this small town, all the one-liners hold true:

"It's not the end of the earth, but you can see it from here!"

"Third Street is the edge of town"

“I hate small towns because once you've seen the cannon in the park there's nothing else to do"

and . . . "you don't have to use your turn signal because everyone already knows where you're going."

Kaytee and Josh live down the end of a long dirt road in a double wide modular home. It's not too bad, but has not been well cared for so Kaytee rolled up her sleeves and spent two weeks cleaning to make the place livable. Josh brought his two horses, and picked up a third along the way, so is building a barn of sorts in the backyard to give his animals a place to get in out of the Nevada cold winter.

Kaytee has found the park, a tasty Mexican restaurant, and the Family Dollar store. But her new favorite store is Ridley's Market, which she says is the best place in town to shop for everything.

All over town, there are signs of Republican unrest. Although it is uncertain the U. S. Senate Majority Leader will be unseated anytime soon, it is obvious the residents of his state - at least in the small towns around Nevada - do not like Harry Reid's politics.

The Nevada State Prison, where Josh works, is probably the largest employer with about 400 on the payroll and there are some nice new motels and stores, but for the most part Ely is pretty much like it was when my Uncle Reston, Aunt Ione and cousins, Steve, Doug and Kenny Godwin lived there back when I was in high school. I used to enjoy visiting them in the summertime. Some of my fondest memories of being at their home was how much they enjoyed shocking this little girl from the beach of southern California by showing me their "red light district" and the casinos in town. Back then, it seemed a whole lot bigger than it is now.

We miss our baby girl . . . and her baby girl, like crazy! Luckily, Ely is an easy 3 1/2 hour drive from St. George so Kaytee and Adyn can come home anytime they want to . . . and we will always leave the porch light on.

And the Award Goes to . . .

Linda Baker, Jeannine Holt and Linda Sappington were recently recognized as "Women of Excellence" by the local chapter of Business and Professional Women. Linda Baker was honored as the Professional Woman of the Year in her position as Vice President of Workers Compensation Fund. She currently serves on the board of director for the Southern Utah Home Builders Association, the Washington County Economic Development Council and has been involved for many years with the Chamber of Commerce. Jeannine Holt was recognized in the area of Philanthropy for her lifetime of service to the Republican Party. Linda Sappington was named Public Service Woman of the Year for her efforts as the director of the Volunteer Center of Washington County; as the "mother" of the Jubilee of Trees, and for her ongoing support of numerous community organizations. Congratulations to these three Women of Excellence.

A Blast from My Past

Whitney and I were recently IM’ing about walking to school. She was surprised when I told her my dad took me to seminary every morning where I rode to school with some of my friends, but I walked the 5-miles home with my brother Larry and with friends who "dropped off" when we got to their corner. When the weather was bad or we had lots of books, or if we just wanted a change of scenery, we would occasionally take a different route up to Olympic Blvd. (once considered "THE" place to shop in Los Angeles) for a ride home on the "J" car. It turned around a block from our house on Palm Place and Larry believes it was the very last link of the old trolley system in L.A. What a fun memory which came by way of an e-mail invitation to attend the 100th anniversary of Huntington Park High School. Go Spartans!!!

Cruising to Alaska

Amid the chaos at the office caused by the crash of the network server which left the Volunteer Center without computer access for more than two weeks . . . and just before our annual CANstruction project, I abandoned my post to travel to Seattle, then north to Alaska aboard the Golden Princess cruise ship (August 8-15, 2009) with our next door neighbors and traveling companions, Ralph and Pam Bingham. Before we sailed away, we enjoyed a couple of days with Larry, Tucker, Nicki and Molly (who uncharacteristically came out from her hiding place and even allowed me to scratch her ears a couple of times).

The Golden Princess, which set sail in 2001, weighs 109,000 tons and is 951 feet long. Passengers and crew total more than 4000, who combined are capable of consumming more than 11,500 pounds of seafood every week. Every year, this ship makes 19 voyages to Alaska during the summer, then relocates to the Hawaiian islands or the Caribbean for the winter months. Not a bad life!

Alaska is twice the size of Texas but with a total population of only about 600,000 - most who live in about two dozen small cities. Juneau, the state capital with a population of 30,000, is the only US city with no roads in or out and as such can only be accessed by air or sea. Skagway (spelled variously as Skaguay, Schkague, Shkeagway, Skagua, Schkawai or Cquque) is a picturesque little community of about 800 fulltime residents. The entire city is 5 x 20 blocks of charming little shops, but we had the most fun on the White Pass and Yukon Railroad built in less than two years in response to the needs of 1000 men on their way to the goldfields.

