Old Man Winter arrives......

First snow, originally uploaded by bindykay25.

This morning brought our first real snow storm. Todays High....25!

Holy War 06

Utah vs BYU 2006, originally uploaded by bindykay25.

Saturday brought about the end of the college football season here in Utah. It ended with the football rivalry between the University of Utah (The U) and Brigham Young University (BYU). This particular battle is referred to as the "Holy War" amongst the locals. I haven't quite figured out why it has received this particular title since BYU is a private, religious based school and the U is a public university. I will leave you to draw your own conclusions.

Our little Mountain West game looks like a high school game compared to say.....the Michigan-Ohio game, or the Florida-Florida State game, but here it is THE game.
As I am a recovering former cheerleader, I won't go into the details of the game except to say that it was a GREAT game. If only all football games were as good as this one was. That being said, we (the U) did loose by 2 points 15 seconds after the clock had stopped. It was a jaw dropping ending that will go into playbook history.

I took some pictures that are on my Flickr page. It was a hazy day so they are kind of crappy. My $75 Walmart special ed. camera doesn't take that great of pictures, but you get the idea.

The Meaning of Thanksgiving

Last night I, like the other 200,000 residents of Salt Lake City, ventured out to purchase the remaining items needed for my Thanksgiving recipes. Traffic was chaotic, patience was limited, and what the hell is a rutabaga anyway?? I tried my best to be polite and respect the anxiety of the holiday.
As I sat in traffic waiting for a parking spot at the local grocery store, I observed what can only be described as sheer panic on the faces of those around me. Shoppers with their loot fleeing from the store trying to dodge cars as the drivers eyeball their parking spot; screaming, hungry kids hanging out of cars, mothers looking like that final straw has finally snapped, and people revving their engines to try and get that next available spot. As I am watching all of this take place, I pose a question to myself. What is all of this for? I began to reflect on a conversation that took place a few years ago.

Thanksgiving dinner 2000, my then 18 year old nephew leaned over to me at the dinner table and quietly asked me "What does Thanksgiving mean? What is it for?" I was surprised by his request, mostly because he asked this question of me (I am generally known as the black sheep in the family), and because I just assumed that growing up in a family that is deeply entrenched in Christian values, that this almost grown man would already have an answer to this question. Just as I started to open my mouth, his mother piped in.

I love my sister-in-law, she is a loving mother and a wonderful second grade teacher, but those of you that have spent anytime with teachers that teach small children, you know that sometimes they can start talking to adults the same way they talk to their students. I suppose it comes with the job if you love it as much as she does. She began to tell her son the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians (yes Indians, not Native Americans). He peered over at me with that look of "Help Me" written on his face. I smiled and said nothing. I might not be a mom myself, but I know never to offer advice or information that directly contradicts a mom when talking to their child.
We went ahead with the prayer and the feast. Afterwards I pulled him aside and asked him what he thought the meaning of Thanksgiving was. He stared at me, almost afraid to say anything. "Food, Family, and America," he said softly. "Sounds good to me," I replied, "I think Thanksgiving is anyway that you feel you can give thanks or be thankful for the life you have. I understand the story that began the tradition of Thanksgiving, but I believe it has evolved from that to be a more personal celebration of Thanks and gratitude." He grinned, said thank you, and went about eating his pumpkin pie.

As I sat in my car reflecting on this past conversation, all the while viewing the chaos before me, I wondered what I would tell him now. What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving?

I am thankful that my husband is home and not in Iraq or in some other country.
I am thankful that I am loved and that I love others.
I am thankful that my family and friends are all healthy.
I am thankful that I have a warm bed to sleep in every night and a fridge full of food.
I am thankful that I have my home and my health.
I am thankful for my laughter and the beauty that surrounds me everyday.
I am thankful that I am a woman living in this country.
I am thankful for the birds that sing their beautiful song every morning outside my window.

....and I am thankful that my husband and I have not jumped off a cliff or shot each other while remodeling this house (okay I had to add a little fun amongst all that seriousness!)

