A WEEK OF RELAXATION AND REST!

Boyd on the lake in a rented kayak

Sitting here at the kitchen table looking out the big window at the lake is most relaxing. ‘I’ve been at this spot since 6 a.m., off and on, and feeling like I could be here forever and still love the peace and serenity I feel. But this is a one week out of the year experience I have the opportunity of indulging in laziness. I love being in the mountains among the pine trees, off the beaten path. We are at Big Sky Montana in a time-share condominium that my father-in-law gave to Boyd and me before he passed away

            Boyd is cooking breakfast, our friend Ken is lounging in the living room waiting to be told it is time to eat.  What an ideal life even if it is only for a week. We have been coming here for probably 15 years and love the time we are able to spend here.

            I have found that it takes me a few days to calm down and relax. Even then I’m up and going early, but I don’t feel the pressure that I have at home. I will admit that most of that is self-imposed pressure but pressure is pressure!

            I can get up early, about 6 in the morning, sit at the computer wearing my pajamas, and put in a good couple of hours writing. I love that. Boyd and Ken have been sleeping in so I don’t have to visit or be nice to anyone, just type away. It’s a good time to do it.

            We only eat twice a day unless you consider the fact that there are cookies, licorice, nuts, and chocolate on the counter to nibble at every time we walk past them. Breakfast is usually about 10 and our evening meal around 5. A few times we go out to eat, other times we fix something simple here at the condo.

Boyd did rent a kayak for an hour and went out on the lake just outside our condo. That is an unusual event for him as he rarely wants to get in the water like that. We have had a bald eagle come every morning and evening on a dead tree branch where we can watch it. We spend a lot of time feeding the ducks and fish in the lake from from off our deck. We haven't seen other wild animals this year, but there is always a chance we will yet.

            It’s a simple life we lead here, no irrigating, no cows bellering, no lawn to mow and water, no garden to water and weed. There are no meetings we have to go to, no appointments, and very few phone calls. And after a day or two we can ignore the nagging reminders that come into our minds that we need to check to make sure those things are taken care of.

            This is a time of renewal and rejuvenating that we look forward to each year. We take road trips during the day, ride the chair lift up and walk around then ride back down. We’ve found a place to buy an ice cream cones.

            I don’t think either Boyd or I could live this kind of a life for very long, but it is relaxing and calming and we always go home feeling rested! Yes, we love doing this one week out of the year and hope we can keep it up for a few more years. We are building memories to sustain us when the time comes that we can no longer do this type of thing.

             

THE RIGHT TO STAND UP FOR ONE BELIEVES

     I've been looking at Facebook and all of the comments about the NFL and kneeling during the presentation of the colors. There are many different postings concerning this so I decided to add my feelings to those others in my blog.
     I believe in standing, having my hand over my heart, and singing "The Stars Spangled Banner" and/or reciting the Pledge of allegiance when the flag of the United States is presented. However, I respect other's rights to not do so.
     The thing that I find so interesting, is that these football players were respectful in their protest. I didn't see any of them swinging posters, using microphones to be able to be heard, using guns to show their strength. I didn't see any fighting  because of a disagreement with those not kneeling. I didn't see policemen being called in, dressed in their combat uniforms, swinging billy clubs and spraying participants with pepper spray, because that wasn't necessary. I didn't see anyone breaking windows on shop windows, turning cars upside down, starting fires on police cars, and being hauled off to jail. From what I could see, there was no shouting or shoving or trying to get anyone else to do what they were doing.
     Are we so enamored in violence that we have to criticize a peaceful demonstration? Do we want to create violence by insisting that all players by fired, that we put up protests outside of the playing field?.
     Maybe we all need to take a step back and think about our reaction to this. Are we being drawn into a crowd mentality wanting more action, more excitement, more deaths, more media coverage? Is social media helping to incite these types of feelings? Are people in authority helping to incite these destructive behaviors?
     I respect everyone's right to their opinion, even if it differs from mine. I respect their right to protest and I especially admire those who protest peacefully.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

          Ah, that time again when we make our new year’s resolutions. By this time in January I’m usually breaking most of mine anyway. But it is fun to listen as people talk about what they are going to do. The most common resolution seems to be that of losing weight. Yes, I’ve had it on my list for many years, until I quit making resolutions that is.