The entire vacation was a delight, though it was too cold much of the time (I will never complain about winter in St. George) and I brought all the wrong clothes. Dad took about 1000 pictures and there was an obscene amount of food available 24 hours a day. The best part of a cruise is that it is a forced vacation with no access to e-mail or cell phones so there is plenty of time to rest, relax and enjoy the view.

It Truly is a Small, Small World

At my most recent appointment, Michelle Graham, my nail lady since 1985, was sharing the details of her recent family reunion in Salt Lake City. She reported over the nail table of conversations with cousins from her Such-and-such family line, her So-and-so family line and with her relatives on the Godwin side! I nearly fainted. "Godwins? How are you related to the Godwins," I asked her wide-eyed. "Oh," she said casually, "my grandmother was a Godwin from North Carolina!" Well, as most of you know . . . my grandmother (Nana) was also a Godwin from North Carolina. Michelle does not know much about her family and as such, we were unable to make any connection to our common ancestor, but she has a brother who has done a lot of genealogy. I can hardly wait to meet him and pick his brain. Nevertheless . . . after 25 years, it was fun to discover my nail lady is also my cousin!!!

Patriot Guard Riders Gather in Ogden

Kelly never calls for help unless she really, really needs it, so last week when her frantic call for our assistance came, we decided to drop everything and head north! As chairman, with her husband Gary of the national gathering of the Patriot Guard Riders in Ogden, she was in the last few days of preparation before the arrival of 500-800 bikers from all over the country – many on their way to Sturgis, South Dakota for the famous “biker rally to end all biker rallies.”

It was a wonderful weekend although by the time we got there she had everything under control. On our way to Ogden, we spent Friday evening with Michael and Tara in Pleasant Grove, then drove up Saturday morning to see the fruits of Kelly and Gary’s labor over this past year, including a vendor fair involving more than 50 booths selling everything imaginable; a concert featuring “Confederate Railroad” and a bike parade with hundreds of bikers and which was much larger, but still reminded me of my father’s funeral last year. Though putting this event together nearly killed her, I am so incredibly proud of my talented oldest daughter’s amazing organizational skills. She is a daughter any parent would be proud of!!!

Taisley came along on our PGR adventure. Besides motorcycles, we found lots of horses in Ogden. Tais loved every last one of them and wanted a photo to remember them by!

Roadtrip #2: A Visit to the Mile High City

Our second road trip of Summer 2009 began with the reunion of Ririe High School's Class of 1959! Of course, Dad/Ed couldn't believe he actually knew any of these old people . . . and even when they introduced themselves, he still couldn't believe he was their same age. Ririe, Idaho looks a little more prosperous than it has in prior visits. The reunion was held on Ririe Pride Day, so there was a parade, booths and a very impressive car show happening at the same time. The old log gymnasium where Dad played basketball has been renovated, but his high school was torn down in 2003 and replaced with a nice, new building. On our way to the reunion, we stopped in Pocatello to visit his grandparents home and their gravesite; in Idaho Falls to visit his parents gravesite and in Shelley, Idaho where his brother Robert is buried (we were shocked to realize Bob passed away 25 years ago!!!)

The second leg of our journey involved a drive through Idaho and Wyoming (a whole lot of green nothing!) Thank goodness the wireless connection to my laptop works just about anywhere - even when we are barreling down the I-80 freeway toward Denver.

Idaho in five words or less: grain elevators and spud cellars, golf course quality green grass, beautiful rivers and friendly people.

Wyoming in five words or less: wide open prairie land, big cities which are actually teensy, tiny (Rock Springs [18,000 population], Laramie - the home of the University of Wyoming "Cowboys" [28,000], and Cheyenne [55,000]) . . . and entire communities made up of double wides and modulars!

We finally found our way to David and Jan'L's house in Denver where we enjoyed 3-4 days of chit chat and play with the boys. Miniature golf was a fun way to wile away a hot July day. Kole got a hole-in-one at the first hole of Buccaneer Bay. Dad was a bit miffed that it took him 68 years and Kole did it at age 7! Kyle struggled a little with the whole concept of how the club was supposed to work, but had a fun time just the same. Kaler particularly enjoyed the "do-overs" which "real" golfers in our party informed us are called "mulligans." During my three days of (boring) Medicare training, Grandpa took the boys fishing. They didn't catch anything, but had a fun time together. And, Grandma and the boys joined forces to make a big batch of Grandpa's waffle mix! There was flour and sugar everywhere which stressed David and Grandpa out, but we were "making memories," and the next morning the boys enjoyed their waffles all the more, because they had "a hand at making them." David did not take any time off from work while we were there because his family had plans to travel to Lake Powell for four days on the Jones' new houseboat.

