A busy, busy week!

This week was a bit busier than usual. But, we had a lot of fun and enjoyed some times with good friends.

Tuesday found me having lunch with my good friend, Pat Bowen. She's my visiting teacher, but she's also my friend. Neither of us had been to Cracker Barrel in awhile, so that's where we met. It was on the day when the wind was blowing hard across the central United States. The gusts were strong. And, while we were eating, it began to rain with a fierceness. Tornado warnings were out everywhere. One of them struck real, real close to Jordan and Melissa's house in southwestern Ohio. It blew their shed down and part of their fence. Thank goodness all of us were safe - including Erik and my sisters.

The next day, I ate with Karen Keck. She and I love to go out to lunch. We don't do it very often, but when we do - we pick up right where we left off. She's a lot of fun, too.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday found us in Columbus. Friday was our temple day, and we enjoyed the time we had both this week and last week with members of the Temple Presidency. This would be our last time working with them, for our new Temple Presidency begins their assignments on Monday.

Saturday, Kerry returned to work at the temple for 8 hours. They had asked if he would be able to, and he readily said yes! We have many new workers that need training, but during that training there is still a need for continuity in the work. We now have over 600 workers for our little temple!

He also didn't mind working, for it was the 66th anniversary of his parents' marriage. He felt that was honoring them, as well.

Orson and Shirley Lauritzen, shortly after their marriage in 1944.

All of the little trick-or-treaters were out and about Saturday evening. It reminded me so much of when all of our little ones would dress up and go out to beg for candy. I usually stayed at the house while Kerry took them out - either in the back of his pickup truck or in our van with the side door and the back door open.

Kerry and Peter and Harmony

Now, it's all of the little grandchildren that we get to enjoy seeing all dressed up!

JJ

Jayden


Justin


From bottom left going up: Shyanna, Bella, Christina, Angel, Ben

It was also a makeover week! I got sick of my hair and had about 4 inches cut off. I'll post a picture of it next week.

And, dear Melissa got 10 inches of her hair cut off and donated to Locks-of-Love. She looks adorable!


Melissa - I love her hair no matter what the length!

Now, it's time to bring all of this election stuff to a close. I'm tired of the adds, the phone calls, the mail, the email, the slandering and mudslinging. I've known who I'm going to vote for since mid-summer. Y'all quit bothering me.

But, I'm also grateful to live in a free country where we have the opportunity to vote.

This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Ida - my mom - Nov 1 (she would have been 97 years old!!!)
Bill - Kerry's brother who died in Germany at age 19 - Nov 2
Mary Kay - my genealogy friend who died about 4-5 years ago - Nov 2
Ryan - Betty's grandson - Nov 3
Sarah - d/o Kerry's brother, David - on a mission in New Zealand - Nov 12
Noelle - g-dau of Kerry's sister, Content - Nov 27
Danette - d-i-l of Kerry's sister, Joy - Nov 27
Dane - s/o Kerry's brother, Kelly - Nov 28
Brett - s/o Kerry's sister, Joy - Nov 29
Miss Harmony! - our daughter!!! - Nov 29

And a happy anniversary to:
Content and Larry - Kerry's sister and b-i-l - Nov 28

And now, for my memory missive for this week!!!

This memory is not mine - it's Kerry's. But every time he tells me about it, I can't help laughing.

When Kerry was somewhere between ten and twelve years old, he decided to take a bath while his mom was cooking in the kitchen close by. He was #5 out of eleven children, so I'm sure her plate was pretty full most of the time.

Apparently the bathroom and the kitchen were fairly close in proximity, so she could hear when Kerry went in there to begin running the water. She called back to him to ask him how full it was.

He answered, saying that it was halfway. (In truth, it was halfway - but not halfway up - it was halfway to the back of the tub.)

She told him to immediately turn it off. (She thought it was halfway up the side of the tub.)

He said, "But, mom..."

She replied, "Kerry, please just turn the water off!"

Being the ever obedient child, he did it without complaint. This big ol' strapping boy took a bath in about two cups of water!!! He got clean enough, and his mom just never knew...

I'll bet she does now.

Kerry - at just about the age mentioned above...

All the leaves are brown...

Alas, our beautiful autumn has reached its peak and is slowly coming to a close. Our weather is still warm, the days are still bright, the sky is still mostly blue, and life is good.

Kerry and I had another delightful week! I love having him home all the time!!! And, I think he likes being here, too. He gets to work on things that have been put on hold for years - things he likes to do.

Sometimes we go on little day trips. Sometimes we stay home. Sometimes we sleep in. Sometimes we're up quite early.

