Dad's Shoes

Remember that these are farmer's shoes. They have points that are upward so they can walk in the fields and not get bogged down. They are also elevated with the little clogs on the bottom. Fishermen's shoes have no points so that they do not get caught in the nets.











These are the shoes Leonard bought while he was on his mission in Denmark (May 1957-December 1959). When we went there for the Danish Temple Dedication, wooden shoes were not as easy to buy. Else said that many of them were now exported.

What is to Love

Have you ever wondered why some folks are famous authors and others just don't seem to have the drive it takes to achieve? This a.m. as I was outside working in the garden I decided why I do not write but garden instead.

Some folks just get joy from smaller spots in life. I think that I should have been a professional gardener. I am always happy when I am tinkering around with plants. Yes, I would rather be gardening. I think a few of my ancestors have given me the gardening gene.

My Grandmother Smith, a 40-year plus classroom teacher, also loved being outdoors in the summer. She loved flowers and every year she had a flower garden at the front of the house. She always received compliments on how beautiful everything looked. My growing up years, we always had a vegetable garden. My Aunt Renee, who at that time lived in an apartment, and my grandmother planted all sorts of vegetables behind our home on Carbon Avenue in Price. Then, even though our cooking was done on a coal stove, the canned everything that they grew that could be canned. Potatoes, onions and carrots were stored in the fall, as were the pumpkins and squashes. They were dedicated to gardening. Those were the days when everyone had a Victory Garden.

According to Wikipedia: "Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Germany during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civil "morale booster" — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown. This made victory gardens become a part of daily life on the home front."

My Grandfather Tom Pitts was a farmer. He wasn't the most successful farmer I knew but he always had vegetables from his garden, fruit from his own trees, eggs from his chickens, milk from his cows, and raised beef and pork. He was, of course, more successful at the trucking and construction work he did. He was more of a hobbiest farmer but the milk that Grandma Ruth sold was, of course, a nice benefit to the family.

Historically, of course, I come from a long line of farm folk. My English ancestors, on the Smith side of the family, were landowners who ran a farm in England. The Danes were also people who farmed. Several ancestors came to America early to Jamestown and with the Mayflower. There were those who fought in the American Revolution. One was a landowner in Virginia. That family ended up being divided in loyalties because one was converted to the LDS church. They ended up on opposite sides during the Civil War but remained loving brothers.

The upshot of all of this information, of course, is that I seem to have enjoyed a love of gardening that I seem to have come by naturally.

Alligator Farm in Buena Park

This was the park that Aunt Jessie and Uncle Gilbert took Grandmother Smith and I to when we were visiting one summer. We liked to go to California because that was where Grandmother Smith's family had relocated. It wasn't a huge family and so, as all families do, they liked to spend time together. 

Aunt Jessie and Uncle Gilbert lived there and Great-Grandmother Mina lived with them. Uncle Frank and Aunt Menetta Pritchett and Aunt Jessie's only daughter, Betty Fexer and her family, also lived in California. It was a great time when we visited. It was filled with trips to the beach and trips to other sites around the area. This was just one of the places we went.

On an earlier post, there is that photo of me riding the alligator and a little history about the photo. I just found this site and enjoyed reading some of the comments that had been left by people like me. I left one myself.

Alligator Farm in Buena Park
Thursday, February 09, 2006  Buena-Park, Zoos  62 comments
Did you know there was once an alligator farm in Buena Park?

It was adjacent to Knott's Berry Farm on La Palma Ave. The Radisson Suites Hotel now sits on the old spot. I always wanted to go there, but my folks would never take me there. 

We collected a few alligator farm memories from folks during the old days of OCThen, and posted them below...

By: Chrissey, 20 Aug 2002

The alligator farm was fun, but they scared me. The alligators were very quiet and had a harness on and people would sit on the alligator and have their pic taken. Both the Alligator Farm and Knotts seemed so far away from L.A.