It seems to me though that the week after Christmas would probably be a good time to implement that goal whether as a New Year’s resolution of just a goal. We personally get so many gifts of candy, cookies, cakes, and nuts at Christmas time, that I can’t resist them. I’ve tried to hide them but that doesn’t work because I know where they are hidden. Leaving them out makes them a bigger temptations.  And I love to get them at Christmas time because I’ve never been one to make candy. Tried it a few times and failed.

So I’ve been listening to others as they discuss their resolutions, especially losing weight and thought I would share some thoughts. It seems there are a lot of ideas of how to lose weight from impossible to starvation. These include:

·         Grow taller. This will spread the weight further. Now if we only knew how to do this I think it would work. Just two or three inches for me would definitely diminish the need to cut out chocolate and desserts.

·         Be aware of the foods that you eat. I think this might be one that I can work on. I hereby resolve to not eat any meat from animals that have been given growth stimulating hormones. Because we are ranchers and sell a lot of our calves to feed lots, we are aware that growth stimulating hormones are given often to increase the weight quickly on animals. I wonder if that hormone works with humans when we eat the meat of the animals that have been given it. Sure sounds reasonable to me. We don’t use this hormone with our animals so when we take one to be butchered I know it doesn’t have any residue of growth stimulants in it. I will have to watch labels and do some research for any meat I purchase.

·         Be aware of other products which I use. I listened to a conversation the other day that got me thinking. These women were talking about their favorite shampoo that “adds body.” Now if I didn’t wash my hair when I showered I probably wouldn’t be concerned, but the shampoo runs down my entire body when I wash and rinse my hair that way. AND I certainly don’t need to “add body” to my body. I will definitely read labels more closely when I buy shampoo from now on! And I think I will check lotions and creams too.

·         Calorie counting is supposed to work but it never has for me. I always figured that calories were a measure of heat, so if I eat my food cold there shouldn’t be any calories. Apparently I’m wrong on that assumption.

·         There are always weight loss groups you can join but a few years ago I did join one such group that must have been a fly-by-night bunch because it folded up before I finished the time I had paid for. And of course I didn’t get any money back from them. However, I did get the weight back that I lost. I don’t think that was a real selling point of that group.

There are other resolutions that are just as challenging to me to work on: get organized; keep up with the bookwork for the farm; keep a journal; face each day as a joy not a challenge; and lots more

I know we all go through something similar to this goal setting this time of the year. You know that every morning is a “new beginning.” So I don’t think we need to feel like we fail if we can’t follow through on yearly goals. Daily goals and resolutions are going to be my aim for this New Year. We’ll see how that works.

BEAUTIFUL SNOWY DAY

     We are having a beautiful snowy day. I decided to walk outside and take some pictures before the dogs and birds covered the snow with tracks. It's been a year or two since we have had a storm like this. Everything looks so pretty dressed in white.

The wind is supposed to blow this afternoon, which will probably

cause problems, but I'm enjoying it now.

 Boyd and Jon will have to go out and work with the cows, and I should feel guilty about being in the house, keeping warm and dry. They may end up needing me though to help with gates on this stormy day, and that's ok because I have warm clothes and boots to wear.
     When a storm comes in like this it causes me to be grateful that I canned last summer and that we have a freezer full of meat! W also purchased a generator a year ago so don't have to worry about getting water for the cattle if the electricity goes out. Life is good! It might be cold and things might be inconvenient, but it is still good!

CHRISTMAS LETTER 2016

Christmas letters seem to be the way a lot of people keep in touch, and letters can be more personal than Christmas cards. We always look forward to receiving these Christmas letters from friends and family. They give us news and updates on jobs and new babies, weddings, deaths, and other information that we may not have had a chance to get any other way. However, these letters sometimes seem to be a little “braggy” and I wonder if things are really as rosy as the letters make them look. Because of that I decided to share a letter that I would love to send out to our acquaintances. 

Dear family and friends:

It is that time of year again when we look back and marvel at the things that have gone on in our lives. I know you are interested and I will try to keep it short, but we have had some great experiences:

I noticed in some of the news letters that we have received that many of our friends and families have been on cruises this past year. It’s so fun to read about your trip, all the places you went to, and to see some of the pictures you shared. Boyd and I had the opportunity to go over to Driggs not too long ago. The fall colors were beautiful, but we didn’t stop to take any pictures. The road going up over the Pine Creek Pass is not one you can use the cruise control on, so I guess that wouldn‘t be considered a cruise.  However, it was an enjoyable trip.