I forgot to mention a very important thing from last week. Erik ran another marathon, completing 26.2 miles in 4 hours 28 minutes! He wasn't real pleased with his time, but I'm floored!!! I would still be trying to get through it a week later. He did a lot of preparation for it, including this:

Yep. That's Erik soaking in an ICE BATH the night before. I don't know about all of this. I didn't teach him to do this - obviously!

And now for breaking news: Kerry has had another book published!!! Yippee for him!!! The publishers accepted another book manuscript and it is now in print! Here's the ordering information: www.publishamerica.com

Save Our Sam: S.O.S. by
K. Peter Lauritzen
ISBN: 978-1-4512-7577-3, 70 Pages, 6 x 9


Buy $24.95 (His second book)



K. Peter Lauritzen: His Story of the United States by
K. Peter Lauritzen
ISBN: 1-4241-2232-5, 297 pages, 6 x 9


Buy $32.95 (His first book)

I am so proud of him! This is another one of his lifelong dreams, and now he has attained it - with even some more in the works...

This past week, sister Fern was in the hospital for a couple of days. Kerry and I drove up to see her, and she was feeling much better than when she was admitted the night before. Sometimes her pain is very bad. On the way back home, Kerry and I stopped at Planktown, a country store where we buy meats, cheeses, grains, etc.

We also enjoyed a wonderful brunch at a small church in Lucas - a very small town close to us. They really treat the communities well as they try to shore people up during tough times.

The temple was very busy this past Friday. Many people from Charleston, WV were there, and they keep us hopping. I was so tired that night I was almost in tears. I prayed mightily, as did Kerry, that my feet and legs would rest up good and I would be free from pain. I woke up the next morning at 8:00 am and felt great!

I cannot get over the comments that I've been receiving concerning my little memory missives! The funny thing is this - the comments are coming from people that see me all the time! I don't think I've heard a single comment (except for s-i-l Marion) from any blood relatives - the ones they're intended for! >:(

Oh, well! Here we go again:

For as long as I can remember, I have played the piano. Music was always part of my home. My dad played records that contained beautiful music all the time. I believe my talent comes through my dad. My poor mom had no rhythm and couldn't really sing very well at all. But that didn't matter - she sang anyway.

Dad could always keep time very well. His dream was to have been a conductor in a symphony - but that wasn't to be. Perhaps if he'd had musical training, he would have enjoyed it even more.

My sisters were/are all musical. But, when they were growing up in the hills of Kentucky and the hollers of West Virginia, mom and dad just didn't have the money for any musical lessons for them. None of them can play any musical instrument at all. But when the four of us sing, we blend perfectly in several harmonies.

My parents got me a little piano for Christmas when I was four years old. That year, I was pounding out "Joy to the World". My mom often said that was the only Christmas music we had that year. Through the years, I learned how to play a few more songs on that little piano. I still have it to this day.

I put Mr. Eddie in the picture with it so you could see the relative size of it. Mr. Eddie weighs 8 lbs. It's not much bigger than him.

I even played for the children's organization at church for several years right after I got that piano. We had our Primary meetings on Saturday mornings, when it was hard to get some of the other adults out to the church. For awhile, all I could really play was "The Golden Plates" - so that's what we sang for a long time.

My dad was a refrigeration/air conditioning repairman, a skill he learned in the Navy and continued on with more training here. One day, he was repairing an appliance for a woman who taught piano lessons in her basement. He listened for awhile, and asked if she took on new students. She said she did.

About that same time, a lady in our ward was selling her piano. She was getting a new one from her mother, who lived in California. They lived in Danville, a town a few miles away from here.

On the night of my birthday in 1963, I heard a vehicle pull into our driveway. I didn't think too much about it, for I thought it was probably one of my sisters dropping by. Or, since dad was bishop, that it might be someone who needed to talk to him. He did stand at the door and talk to someone for a few minutes.

Then, some furniture was moved, and in rolled my birthday present! My best birthday present I've ever received! My "new" piano!!!! At 8 years old, I thought I was the richest girl on the planet.

I played and played and played. And in the fall, I began my lessons. That was a different experience, for I had played by ear for many years. Now, I was going to have to learn to discipline myself to play the notes written on the paper. It was harder than you can imagine.

My piano lessons began at $1 per week. Mom and dad always found that dollar for me. However, after a few years, my teacher had to raise it to $1.25. That was a different story. We didn't know if I could continue or not. But, dad was determined to provide lessons for me. There were a few weeks (probably more than a few) where I paid in coins, after digging through couch cushions, coat pockets, etc. But, we always found it. And, we always found it again when the cost went to $1.50.