Have a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving.

Morning Sunrise

This morning was so beautiful, I had to stop and take a picture.

Stay-at-home Millionaires?

Recently I have been accosted by friends and neighbors inviting me to their "home business" parties. In the last two weeks I have been invited to a Pampered Chef cooking party, a Scrapbooking party, a skin products party, a jewelry party, and most recently a "slumber party."

I am all for entrepreneurship and the desire for women to try and make extra money while being available to stay home with their kids. That being said, I do wonder if women buy into these businesses because they really think they can make the big bucks, or if it is just a way to get out and meet people. My hope is that it is the later. I have owned my own business, and it was my mine from the ground up. I will be the first to say that it takes a lot of work to make it successful.

My neighbor, who is having her skin products "open house" tomorrow, hasn't said more than 2 words to me in about 6 months, but has decided to invite me to this party. Now maybe I am just a skeptic by nature, but something about this bugs me. This idea of "come over and spend money so I can get rich, but the rest of the year I will barely acknowledge your existence" really kind of eats at me. Last spring she gave my husband a sample of this particular product to give to me. I used it, and within 48 hours my skin had formed red, crusty dry patches.
I threw the remaining product away. A week later she came over with the anticipation that I should place this huge order, I told her my sensitive skin couldn't handle it. She looked as if I had insulted her personally. That was when the conversations ended.....until the invite to the open house. Now there is this pressure to buy something just to make it appear that I am a supportive neighbor and not a complete cheapy.

Two days ago, I received an invitation from a long lost high school friend who I haven't seen since moving back and have only spoken to once on the phone. This particular party is called a "slumber party." After reading over the lengthy invitation I was a little confused. "No one under the age of 18 allowed" was written in bold letters across the top. Words like "Sensual and Edible creams," "Fun Toys (and I don't think they mean the X-Box)," "Romance Enhancement items" dotted the page. I looked at my husband, "is this what I think this is?" He read over it, "Whoa........What?" A grin formed on his face. "Is this a sex party?"
Yes folks, a sex toys party. Kind of the antithesis of the cooking party or the scrapbooking party. Now there are home businesses that cover all of a women's needs and/or desires.

Maybe I'm a prude, but I think a party like this might be better suited for say.....really good friends, not just friends you talk to once every 5 years. I don't think even I have the kahunas to go check out "toys" or sample strawberry flavored skin lotions with complete strangers. To say the least, I will be finding a reason to get out of this little get together. Call me crazy but I don't think I could muster up a conversation about whether or not it really does feel like the real thing with just anyone.

November

I realize that it is almost halfway into November, and I am late with my Sand County Almanac writing. After fighting that cold, I was challenged yet again with a stomach virus. I hope that I have managed to get both the cold and the flu out of the way for the season.

Axe-in-Hand

The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, but He is no longer the only one to do so. When some remote ancestor of ours invented the shovel, he became a giver: he could plant a tree. And when the axe was invented, he became a taker: he could chop it down. Whoever owns land has thus assumed, whether he knows it or not, the divine functions of creating and destroying plants.
Other ancestors, less remote, have since invented other tools, but each of these , upon close scrutiny, proves to be either an elaboration of, or an accessory to, the original pair of basic implements. We classify ourselves into vocations, each of which either wields some particular tool, or sells it, or repairs it, or sharpens it, or dispenses advice on how to do so; by such division of labors we avoid responsibility for the misuse of any tool save our own. But there is one vocation-philosophy- which knows that all men, by what they think out and wish for, in effect wield all tools. It knows that men thus determine, by their manner of thinking and wishing, whether it is worth while to wield any.

It's getting cold out there

000_1115, originally uploaded by bindykay25.

Last weekend while I was gasping and spewing with my cold, Larry and I took our nephew, David, up to the mountains so he could see snow. Being from California, it was the most snow he had seen. It was only October and this was just the first layer of snow this year. Only about 40 more feet to go.
This particular photo was taken of a small lake just below Brighton ski resort. Soon it will be under many feet of snow and won't resurface until next spring.