Last winter Uncle George got the flu and was really sick. One day, while leaning over the toilet and sending his dinner down to the septic tank, his false teeth popped out and went down with everything else.  Well, he and Aunt Mabel called the plumber. It was a weekend and night time, but the plumber came right out, took pipes apart and was able to find Uncle George’s teeth. Aunt Mabel told Uncle George he couldn’t put those teeth in his mouth until they were sterilized, so she put them in a pan of water and set it to boiling. Uncle George still hasn’t forgiven her for ruining a good pair of false teeth. He wasn’t real happy about the bill he got from the plumber either, but his new teeth look good.

Just about Easter time I was reading a story about rabbits to some of the grandchildren. After the story, Grandpa and I got them in the pickup and took them for a ride. I noticed four-year-old Chantelle really looking Grandpa over, and all of a sudden she gasped and said, “Grandpa! You are turning into a rabbit. You have hair in your nose and in your ears.” We enjoyed that moment as we wondered if this was evolution or just us getting older.

You all are aware of the challenges Fred has faced the last decade. We are pleased to inform you that he was released from jail a few weeks ago. He said the food was a lot better this time than when he spent time there last, which made his stay more tolerable. And he was able to get his GED while there.

Joan is going to try to get a job at the Youth Training Center as a cook or janitor. She figures if she can do that she will be available when little Johnnie is committed, as she is sure he is working toward commitment.

Arnold was in a fight and knocked a fellow out. The fellow hit Arnold hard in the jaw, knocking two teeth out which Arnold swallowed. At the hospital they gave him something to help him pass those teeth, and sure enough he did. They gave the teeth back to him and he had them implanted. He claims he now has a reason for his language as I’ve always told him he had a dirty mouth. He loves to tell everyone about this, but I don’t think his girlfriend has let him kiss her since the implants were put in.

At church recently a speaker talked about the importance of positive thinking. It made me look back and think of challenges this past year. We are so pleased with the upbeat and positive way each member of our family is facing the challenges they have.

We sure hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and look forward, as we do, to a wonderful New Year and more exciting happenings.

DIVERSITY

What is diversity? I think we probably live around a lot more of it than we realize. This past summer we, as a family, met at the ranch for a Boyd Schwieder family reunion. As I look back on the good time we had, the fun and play we enjoyed and the wonderful meals we ate, I marvel. We are quite a diverse group of people.

            In this group there are:

• ·         Two old fogies, (Boyd and I), then our children, their children, and the great grandchildren. That’s diverse in itself:
•          We all have our own interests and activities we participate in.  Some are sports minded, some love the outdoors with camping, hiking, and hunting. We have seamstresses, those who work with wood, a glass blower, and a few runners. We have those who are active in our church, those who are inactive, those who claim to have no religious affiliation, and those who don’t care.
• ·         We have addicts, recovering and active. There are those who smoke and drink and many who don’t but respect the rights of others to choose. We even have those who have spent time in jail.
•          We have talents such as music, art, glass blowing, photography, computer technology, crafts, yard work, and many others.
• ·         We have a member of the LGBT group,
• ·         We have tattoos, body piercings,
• ·         There’s a big difference in education from one granddaughter who is an attorney to another one who is studying to get her GED. We are as proud of one as of the other. We have college graduates and those who are self-taught. We have two with master’s degrees in psychology and are working as counselors. We have a CNA, a CPA, and a graphic artist. We have Doug who travels to Antarctica to work for six months out of every year and Jon who works with us on the farm. We have farmers, builders, a bar tender, and workers at INL. All of our family are good workers and have no problem finding jobs.
• ·         We also have witnessed members of the family struggle through divorces, seen children torn because of that.
• ·         We have members who have struggled with cancer, some are diabetics. There are those with high-blood pressure, others on antidepressants and anti anxiety medications, some cases of autism and autoimmune diseases. Mental illness is not a stranger to our family. There are those of us who are overweight, and then some who could use a bit more weight. We have had one son die, which affected all of us.
• ·         There are those who have served in the military and one who is still serving in active duty.
• ·         There is one Native American in our group and an African American child and also an African American significant other. But you would never know of this diversity to be in the group who met at the ranch this summer. Our African American child and SO weren’t able to come, but when the child came to a wedding a year ago he was accepted along with everyone else.
• ·         We have Democrats and Republicans and those who don’t like either party.
• ·         We stretch from Boston, Massachusetts to Vancouver, Washington to Antarctica. Right now, our grandson who is in the military is state side, but we don’t know how long that will last.