I tried to make sure I kept up with my practicing, for I knew how hard it was on mom and dad to pay for those lessons.

That piano "base" led me on to play many more instruments. When I was in marching band, I found it easy to pick up an instrument and begin to play. String instruments were a bit harder for me, but eventually I could play many of them, too. In my mind, I would picture the piano keyboard, then the notes would be clearer to me on another instrument.

How can I ever show my gratitude for mom and dad's sacrifice? By keeping up what they took the time, money and effort to see that I had in my young life. That sacrifice has led me to play for countless weddings, funerals, Christmas gatherings, family gatherings, and years and years of Church meetings.

It also paved the way for each of my own children to enjoy music. While they were at home, they filled our home with music - good music. They had their lessons on my old piano, and the sacrifice was hard for us, too. But, how I loved hearing them play and work out the melody on a song they had never seen before. How I loved seeing them go on to play other instruments. And how I LOVED when we gathered around the piano and sang as a family. Our six voices blended and harmonized, just like with me and my sisters.

My piano is still in my home and is still being used. It's a little rougher for the wear. It has some battle scars. It's a bit out of tune. But oh, how I love that piano - for the joy I had in playing and accomplishing a difficult piece - and for the comfort it brought me in times of sadness.



Till next week!
Miss P

Cozy evenings at home...

Autumn continues to be beautiful here in the Ohio! Though the colors are not quite as resplendent as in years past, they still continue to take my breath away. The muted colors usually happen when there has not been enough rain.

We spent some time getting our house ready for winter this week. Even though the days are warm, they're not always going to be warm. Before we know it, the wind will be howling and it will be cold enough for coats.

But, Tuesday we went to the temple with Fern and Betty. They haven't been able to go for awhile, due to some health concerns either they or their husbands have been battling. We had a nice easy day, followed by dinner at Mimi's - one of our favorite Columbus eateries.

Wednesday was one of our favorite days - another rummage sale!!! Kerry and I LOVE rummage sales! We find all sorts of treasures. I particularly like a used clothing store in Bellville, where you can fill your bag for $2. I've discovered some real finds - items from lots of name-brand companies.

Thursday was a fun day - we drove to Washington Court House to watch JJ play tag football. We LOVED watching these little guys play!!! They were so cute. I also fixed chicken, potato salad, and red velvet cupcakes for everyone's dinner. That saved Melissa (who didn't feel that good anyway) from having to worry about dinner for everyone. I think they liked it, for they didn't turn down the leftovers.

Hike!

Look at him run!

Justin and Jayden

Learning about football from grandpa...

The grandboys went to the pumpkin patch to choose their pumpkins.

We had the most delightful surprise a couple of weeks ago. We received a porcelain replica of the Washington Temple from a company in northern Utah. There was no card with it. I told Kerry he must have ordered it and forgotten it. He told me I must have ordered it and forgotten it. No matter who ordered it - it was beautiful!

We later learned that Miss Harmony was the one who ordered it!!! It now sits in a place of prominence in our living room on our "Kerry and Peggy" table. Behind it is a hand-painted Russian egg that Erik asked a member in Russia to paint for our 27th anniversary. We treasure those items - and anything else that reminds us of our sweet marriage.

I really appreciate all of the comments sent to me about my memory of my dad and the coal mines last week. I suppose I will continue these little additions to my weekly missives.

And now for this week:

My mother was a force to be reckoned with! You just didn't mess with mom - or one of her babies.

One night, she and I were on our way home from church, where I had attended my weekly youth meeting. I needed some notebook paper, and we didn't have Walmarts or anything like that in those days. We did have a little corner grocery store, where one could buy penny candy, shoelaces, etc.

She happened to miss the driveway, but it didn't matter, for the next drive also connected to the little store. There was a bit of a grassy field between the parking lot and the store. I walked through the little field and headed for the front door.

Before reaching the door, there was a wall of decorative concrete block. As I rounded that wall, I happened upon 3-4 teenage boys who were circling around on their bikes. I squared up, went through them, went into the store and bought my paper.

When I came back out, those boys were still there. They were off their bikes, and now they circled around me, calling me names and poking me in the chest. I was mortified, for I was sure they were going to do terrible things to me. I was also sure mom couldn't see me because of the decorative wall.