By: Pat Swift, 9 Aug 2002

I remember taking my son's there (Alligator Farm). We were amazed at how a snake felt. We were always interested in the alligators but watching how fast a cobra or rattlesnake could strike was the main attraction for us.

By: Ross, 13 June 2002

Being there when I was about 6 or 7. I am now 48, I have had a facination with alligators and crocodiles all my life. I currently live in Boise, Idaho and have 2 pet american alligators (Forest and Bubba). I remember my mom taking me and my brother there it had to be like 1960 or 1961, they had baby gators for sale in the gift shop, and of course I wanted one, but didn't get one. But, I was trying to figure out where a Southern California kid would develop and interest like this. I was talking to my dad and he said he remember the Los Angelos Alligator farm in Lincoln Heights LA, well I did some research and sure enough it started there in like 1905, and then moved to Buena Park, where it was until about 1986. Anyway, I wish I could have gone there as an adult before it closed. Little trivia, they moved all the gators and crocs by private Boeing 707 to an estate in Florida owned by the inventor of Naultilus workout equipment!

By: John Nemeth, 15 Jan 2002

What a great place if you were a herpatologist. They had almost every species of crocodile, many rare species that are seldom seen. The place was always deserted, not well known as a popular tourist attraction. They did snake shows with cobras.

By: Mark Wallace, 31 Dec. 2001

Remember the Alligator Farm across the street from Knott's? This was such a great creepy place that had been there forever. Full of giant alligators, croc's and tortoises, snakes and lizards. I still have dreams about this place eventhough it was torn down years ago.

I won't be there.

Lyla Spender wrote:
Hi Guys!!
Here is the agenda for Tues, see you Myrna!!  and you Allan, have a great week!!!

Myrna wrote: I won't be at Mona City Council meeting. I talked to Rebecca and she cannot come either. I will need to borrow and listen to your tape. I have a husband who will just have had cataract surgery and two grandchildren in concerts. I have no idea how to do all of this. I have two grandsons who are graduating from high school--one from TimpView and the other from an engineering program at UVU. There are all sorts of concerts, seminary graduation and etc. Plus, the school board moved their meeting from Wednesday to the same Tuesday as your meeting. That means that I will also have to cover that by tape recorder. UGH!


Lyla Spencer wrote: Oh Myrna, you sound like me, I just want to retire from it all at times!!  I will take care of you by recording the old way for you and give you the tape.  Don't worry, I will take care of you.  Be safe!!
Love You!!

I have been thinking

I think that Alyssa should be commended for doing such a good job watching Kirsten's children while Kirsten and Jared were gone. I know what a good job she did. The most difficult thing would have been to care for sick kids. I have been there without Dad and there is a lot of driving in addition to the mothering and housework. 

I have been thinking about myself at age 19 and about the 12 children my bishop (A. Dean Wengreen)  and his wife  (Margaret) had. They went on a trip one summer (I don't really remember where) with a group of other seminary teachers and left all of those kids with my friend Venice (also 19). A couple of the kids got really sick and she, because we were friends and because the kid's mom thought it was a good idea, had to call me to come and help. It took both of us to fix simple meals, care for the sick kids and keep a meager semblance of order. Venice had one older brother. I had younger cousins but had no experience whatsoever with tiny tots that needed diaper changes, stories read and constant tending. Both of  us were out of our comfort zone. It was quite an experience. I really do not remember how long we were at it but it did seem forever. The mom had put lots of things in the freezer but the kids only would eat things like mac and cheese and corn. (They loved Brownies.)

As I was thinking about that experience, I was thinking how great it would have been had Megan been out of school and could have gone with Alyssa to help out. It is so nice to have someone to tag team with. Since Dad has retired, and can go with me, we have mostly done the tending together for those who needed us. When Kirsten moved after Ryan was born, however, Dad came back home and I stayed there a week or so without him. (I did get her unpacked and somewhat organized.) I do know that it is easier to have a two-person child-care team.  It is so hard to get up all night long and then take care of everyone during the day. 

So I am proud of Alyssa. I think that she needs to be complimented. Please show this to her and tell her that we love her and we are proud of her for hanging in there.

