Oh, What Do You Do in the Summertime?

This blog tells the tiniest piece of our story. So, if you read my last post and don’t interact with me, you might think that I am languishing. Let me be clear that despite the pull to hold still lately, I definitely continue to do things with joy.

Last week, I celebrated a bride, visited a friend, helped host a dinner for Primary presidents, cheered for the summer olympians, coordinated the staffing of baptisms, attended baptisms, and sewed. I also rearranged the upstairs furniture, only to move it all back in place later in the evening. 😅 But I mostly held still. I don’t know how else to function in this heat and smoke but to stay indoors.

Rest

With Mark gone about 3 days a week, I find that my days are empty, just a preview of how it will be when he leaves.

I am not looking for advice or sympathy. In fact, if someone offers it, I bristle.

While expected, this phase has surprised me with its hollowness. My time with my children at home is ending and I don’t feel drawn to do anything. All those things I said I would do later have simply stopped calling.

I feel weary, but more aware and more wise.

My days feel hollow, but personally, I am intact.

I just want to be completely still all of the time. I could take time to really develop this thought, but that would interrupt the stillness that I crave. Here is a simple explanation.

In music and in life, there are necessary rests, pauses, and changes in theme.

The best way I can express it is that I have come to a point of arrival in my song that requires a pause. A rest.

Soon, I will pick up a new theme or begin a new movement. But now, during this scorching summer, I seek rest.

I Finished this.

What would you not have accomplished if you had been free?” “Possibly nothing at all; the overflow of my brain would probably, in a state of freedom, have evaporated in a thousand follies; misfortune is needed to bring to light the treasures of the human intellect. Compression is needed to explode gunpowder. Captivity has brought my mental faculties to a focus; and you are well aware that from the collision of clouds electricity is produced— from electricity, lightning, from lightning, illumination.”

“I too, as happens to every man once in his life, have been taken by Satan into the highest mountain in the earth, and when there he showed me all the kingdoms of the world, and as he said before, so said he to me, ‘Child of earth, what wouldst thou have to make thee adore me?’ I reflected long, for a gnawing ambition had long preyed upon me, and then I replied, ‘Listen,— I have always heard of Providence, and yet I have never seen him, or anything that resembles him, or which can make me believe that he exists. I wish to be Providence myself, for I feel that the most beautiful, noblest, most sublime thing in the world, is to recompense and punish.’ Satan bowed his head, and groaned. ‘You mistake,’ he said, ‘Providence does exist, only you have never seen him, because the child of God is as invisible as the parent. You have seen nothing that resembles him, because he works by secret springs, and moves by hidden ways. All I can do for you is to make you one of the agents of that Providence.’ The bargain was concluded. I may sacrifice my soul, but what matters it?” added Monte Cristo. “If the thing were to do again, I would again do it.”

“Count,” said Morrel, “you are the epitome of all human knowledge, and you seem like a being descended from a wiser and more advanced world than ours.” “There is something true in what you say,” said the count, with that smile which made him so handsome; “I have descended from a planet called grief.”

Friends, this was a fun summer read. My dentist recommended it after he realized that I was a reader. You never know where you might find a good book recommendation.

If you decide to take on this mammoth book, I have two suggestions: First, read the Penguin Classics edition, as this translation is great, and second, keep notes on people and families. Begin with the four people who betray Edmund Dantes and their families and friends. Trust that each named character has a part to play throughout.

Revisiting Pollyanna

We were eating steak and ice cream at Sunday dinner on Father’s Day and it reminded us of this movie.

With this reminder, Richard and I decided to sit down to watch Pollyanna this week. We always come away from this show feeling better about life. It also reminds us of our childhoods, the feeling of a small town, and the hometown bazaars we experienced. I think the preacher storyline is especially good.

Hayley Mills earned a special Oscar for this film. She was given a miniature Oscar statue which was later stolen. Just a few years ago, the Academy presented her a new one to replace her last-of-its-kind tiny Oscar that was taken so long ago.

Montana and Glacier National Park

We stayed in Whitefish, Montana in an Airbnb called 3 Bears Cottage. It was adorable.
In the evenings we sat outside and read, then watched movies before bed. One night we watched an action movie. The next night we watched Mall Cop. Mall Cop was better than the action movie.
It was a serene place to stay.
We had one day to see Glacier National Park. We took the day to drive the Going To the Sun Road, 51 miles of narrow winding road each way. The views were beautiful. There were red touring cars all along the route. To drive this road west to east, you need a reservation. Richard secured our reservation many months in advance.
The water was so blue.
Mark is always in search of rocks in the water.
We are getting splashed by the waterfall in this shot.
Waterfalls were everywhere, some right next to the road.
We couldn’t find parking at the top for the high line trail, so Richard and I drove down the road while Tim and Mark hiked.
I believe this is the most beautiful picnic site I have ever seen.
This water was full of colorful rocks. Someone called them “fruity pebbles.”
We saw two bears on this day, one near our cabin, and one in Glacier. Both bears crossed the road right in front of our truck.
We broke up the drive home by staying one night in Island Park, Idaho, where we borrowed a friend’s side by side and drove to this beautiful place with crystal clear water.

It took all day to drive through Montana each way. Highlights were the big lakes, but a lot of the time Montana reminded me of Nevada. We were able to finish our audiobook in northern Utah, and when we got home, I felt some withdrawal symptoms from not hearing our British narrator all of the time.

Well done, Richard, on the planning and work you did for this trip!

Yellowstone 2024

We drove into Yellowstone on Tuesday and visited much of the park that day. Yellowstone is familiar, but still my favorite. We stayed in a lodge at Old Faithful, which meant that we could explore until bedtime.

People lined up to take photos at this spot at Artist’s Point. A crowd of people surrounded the person taking our photo and told us encouraging things, “This will be your Christmas card!” And, “Will you send one to me?” “That is a great shot!” People can be so nice.
Taco salad picnic
A little view of Old Faithful for those who haven’t seen it in a while.

Jackson, WY and Grand Teton National Park

I’ve decided to post photos from our trip in portions over the next few days because this seems to be the best way to honor the great planning that Richard did for this trip. Our days were full and we slept soundly every night.

The first leg of our trip was through Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. We began our audiobook of the trip, The Fellowship of the Ring, read by Rob Inglis. It was a great backdrop for our adventures in the hills and mountains. We tried different narrators, but he was our favorite.

We left on Sunday after church and enjoyed a picnic dinner in a mountain campground before continuing our drive to Jackson. We loved driving through the beautiful Star Valley as the sun set over the very green fields in this open valley. The Star Valley Temple was right on the main road through town.

On Monday morning, we drove into Grand Teton National Park. We couldn’t stop for everything, but we tried to locate the most interesting places.

One of our early stops was a group of pioneer houses called “Mormon Row.”

This view of the Snake River and The Grand Tetons was made famous by Ansel Adams, and it seemed to be Mark’s favorite view at the park.

In the line of the Teton Mountains, Mount Moran seemed the least of them until we drove a little closer and discovered how beautiful its reflection was on the water.

During the afternoon, the men went on a white water rafting trip. I rested in the hotel room because I am exciting like that.

In the evening, we went on a wagon ride to a chuckwagon dinner just outside of Jackson. The wagons were pulled by draft horses and we chatted with people in our wagon from Huntsville, Alabama and San Francisco, California. There was a live band with a fiddler and guitars for entertainment at dinner. I think the favorite parts of dinner were the beans and the cookies.

The boys shopped for shirts, hats, and candy in town.

This was a great first day of vacation.