In the blink of an eye, I heard something akin to a bull crashing through the field and headed toward me. It was my mom! Smoke was coming from her nostrils and her ears, and her boobs were swinging back and forth something fierce with her arms pumping away. (You get the picture!) When those boys turned around to see what it was, they saw the look on her face and knew they were dead meat if they didn't get out of there quick. Mom grew up being the oldest of a family that had SIX BOYS, plus a little sister that died at 3 years old. To mom, taking on these boys were nothing compared to what she had grown up with.

I was never so relieved to see my mom in my whole life. I don't know what those boys would have done. But, as long as my mom was nearby, those boys were close to being ground down into a greasy spot!


Till next week...
Miss P

Please help me I'm fallin'

Oh, it is SO beautiful at this time of year!!! Ohio is a wonderful place to be in autumn. I was doing a bit of driving yesterday, and on each turn it just got prettier and prettier. I was taking pictures all day. No, I won't put them all here.

This was also my mom's favorite time of year. She also dreaded it. Her father and two of her brothers died during autumn within four years. Mom herself died during this time of year.

Nonetheless, I love it.

Kerry and I continue to work at the temple each Friday. It's a smaller temple, not bit like the ones most people associate with in Salt Lake City. But, it still contains all of the important features that a large temple has - and it's still the Lord's house.

Columbus Ohio Temple

After we finished working there Friday, we met up with our Ohio kids to celebrate JJ's 6th birthday!!! He's such a cute little guy. He's thoroughly enjoying school, and can't understand why it has to stop for the weekend. He's also been playing tag football, with his daddy as assistant coach.

JJ and his football uniform.

Getting their picture taken at Chuck E Cheese

The finished product.

A more traditional look.

Those boys of mine.

Erik and his roommate, Oscar. Oscar is a Fulbright scholar from the Phillipines. He will be finishing up his doctorate at the end of the year, and can return to his native land going right into professorship. If he stays here, it will be a few more years before he can attain that status. He has been an excellent example of hard work.

We also had to go to the final fair of the season - the Loudonville Street Fair. I'm telling you, we love small-town America! Of course, we spent a lot of time in the cow tent. Mr. Kerry and his cows!

He always guides me through the tent very carefully, warning me that cows can and do kick backwards. He kept wondering where all of the dairy cows were, for the tent we were in was mostly beef cows. I kept asking him how in the world he could tell, for most of them were laying down. He just knew. I guess you have to look underneath.


Two sheep all wrapped up.

Look how much this pumpkin weighed! I think it was a pumpkin. It wasn't bright orange, so it might have been some other sort of squash.

Amish farmers gather their corn shocks up. On the road we were on, the Amish farmers were everywhere, working their land the old-fashioned way - draft horses and plows. Out of respect for them, I do not take their pictures. They prefer that we don't - it's a graven image.

I've decided to begin adding something new to my little missive. It will mainly be for my own children and grandchildren, but you are still welcome to read it.

I'm going to be adding a memory from my own past that can help to preserve our family's history.

This week, it will be a reflection on those miners who have been trapped below ground in Chile. Each time there is such an incident, my thoughts go back to my father, who was a miner in the coal fields of West Virginia.

He worked in those mines before I was born, but the effect of it never left him. As a matter of fact, it left him with severe claustrophobia for the rest of his life. Once, our little family took dad with us to Columbus to visit COSI (Center of Science and Industry). It's a wonderful, "hands-on" museum that is especially tailored to young people. We would always pack our lunches and eat in the cafeteria in the basement, where they had lockers to store our food.

Dad enjoyed all of the displays. After our lunch, they had replicated a coal mine close by. It even had a canary in a little cage beside the entrance (to tell the miners if gas had built up inside. If the bird was laying dead with its feet up, don't go in the mine.)

As I showed the mine entrance to dad, I asked him if he wanted to go inside. He took a couple of steps, then backed right out. He couldn't do it. He said it was too real.

I'll probably not ever know how hard it was for him to get into those coal cars that would drive the miners 4-5 miles (or more!) deep into the hills of West Virginia. I'll never know the closeness of the ceiling, for they had to tuck their heads down to prevent serious injuries. I'll never know the blackness of being underground for hours. I experienced it once in Mammoth Cave, but in just a few seconds the lights came back on. It was horrible.

I'll never know hard it was for my mom to try to get my dad's black clothes clean, or how good he felt after a bath. That's where one of our common old sayings came from. The father usually bathed first, then the kids. By the time the baby got bathed, the water was usually pitch black. Hence: "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater".

But, dad did say something interesting. When you went to work, you went with white folks, Indians, blacks, etc. But, when you stepped out after a day's work, you were all the same color.

Bless his heart. And bless the hearts of those miners and their families in Chile. And Pennsylvania. And West Virginia. And Kentucky. And Wales. And Utah. And...