Not everyone is able to attend, but we get a good group when we have these reunions. When we
get together, we are a family who cares and loves each other. I know that if I ever needed any one of them, they would do what they could to help me. And they would do the same for other members of the family. It is interesting as our family gets together how we blend. No one ever complains when we pray before each meal. No one brings out another’s difference or problem. Nearly everyone sings along when son’s- in-law Asa and Ken get out their guitars in the evening and start to play. There were no restrictions when we had a water fight. Everyone was treated equally and got to be doused with water, except for Boyd and me. There are hugs as people show up to the reunion, and hugs as we leave. There are words of encouragement toward each other, questions about what is going on in other’s lives.

We have been blessed with a good family of hard workers who love us even with our imperfections. We pray for them as they struggle, encourage them as they try, and are proud of them as they succeed.

What would the world be like if we could all accept diversity and love those who are different from us? Maybe looking at the diversity in our own families will help us realize our family is no different than the world we live in. At this time of the year when we are looking for things to be thankful for, I especially appreciate our family and all of our diversities!

RESPECT

RESPECT

           

I remember with fondness some of the adults in my life when I was a child. One of those adults was the janitor at our school, a Mr. Southwick. He was always in the building and available in case he was needed. He was busy cleaning up our messes but had a space in the basement of the school by the furnace that he fixed up with a rug, a rocking chair and a lamp where he could sit when things were slow. I know if any of us ventured down into his private area, he took the time to talk with us. One of the jobs we could do after school was take the erasers used to clean the blackboards down into the basement and run a machine that cleaned them. I always liked to do that job if I could, because that would take me to the janitors special place and I might have a chance to visit with him. He could be gruff at times, but his gruffness didn’t bother me. He was a person I respected, not because my parents told me I had to but because he earned that respect by treating me fairly.

Dad often had Mexicans working for him during harvest. I loved to be around those people and listen to them as they talked. Their language sounded like music to my ears. Very few of these people could speak English but Mom and Dad worked with these laborers, and taught us to respect them.

The same with the sheepherders that Dad hired each summer. Although we were told not to bother them nor go into the sheep camp at any time, we were able to look at them as people doing their job and doing it well. These men lived with the sheep in a sheep camp up in the hills away from other people. They kept Dad’s flock of sheep where they should be, and kept predators away. The sheepherders would look scary to a child, because they didn’t bathe often nor wash their clothes. But they were kind and gentle men. My parents taught, through example, to respect all of these workers for the work they did

As I got older and started working at different jobs, I found there were people who were easy to respect and others that I had to work to do it. I found that often, because of my early experience with our school janitor, I could easily respect the janitors in places where I worked. Not everyone felt the same way and often treated these people as being beneath them. I always enjoyed visiting with them, and many times helped in some of their work as we talked, because that is what I had been taught – by example.

We are living in a time when respect of anyone or their property is not visible. We have had vandals at our ranch, we have had people drive pickups and four-wheelers through muddy fields, destroying crops. But the destruction of someone’s reputation or name because of differences in beliefs and opinions is probably the worst form of disrespect that we are witnessing. There is no longer respect shown for people in authority – teachers, police officials, firemen, etc. And there seems to be no respect for parents from the children. No leniency for someone different. This lack of respect is exhibited in both adults and children – possibly the children are learning from the example of the adults they are around.

I am concerned at the lack of respect the people in the United States show elected officials. I remember a cousin of mine telling of going to a gathering in Arizona where the President of the United States was speaking. He was excited to be going. He admitted that he hadn’t voted for this president, but he said, “He is the President of the United States and I respect him because of the office the holds.”

The political scene this past year has deteriorated to the point that I’m embarrassed at the way the candidates speak to and about each other as they are campaigning. There certainly is no respect shown. There seems to be a “no holds barred” attitude as the candidates speak rudely about each other. The fact that they also attack each other’s family is hard for me to understand.

We have a problem with disrespect. We want our children to learn to respect those in authority, but we feel free to criticize those same people. I’m hoping we can see our way out of the mess we have created.