One Down, One to Go!

LHT had his right eye operated on to remove the cataract this morning. We are home, have had supper and are dozing but I am trying to keep my eyes open. It really is too early to go to bed. I seem to sleep about five hours a night whether I need to or not. I don't know what happened to the girl I used to be who could sleep through anything.

We were in Provo at the surgical center at 5:45 a.m. Yes, I drug myself out of bed at 3:30 a.m. so that we could be ready and drive to the place. It is in the Riverwoods area so we thought we might have some trouble finding it but we printed the directions off of Google and we were able to get there easily. The doctor showed up at 7 a.m. and LHT was all prepped and ready. He went into the operating room shortly thereafter (about 7:10). They do not knock you out but make you a bit "comfortable" with meds. The surgery was done by about 7:45 a.m. because it only takes 30 minutes or so to do. Then he had to wait there for a bit.

I met some nice people my age, Stephensens, who were also waiting. (She had a later appointment. LHT was first.) We chatted about Nauvoo, farming and things old folks like us have in common. Then they called me back and in a short time we were ready to leave.

We were at AnnMarie's by about 9 a.m. I took a short nap (thanks for that Ams--she worked from her front steps so she would be quiet). LHT also had a nap but a bit longer. I then talked AnnMarie to death and had a good visit (for me) but I probably kept her from getting her church calling work done. LHT woke up, we had lunch, and went to the doctor's office at 1:30 p.m. The doctor did an extensive post-op exam and his staff set up appointments and made certain that I understood how to do the medicated eye drops (three kinds three times a day). We left there, stopped and got fuel and came home. We were home about 5 p.m.

All went so very well. Thanks Jim and Brandon for taking time on Mother's Day to give him a blessing because all went as Brandon had pronounced. The surgery was so successful and so easy on LHT that the doctor set up an appointment to do the left eye next Wednesday, on the 22nd. That will be done on Dr. Scott Lohner's day performing the surgery in Nephi at our same-day surgery. He comes here once a month. He and LHT decided to do the first surgery in Provo so that it could be over and done with much more quickly. Doing the surgery in Nephi will be a bit easier on us because we will only have to travel out to our hospital and can come home and then go back. We will not need to be up so early and will not need to crash at AnnMarie's though that was really nice to be able to do.

If all goes as well as it did this time, we will still be able to make Sorina's piano recital that evening at 6 p.m. I will have to drive, of course. By then, neither contact will be usable and LHT will need a new prescription. That will be another two weeks down the road.

I am just thankful that he has not been in pain and has been able to rest (what he is doing now at 6:24 p.m.). There is little swelling and no discomfort though the doctor warned us that everybody is different and that some people do have pain and swelling.

We are blessed.

Overlooking Beauty

Melanie Bolton

Sister Hritz

English 106-37

6 May 2013

Overlooking Beauty


            I am clinging to the door handle of my Dad’s truck, eyes shut, as if my grip could keep the vehicle on the bumpy, narrow road. My Dad and Mom have placed us in the truck and camper, for a weekend family camping trip. After several hours (which seems like days), my Dad stops the truck at the top of the last rise of the winding, mountain track.  He breathes deeply and says, “Wow. This view always takes my breath away. Just look at God’s beautiful creations!” I too take a deep breath, but mine is to alleviate the panic I know I am going to feel as soon as I see the steep escarpment, which I silently pray won’t be the reason for our untimely demise. I will myself to look. In front of me is a gray-white mountainside which drops off severely to valleys on both sides of the road. Scrubby looking grass is dotted sparsely across the top of the mountain. My eyes follow the road downward to the right, as it parts the dusty, rocky, mountain. Suddenly, I see magnificence. The valley below me is blanketed in waves of green meadow grass. On one side of the gulley stands a tall army of Ponderosa pine trees, sentinels of this forest island. Lying idle in the sun at the bottom of this valley is a beautiful body of lake, a turquoise jewel.