From dad's collection of pictures:

The entrance to the coal mine.

Going to work at the West Virginia coal mine.

Hauling out the coal.

Some of the miners.

A mule and the coal cars.

Dad after a day's work in the coal mines.

The finished product.

I'm grateful dad worked so hard in a job that not many would want. Sister Betty was born in West Virginia when dad worked in those mines. They lived in the coal camps. They had to buy their beans and such at the company store with scrip. The mines really owned you.

Bless his good heart. I miss him.

More reasons to celebrate!

I'm tired.

Mr. Kerry and I have now finished up a very busy week, and we're ready for a break.

Early Monday morning, we drove to Columbus to put Mr. Kerry on a plane to Salt Lake City. Another sister was getting married!!! I wasn't able to go on this particular trip for several reasons. I had many things to accomplish and a short amount of time to do them.

Kerry arrived safe and sound and enjoyed both Monday and Tuesday evenings with most of his siblings. Once again, I've got pictures:

Lowell and Gayle - his mother's sister and b-i-l were able to attend.

Kerry and his brothers Kelly and Chris, and Chris's wife, Kristy.

His youngest sister, Harmony was married to Kevin Dexter. They actually met while on their missions in Finland. He married and had five children. His wife died a couple of years ago. Harmony and Kevin made connections again, sparks flew, the children fell in love with her, and now they're all married up by their former Mission President.

A fine little family...


Kerry and some of his siblings - bottom left to top: Kelly, Charm, Joy, Chris, Content and husband Larry (middle) and Mr. Kerry.

I'm really glad Mr. Kerry was able to go and be with his family for this event. As we were discussing it a few weeks ago, he was trying to decide whether he should go since we had just been there within the month. Should we go to the expense of flying him out there? I finally told him I'd rather see him go and be there for something wonderful like this than go there for their funerals. At some point, as we all age, that time will come. But, let's be with each other, enjoy each other, and love each other while we can.

I picked Kerry up on Wednesday evening, and we ate dinner in Columbus while a ferocious rain storm fell, the winds blew, and a tornado siren went off. While we ate, I updated him on the kids. I haven't really talked with Harmony lately. Jordan began taking classes this week at Columbus State, and Erik began his senior year at OSU.

Friday was absolutely the busiest day at the temple that I've ever seen. People were literally standing in line to get in. My goodness! I hardly saw Mr. Kerry at all, but I knew he was there. We drove down together! When we got home, I needed every spare moment I had to get ready for Saturday.

Several months ago, I had been asked to give an all-day seminar in a good-sized town north of here. I had done it there before on several occasions, but this one was expected to be quite full. And, it was.

I drove there on one of the prettiest fall days ever. People were already lined up at the door when I arrived. I think it went well. I stood on my feet for 6 1/2 hours, and I thought I was going to die. They took me to lunch, which was a nice gesture on their part. The restaurant was just a couple of blocks away, and because it was so pretty out, they all wanted to walk. Again, I thought I was going to die. My feet throbbed all the way home.

In the evening, I had the opportunity to go to the church for a delicious soup and bread and dessert night, just prior to hearing the women's broadcast from Salt Lake City. Even though I was very tired, I was so glad I went. Each one of the speakers said just what I needed to hear. We are very fortunate to be living now, and to hear the words of inspiration from a prophet.

Church was good. The speakers were good. Lunch was good. My nap was good. Life is good.

This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Spenser - Jean's grandson - Oct 2
Katie - dau of Kerry's brother, Chris - Oct 8
JJ - OUR GRANDSON! - Oct 8

And a happy anniversary to:
Karen & Matthew - dau and s-i-l of Kerry's brother, Steve - Oct 15
Dave & Joan - son and d-i-l of sister, Jean - Oct 19
Orson & Shirley - Kerry's parents, who would have been married 66 years - Oct 30

From sea to shining sea

In the past month, Mr. Kerry and I have been from one end of this beautiful country to the other - all by car! We romped with Harmony by the Pacific Ocean and viewed the splendor of the Atlantic.

I think we're home for awhile. At least I am. I'm a bit weary and stiff from sitting too much. I need to get active again.

Just one week after we got Mr. Eddie from the kennel/spa, he had to go back in again. He probably keeps wondering what he keeps that is so wrong that he has to keep going back to the same place.

Early on Thursday morning, the 9th, we drove to Betty's, left our jeep there, loaded our stuff into her van, and headed for Cape Cod. We traveled all along the southern tier of New York and marveled at all of the beauty of that state. We made it as far as Troy, NY, enjoying ourselves along the Mohawk Trail. I sometimes get a bit nervous when I see "Bear Crossing" signs, for I surely wouldn't want to break down in that area.