As we were getting ready to leave, all three boys got into our car declaring loudly and in unison that they wanted to go with Grandma!!! All three gave us big hugs while begging Grandma to come with them to the lake (I'm not sure how pleased Ron and Clarelynn would have been to have us show up unannounced). A few minutes after we drove away, Taisley called to report we had 89 tomatoes and 4 watermelons in our garden . . . and, to ask, "when are you coming home?"

We looked forward to getting home to see what Kendi got for her birthday (she turned 13 on July 19) and to enjoy the bounteous harvest of our garden. We leave on August 6 for our 3rd and final roadtrip . . . this time to Seattle and Alaska. Stay tuned!

Rotarian of the Year Award

I was caught completely off guard in my Rotary Club meeting today, when during the installation of new officers for 2009-2010, my name was announced as the 2009 Rotarian of the Year followed by a spontaneous standing ovation from my fellow Rotarians. The award is "in sincere appreciation and recognition of distinguished service, loyalty and devotion to the ideals of Rotary." I’m guessing the recognition is mostly because I have spent a great deal of time cleaning up the records and bringing them current . . . and because they like to blog (see http://www.stgeorgerotaryclub.blogspot.com)./ Anyway - and for whatever reason it was given - I am humbled since there are some truly remarkable people in my club who do truly remarkable service in the community, the state and in the world!

Roadtrip #1 - To San Francisco and Beyond

The first of three long distance roadtrips we have scheduled this summer (a total of one full month out of town during June, July and August) took us from St. George to San Francisco and home again - nearly 2500 miles roundtrip!

After a 2-day Medicare training in Salt Lake City (while Dad golfed), we traveled to Reno/Carson City, NV where we spent the night with my childhood friend Jan Peterson Free Gardner and her husband Ron. While there, we enjoyed a day exploring the beauty of Lake Tahoe where we snapped dozens of photographs - to meet Dad’s self-proclaimed quota of 100 photos a day - and had lunch before getting back on the freeway heading toward Sonoma and two days with Kris, Zachary and Erin.

Kris was scheduled to get home at 5:30 p.m. so we tried to time our arrival to coincide with hers. We pulled into her driveway at exactly the same moment. It was her last day working as the office manager for a local gastroenterologist (she is going back to the mortgage industry). After Kris and I got home from our pedicure appointments, we headed to Santa Cruz and the famous boardwalk (which I had never heard of, but which was fun, fun, fun!!!). We walked on the beach, ate corn dogs and ice cream cones, and rode roller coasters, the ferris wheel and other rides until the park closed at 10 p.m. then we settled in for the night at a truly grungy motel. (Eeeeewwww and ick!!!). On our way back to Kris’, we realized we were in peril of getting caught in the traffic coming out of the Nascar race . . . only a few miles from Kris’ home. We hurried our goodbyes and just barely made it past the track as thousands of Nascar enthusiasts came from every direction.

The next stop on our trip was San Francisco where we had arranged to use a week of our timeshare at the Best Western Carriage House hotel - a few short blocks from Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghiradelli Square and within walking distance of the Moscone Center where California Governor Arnold Swartzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver spoke, along with Nancy Pelosi, Matthew McConaughey and First Lady Michelle Obama at the opening session of the National Conference on Service (while Ed golfed!). There were more than 5000 non-profit program managers and volunteers trying to get into the session. Everywhere we looked there were hundreds of policemen, and big trucks identified as the bomb squad and every media outlet in the United States.

At the close of the conference in San Francisco, we accepted an invitation to dinner from Troy, his wife (the other) Linda Sappington and their two beautiful little girls - 5-year-old Thalia and 3-year-old Isela at their home in San Leandro, less than 20 miles from our hotel room. Linda and her mother spent the afternoon creating a delicious Mexican dinner complete with bar-be-qued steaks (Troy was at the grill), homemade salsa and a huge bowl of guacamole. Troy and Linda are renting a nice big apartment which they have, over three years, turned into a lovely home. They have painted the rooms to match the symbols of Linda’s Mexican heritage. Troy has built a beautiful redwood deck off the dining room and has plans for improving the landscaping, but the most impressive improvement to their home is the creation of a theater room, complete with a popcorn machine, a hot dog cooker and a huge screen. Oh, and did I mention all the "Star Wars" memorabilia, including a lifesize Darth Vadar and one of those red faced "enemy warriors." He is so enamored with this blockbuster series he even has a personalized license plate which identifies him as a fan. Troy lost his job this year when Mervyn’s declared bankruptcy and was out of work for nearly five months until he was hired by Ross Stores (yes, Kaytee . . . one of your favorite places to shop) where he now works as a senior purchasing agent.