            While I am admiring the picturesque basin, my Dad points to our left and commands us, “Look there!” I turn my gaze to view yellow-brown and red-clay plateaus, distant purple mountains, and a vast, barren, uninhabitable desert. As I am gazing, my Dad declares, “This is definitely God’s country.” Have I misunderstood him? Here are two contrasting views from one mountain height. Could both be beautiful? To this child, the lake, amid grass dotted with wildflowers of red, purple and yellow, with the pine trees which surround the valley, is the winner of nature’s beauty pageant. Yet, my Dad has called the desert scene beautiful also. In my mind, there could not be two winners. We drive on, and the question in my mind is not settled.

            Many years later, I disembark my car at the same crest on the mountain. I look over both valleys, realizing how much I have missed this panorama, the desert plateaus on one hand, the verdant valley on the other. This viewpoint is magnificent, literally breathtaking. Seeing it through my wiser, adult eyes, I realize this is the most beautiful spot in the world. I declare to my Dad, who is standing with my children, “This is definitely God’s country!”

More comment from Melanie:

I thought maybe you would like to read an creative essay I had to write about Overlooked Beauty. I received high marks and praise for the paper. It was limited to 450 words, so I feel it could have been better if I had been allowed to elaborate a bit more...you know, be more wordy. :)

Mel

Myrna wrote: Oh, Melanie, dear heart. It is perfect as it is. I had an editor once who said that enough words needed to be used to cover the subject but short enough to keep the reader's attention. I think the quote is more like: essays are like skirts--long enough to cover the subject short enough to make it interesting.

I shed a few tears. I agree with your teacher. You should have high marks and an A+.

I love you. I am so proud of you.

Dad is napping after mowing the grass. I printed it off for him to read.

Leonard wrote: Thanks for sharing this with us. I am proud of you and your writing brought back many happy memories. I am asking your mother to share this with all of your siblings. I wanted your mother to send this on. Thanks for writing this, Melanie.


Shawn wrote: Thanks. I loved it Melanie. You are so gifted and lack nothing in comparison to the scene described.

Kirsten wrote: Where's the "like" button?!!!!

Letter to the Family

This week, we have several birthdays. David's was on Sunday, AnnMarie and A.J. will celebrate on Tuesday and little Jens will be age two on Friday. Hopefully, everyone has money inside their envelopes. ;) I had Gramps look while I was putting the money inside so, if there is a mistake, it took two of us to make it.

I remember the excitement we felt as we wecomed each new addition to our family. What joy we knew then and that joy has just grown over the years.

Auntie Helen is healing well. Her knee is nearly better and she will be able to have Nanci go home. Nanci has been so good to stay the entire time that Auntie has needed her. As you know, because she writes, Auntie Eva is still doing as well as she can. She does not have a car anymore but she does have a motorized cart that she can use to get around closeby.

Matthew really injured himself Saturday when he crashed and burned on a friend's motor scooter. He has some bad injuries to his knee and elbow. Auntie AnnMarie is doing her best to help him heal with her nursing/doctoring ability.

The other grandchildren are all doing well. You know that Braden is now in Peru. Siovhan was nominiated for an Emmy. Alyssa is going to be in a musical this summer. Donovin's ball team is doing well. Dane and Kyle are graduating. Kyle and his father get to travel Europe this summer because of the TimpView music department. Each grandchild has achieved in all kinds of activities. We see some of the performances, like Emily's and Tyler's via Facebook postings. We just are so proud. We are proud of our missionary grandsons and the work they are doing to aid their fellow beings.

We have been very, very busy at the temple the past two weeks. Of course, we usually are as the universities are out for the summer. That is a time when all of the young people chose to marry so we are accustomed to that. However, this year has been a bit different. We are getting many young men who are soon to graduate from high school and will be leaving on missions in the next few weeks. I can only imagine what that has been like--getting ready for graduation and getting ready for a mission at the same time. Also, I have been over the specail dressing room, as part of my calling, for the women. We have had a great number of young women, age 19, who are now preparing to leave for missions. Each mission, I am certain, benefit from the willingness of the youth in stepping up to serve.