The Mohawk Trail was just gorgeous! We were particularly touched to see a small park dedicated to the Mohawks.

Statue at the end of a bridge.

We got a kick out of the Pork Store. It makes my lips swell up like Angelina Jolie's, but I love it any way.

We soon arrived at our destination - the western end of Cape Cod in a town called Bourne. We took a bit of a break, then drove to the little town of Onset, where we boarded a cruise of the Cape Cod Canal. There, we joined other members of the Nickerson family (one of the ancestral lines of Betty's husband, Pete) in a get-to-know-each-other evening. Oh, it was perfect. Below deck, they served up shrimp, delicacies of the area, fruits, etc. I was so happy to finally meet one of my fellow genealogists and Facebook friend, Laura, who is also president of the APG (Association of Professional Genealogists). We were thrilled to be with each other, and bonded right away.

Laura and me.

Our evening was complete with a Cape Cod sunset.

Betty and I had to laugh, for one of the captains looks a lot like my b-i-l Jim.

The real activities of the Nickerson Reunion began the next day. People came from all over. William Nickerson, the original settler of Chatham, has many descendants. He had lived in Boston, didn't like the politics, and moved out onto the Cape.


Two different homes on the Nickerson property.

If you look closely, you will see a chicken suspended from a string. Maureen, a master in hearth cookery, treated us to various forms of foods that have been researched and served on the Cape. With just a turn, this chicken will twirl back and forth for hours - 3 gets it done. The drippings fall down into a pot, where they would have various root vegetables. The chicken was stuffed with many different herbs grown on the property.

Saturday afternoon found us wandering around on the Cape. I LOVE lighthouses, so Betty directed us to Chatham lighthouse (Kerry and I brought the kids to Cape Cod about 25 years ago). The flag was at half-staff, for it was Sep 11.


As I walked along the beach, I noticed lots of people streaming toward a group of trucks. Unfortunately, a whale had died in the water. They pulled it up onto the beach, and were planning a necropsy the next morning. I elected not to go over where the crowds were.

The little town of Chatham was charming. We nestled into a restaurant where the locals eat, and filled ourselves with clam chowdah. Between the bucket we all ate with Harmony, and the bowls we all ate with Betty, I've had a year's worth of it.

They take care of the little creatures, just like we saw in New York City a few months ago.

That evening, the Nickersons gathered at the old Daniel Webster Inn for a scrumptious dinner of chicken, plus crab stuffed flounder. I'm telling you - this groups EATS!

I had a real treat the next morning. Instead of going to our own church, we attended the First Congregational Church in Chatham. Doug Bush, a Nickerson descendant and professor of music at BYU was giving an organ recital the next afternoon at 4:00, but we weren't going to be able to stay for it. He is also invited every year to play for their morning services. That's where we decided to go - just so we could hear him.

Oh, my goodness! He made that organ sound like nothing I've quite heard before!!!


Kind of looks like the inside of the Kirtland Temple.

The seats were filled, but not super-crowded. But in my life, I've never heard a small group of people sing with the gusto they had. Doug told me I would be surprised. I was sitting in the balcony and still felt blown away...

After the picnic at the Nickerson homestead, we bid adieu to our newfound friends and headed north to Maine. Little Angel and Ben live there now, and we were anxious to go see them. We checked into our hotel and prepared for the next morning.

I told Kerry and Betty that since we only saw Angel when she was 2 mos old, and we had never seen Ben, they might be skittish about warming up to us. Boy, was I wrong!!! They had been watching for us with their little faces smashed up against the windows. When that door flew open, the children flew into our arms. There are also other "little people" they've adopted, and they embraced us, too - with everyone calling us Grammy and Grandpa.

The "little people" wallowed all over us. I never wear good clothes when I visit grandkids - and I didn't there, either.

Angel and Grandpa in our hotel room.

Angel's foot with her shoe on fit into Kerry's shoe.

Betty and Ben

Angel playing hide and seek.

Ben, just being so cute!

Grandpa, Grammy, Angel (with her new outfit she picked out and the yellow scarf I made for her on the way up) and little Ben.

Before we dragged our hearts away from the on Tuesday, I gave them something special. I didn't have time to make blankets for them, so I gave Angel and blanket and bunny rabbit doll Harmony used to play with, and I gave Ben a blanket I wrapped Peter up in. These brought back sweet memories for me, and I passed them on.