On Wednesday afternoon we found Charlene anticipating our arrival at her new modular home in Coarsegold, California. She took occupancy in January, but was called to jury duty (the case involved a mass murderer and the death penalty) soon after she moved in, so is still trying to get settled. She and Tiffany (who lives about 10 miles away) are painting the rooms, redoing the kitchen cabinets and in every way, turning it into Charlene’s dream home. She notes this is the first time in her life she has ever lived alone and she is finding it to be a delightful experience.

That evening, we enjoyed pizza and salad at Tiffany and Bob’s house - which they share with their 3 sons Ben (aka "Beano" who has a delightful personality not unlike his father); Josh, who is a typical 10-year old and his twin brother Phillip who has far surpassed what doctors predicted would be the limits of his abilities. Bob currently works in Human Resources for the Fresno School District.

Tyson, Mandy and their three kids - adorable 4-year old Kylee and IDENTICAL 2-year-old twins Brennan and Bryce (or is it Bryce and Brennan - even their grandmother can’t tell them apart) drove the 40 miles from their home in Fresno to join us for dinner and conversation. Tyson works as a sheet metal fabricator where his talent is well compensated!

And, while we were in the neighborhood, we spent a morning at the spectacular Yosemite National Park before heading home to St. George.

In the middle of the first of our three road trips, we also followed the news of our family and the world:

Grandma Henion placed a call to us indicating she was having plumbing problems. She had called in a professional who determined "the sky was falling" and gave her a bid of $4300 to fix the toilet, replace all the pipes and the water heater! A few phone calls to her bishop and to her home teacher found a reputable plumber willing to make the immediate repairs. Michael will go down to Corona as soon as he returns from his High Adventure Scout trip and replace everything needing replacing!

While we were on the highway, Allysa and Josh welcomed Daxton Emery Beaumont into the world on Wednesday, June 24. Born at 10:35 p.m., this adorable little Josh-lookalike weighed in at 6 lbs. 15 oz. and is 20 inches long. Mother, baby and Grandma Stacy are doing fine!

The most exciting news we got this week was contained in a text message from Kaytee who reported the maximum security Nevada State Prison FINALLY called Josh. He starts as a prison guard on July 6th - one of about 400 employees overseeing more than 1100 incarcerated bad boys! My heart is breaking to think they will soon be living in Ely, Nevada (Kaytee hasn’t ever been there) . . . and taking our precious Adyn with them. I know it is best for them - Josh has been out of work for a year - but its hard for Stacy, Ed and me to get our arms around the fact they are moving away from St. George.

And finally, legend has it that there are usually 3 famous deaths at a time. On Wednesday, June 24, as Allysa went into labor with Daxton, 86-year-old Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s famous sidekick on the Tonight Show succumbed to causes incident to age. When Daxton was only a few hours old, Farrah Fawcett - famous for her mane of curly blond hair and as one of TV's "Charlie’s Angels" - died on the morning of Thursday, June 25 from cancer at the age of 62. That same afternoon, TV and radio stations all over the world, as well as the internet, went crazy with the news of the death of Michael Jackson from what is believed to have been a massive heart attack at age 50.

You Have the Right Not to Remain Silent!

A week or so ago, Kaytee sent me an e-mail which queried, "if you saw me in the backseat of a police car, what would you think I had been arrested for?" Here are the answers I received when I forwarded that e-mail to members of my family:

My brother Larry thought I might be arrested for "protesting at a pro-choice rally" particularly if it has anything to do with late term abortions!!!

Kelly thought, perhaps, "political activism"

David and Jan'L who, it appears know me pretty well, thought maybe "too many speeding tickets"

Kendi and Taisley often think Grandma really should be arrested for "violating child labor laws"

Whitney did not even hesitate to say "speeding . . . ya, definitely speeding" (although she was quick to point out she couldn't imagine ANY reason why her grandmother would be behind bars

Kaytee thought "road rage" would be an appropriate charge because she remembers, as a small child, her mother calling other (stupid) drivers "dipsticks"

Michael couldn't come up with anything but suggested perhaps I might have been "detained for a fundraising event on behalf of the PD"

Ed thought I should be given a life sentence for "excessive blogging"

Tara couldn't think of anything either, but laughed when I suggested "breaking and entering" for all the times I have just shown up at their house while traveling to the Wasatch Front or "stealing my laptop to check e-mails" because I always want to check in after coming off the highway.