We have also had big sessions at the temple with women filling the sessions as part of the "Dressed in White" program. That has been most helpful and we hope will continue to bring people to the temple. We have seen many people from our youth and folks that used to live near us in Carbon County and also many who lived in Nephi at one time or another.

Some of us sisters were laughing at a time line that one of the sisters had filled out with her personal feelings. There was a large space between birth and age 20. Then, each decade, the space got smaller between the decade marks. Finally, she had drawn age 70 and several letters "s" and had followed that with age 80 and a large "P" which she then explained. It seems that life streateches out before us with lots of time to accomplish our goals when we are young. Then we hit age 70 and the scared age, when we know time will be short. Then comes age 80 and the panic sets in. We know that we will never get our 30-years worth of repenting done in the time we have left. None of us will be here in another 30 years and, if we are, we may not even know who we are. The upshot is, do not wait for deathbed repentence. Do as you should while you are young.

"As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And day by day, the hope of God’s light will grow within us, 'brighter and brighter until the perfect day.'" —Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Hope of God's Light"

We wish you well. We are praying for your success and for your happiness. Keep up the good work. We love you.

Toren

Toren receives Life Award on his way to receiving his Eagle.

Old Folks

Boston has always been a place of history. From the days of the Colonists through the American Revolution, there were brave people who lived and died there. Now we have seen a new kind of bravery with the bombings that took place during marathon. There were so many heroic people who rushed to the aid of the injured and who ran, not away from, but toward those in need of help. The tragedy played out but the heros among us rose to the occasion, as they always do. I am thankful that there are still selfless good people in the world.

It is actually a good thing that Jim did not want Gramps/Dad to come back down to Needles because he is not getting better very quickly even though the doctor warned him that it might be five to seven days before he felt really well again. I thought that he would bounce back as normal.  (Although, after all of the sinus infections I have had over the years, you would think I might not really expect that.) I always know when he is really sick because he lets me wait on him. Better than that, he actually wanted to go to the doctor. Today he seems quite a bit better but did not go to church. He did read from his scriptures and read the last letters from the missionary grandsons. He had a quiet day which is most unusual for him.

I have a new goal: go to bed before midnight. I seem so antsy to myself that I decided I maybe needed to stop burning the candle at both ends. So I will be brief and then get to bed. My other goal, to enjoy each day as it unfolds has been good for me. I spend too much time worrying about things that I cannot change and not enough worrying about the things I can. So, I reason, I will enjoy each day with gratitude for being alive. I have enjoyed just being with Dad/Gramps and just being thankful that we can still know who we are. Some of the folks I work with at the care center on Sundays are not that lucky. Some of them, for example, have trouble finding the pages of the hymn though they still can sing the words. It worries some of the residents that they do not have the right page  but they have all the words tucked away somewhere at any rate and do not need the page at all. But, I go around and find pages for them so they will be happy. Most of them are only 10 years older than I am.  Really. They are 82 or so and I am 72. I hope that my mind holds out longer than theirs have. Of course, some of the folks I work with at the temple are fine and are in their late 80s. I wonder what really makes the difference?

When President Monson spoke to the young women at their special meeting he said: “Seek heavenly guidance one day at a time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be true for just one day—and then one more, and then one more after that, until we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a lifetime of good deeds and righteousness. The Savior promised: ‘Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life’ (3 Nephi 15:9)."

I enjoyed this comment from our lesson in Relief Society today. In my opinion, Lorenzo Snow was a prophet to pay attention to. "Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today. The temptations that perphaps partially overcome us today, let them not overcome us so far tomorrow. Thus continue to be a little better day by day; and do not let your life wear away without accomplishing good to others as well as to ourselves."

As you get old, you realize how some of the things you have put off will likely never get done. We can wear out lives away, as President Snow said, and not accomplish the good we planned. Soon our opportunity is gone and the plans we made when we were young are not accomplished. Now is the time to do what needs doing.

Lots of love,
Grammy and Gramps