Oh, it was so hard to leave them and all of the other "little people". And - the big people, too!

We stopped a few other places before heading home. We loved a cathedral we saw, and got a bit of a chuckle when we parked by the dumpster:



Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, VT.


A covered bridge in Tunbridge, VT - the town where Joseph Smith's parents met.

The waterfall above the bridge.

Aaronic priesthood monument - Harmony, PA
(Erik - remember these places from our special trip?)

We got a laugh out of the many different signs we saw along the way. I won't post pictures, but we saw:
Turtle Crossing
Bear Crossing
Moose Crossing
Squeeze Right (road construction)
Thickly Settled (in a tight little Chatham burg)
Why Not Shop (store)
Sleeper's Market (store)
Pit Bull Painting (on a truck)

We went to the Bellville Street Fair upon arriving home - we rarely miss that! The rest of the week was spent just relaxing.

I was alone at church today - Kerry was speaking in another ward. All of a sudden, Alice came up to me and said, "Guess who's here?!?! It was Pauline and Jim Whitehead - members who lived here when I was a teenager! I grew up with their kids. Their youngest daughter died ten years ago of breast cancer. It was SO good to see them and reminisce...

Well, this one is a bit longer than most, but like I say - you can always just delete it.

Love to y'all!
Miss P

Where the deer and the antelope play...

Oh, I am road weary! And I'm going to get in a lot of trouble if I miss one more Sunday getting my missive out.

Kerry and I have been gone. Just over two weeks ago, Kerry had some minor surgery done, then we were on the road to Jordan's. He lives just over 1 1/2 hours south of us, and they had asked if we would watch the boys while he and Melissa went to an orientation meeting at the school.

Of course we would! Grandchildren are so much more fun than their parents were!!!

Oh, we did so many naughty things...

We played kickball in the living room.

We brought sweets for the kids.

We watched movies and movies and movies...

We played kickball again.

We let the kids wallow all over us.

We had a ball. Then, the parents came home.

Kerry, Justin and Jayden

The next couple of days were busy ones as we prepared for our trip to the west. We left right after church on Aug 22 and headed into the sunset for our 30 hour trip straight through. (Our time was at a premium, hence the driving straight through. I don't know how many more times I can do that, though.)

It's a long, boring drive. Kerry always tries to break it up with interesting things to stop and look at. We did that a lot with the kids. We would stop at historical sites, Dyersville, Iowa (where Field of Dreams was filmed. We played on the field for quite awhile.). We got out a walked a lot. (Not much of a chance of blood clots when you have old bladders).

Thirty hours later, we pulled into David and Martha's. She always has dinner ready for us. It was delicious. David is looking quite good. He has been working out, and it shows. Sometimes others can see it better than we can ourselves. Keep it up, David!

Early the next morning, after David fixing our breakfast, we left for Oregon. It was another 15 hours. It was mostly desert and wilderness. It was boring. We were almost hit by three deer, who were the same color as the desert.

But, things got prettier as we began driving along the Columbia River. As a matter of fact, it took my breath away. We saw Mt. Hood, which Kerry thought looked just like the mountain for Paramount Pictures.

Columbia River. The mouth of it is where the Coast Guard trains. It's hard for them to find currents and rapids much stronger for training than what they can find there.

When we came into Lincoln City, the full moon was rising. We didn't see it right at first, for it was behind us. But when we stopped, it made our jaws drop.

Isn't that beautiful?

Harmony works in the deli at the Chinook Winds Casino. It's not exactly where she would prefer to be working, but it will do for now. She lost her other job when she came back for Peter's funeral in January.

When we arrived at the casino, we were amazed at how crowded it was for a Tuesday evening. That's because there had been a power outage in town, and everyone came to the casino. She was very busy at the deli (not like where you order lunch meats, cheese, and potato salads. You place your order for fish/chips, nachos, sandwiches, etc.).

But, the thing that absolutely ASTOUNDED me was the amount of little children. Over the next couple of days, we were back at the casino for dinner, etc. and there were always children there. They were in nightgowns, sleepers, strollers, etc. There are free soft drinks for everyone (even if you just walk in off the street), so these kids were drinking cup after cup after cup...

There parents were off gambling.

Harmony said sometimes these kids are there unattended until 2-3:00 am. They have to stay on the tiled part. This has continued to bother me ever since I saw it.

But, our time with Miss Harmony was wonderful. She is really trying her best, and it shows. I was so proud of her. Here are some of the things we did...

We made our own glass floats.

Kerry is blowing through a hose to make the glass ball bigger.

The finished product, which had to cool for 24 hours. They are BEAUTIFUL!

We walked along the ocean front and saw a seagull with one foot.

Kerry and Harmony loved looking through the telescopes.

The backdrops in Oregon are so pretty. The mountains just go rolling and rolling on.

Kerry found a Viking statue to honor his Scandinavian heritage.

Kerry and Harmony tried to get their kite up. This area is renown for kite-flying, but for some reason, the wind did not cooperate with them.

Harmony lives in the house above the front house. Our hotel was just to the left of her house.

In Newport, we saw and heard lots and lots of sea lions. These are the 1,000 lb. males, who are vacationing here from California. The 250 lb. females remain in California. They don't migrate up here. For some reason, they love laying around in this cage - there's about 40 of them in there.

They fight and argue a lot with their mouths. They honk and bark a lot.

This one guy keep scratching himself with his flippers.

People drop cages and catch lots of crabs. This one little kid took a crab out and let him crawl toward my toes.

We ate a BUCKET OF CLAM CHOWDER at a restaurant named Mo's. Bobby Kennedy visited there just two weeks before he was shot. Doesn't Harmony look pretty? She seems better than I've seen her in quite awhile.

I LOVE lighthouses! Harmony took us to one at Yaquina Bay.

Our time ended there too quickly. It was very, very hard to leave her. But, I will always cherish the good times we shared there in an area she now calls home. (Love you, my Harmony...)

Kerry and I returned to Utah (15 hours of mostly desert and wilderness again) and stayed at his sister, Content's for the next two nights. She always makes us feel like we are part of her family. Son David, his wife Olivia, and their sweet little boys were there - Ethan, Caleb and little baby Rhett - who was only 3 weeks old. Daughter Truly was there, too. I love making connections with my nieces and nephews...

The main reason we took this trip was for Kerry to attend his 40TH HIGH SCHOOL REUNION!!! Wow...It was fun watching him connect with friends he grew up in Utah with. His family moved to Utah when Kerry was 16 years old, so he left friends in California to make new friends in Utah. As we prepared to leave, two of his very closest friends in school were talking with me. They will help Kerry with the next reunion in five years, since HE WAS UNANIMOUSOLY VOTED TO HEAD THE NEXT ONE! As I said goodbye to them, one of them said, "You know, I was aware that Kerry had married. But, I didn't realize he had married such a cutie!"

A cutie. Now, that has stuck in my brain ever since. A cutie. I'm 55 years old, I'm saggy, I'm baggy, I'm a lot of things. But, I don't think cutie was ever on the list.

A cutie. Hmmm...

Kerry's 40th class reunion. There was just about 100 in his class. These were able to come. An email was sent from the girl he was engaged to several years before he met me. She has MS and is totally wheelchair-bound, barely able to get out of bed. She's had four different cancers and has had 12 operations in three years. Her youngest child, a daughter, died at age 20 of a massive heart attack.

I nearly cried. I have not been able to stop thinking about her. When I met her 20 years ago, I thanked her for sending letters of support to Kerry when he served his mission. She got him through some pretty tough and lonely times.

We attended church with Content and Larry, stayed the night with Kerry's sister, Harmony (who's preparing for her wedding!) and headed for home on Monday morning (another 30 hours...). It was a good trip. It was a long trip. It was one of the most rewarding trips ever - until we reached a rest stop in Wyoming that posted this sign:

I couldn't get out of the car. This sign scared everything right back up in me.

This month, we wish a happy birthday to:
Kristi - dau of Kerry's brother, Steve - Sep 3
Kylie - g-dau of Kerry's brother, Steve - Sep 3
Earl - Jean's husband - Sep 7
Larry - husband of Kerry's sister, Content - Sep 9
Jonathan - son of Kerry's brother, David - Sep 9
Steve - Jean's son - Sep 14
David - son of Kerry's sister, Content - Sep 15
Vaughn - son of Kerry's brother, Kelly - Sep 15
Erin - d-i-l of sister, Betty - Sep 16
Topher - son of Kerry's brother, Chris - Sep 20
PT - son of sister, Betty - Sep 20
Orson - Kerry's Dad, who would have been 92 this year - Sep 30

And a happy anniversary to:
Rachael & Scott - dau and s-i-l of Kerry's brother, David - Sep 5 (today!)
Gay & Kent - Kerry's sister & her husband - Sep 14 (she died of ALS in 2000)
Justin & Erin - Betty's son and d-i-l - Sep 25
Adrienne & Adam - dau & s-i-l of Kerry's sister, Joy - Sep 27

Love to y'all...
Miss P