Abandoning home phones creates 'Single Cell Syndrome' | Mormon Times

An interesting article that addresses a new phenomenon in the family phone situation. I can relate in trying to get a hold of people to fill in as a sub to lead music in church, or help in the family history center. As usual the LDS church is ever trying to keep up with the times. How does your family/church/civic group or work place deal with this?


Abandoning home phones creates 'Single Cell Syndrome' | Mormon Times

You Can't Have It Both Ways

We've all had those "woulda, coulda, shoulda" moments where if we were thinking we "woulda" said something that "coulda" made someone think, and we "shoulda" just done it. Take for instance the other afternoon, when a couple of friends and I had stopped to grab some killer barbeque before heading to the rodeo. As we were enjoying some hefty tri tip sandwiches with fresh cole slaw and dutch oven ranch beans, a group of young men sat down at the table behind us. Their conversation centered around a new woman one of the men was dating. We overheard comments about her not liking to eat burgers and "heavy" foods, and the young man commented on her eating rabbit food all the time. They also asked him about things such as camping and outdoor activities to which he answered that she was sending mixed messages.
If I had been really thinking I "woulda" turned around and asked him whether he cared about a woman's weight or not in regards to deciding whether to ask her out. Many of us women have been through the ringer with men who have very specific preferences on the women they date. I had a friend once who loved blue eyed blondes, especially with long legs. Another one loved red heads, and then there was the blind date who told me all about his tiny room mate who was built more like a 12 year old than a woman. I got the last laugh on him though as I ordered the lobster dinner and he had to pay...:-) So back to the overheard conversation. The thought that occurred to me later as I reflected on their chat was that men often like their women thin, but they also want them to eat like a guy. You know what I mean, steaks, hot dogs, burgers, fish and chips, potatoes, and barbeque are all things most fellas love, and they want to see their women eating them as well. Perhaps I "coulda" learned something, or even better, had this young man thinking about the old saying, "You can't have it both ways."
I "shoulda" said something, as we would have either had a very interesting conversation, or been told to MYOB. So tell me all you men out there, would you rather have a thin woman, or one who will eat with gusto and enjoy their meal along with you?

It's Chief Joseph Days again...the wild horse stampede

Such a gorgeous day! Sandy and I went to lunch at La Laguna's, which in my opinion is the best Mexican food restaurant in the valley. The salsa is fresh, and has just enough bite to it to make it worth asking for more. After lunch we came up to the corner of First and Main here in Joseph so we could have a good view of the horses as they stampeded down the main drag. Love the scenery, don't you???

More of the gorgeous mountains we get to see every day. The girl in the blue dress, holding her hat is actually a bronze sculpture. There are bronzes on just about every corner of the 3 main blocks here in Joseph. We have 3 foundries here where beautiful pieces are created for buyers around the world.

Here's a view of the main street that the horses will come down. way up at the other end, is what we used to call Brennan's Hill because the actor Walter Brennan had a home at the top of it. It was our favorite hill to sled down at night as it was well lit and just steep enough to get to the bottom of the hill without ending up on the main street.

Here they come! All the way down from Mount Joseph ranch, the horses for the rodeo are herded down to the rodeo grounds.

Ummmm, we couldn't decide if the horses were thinking the pavement was too hot, or they were looking for something, but all of a sudden they just stopped. The stampede ended up being more like a stroll down Main Street...:-)

They decided it was okay to proceed, so off they go, at a saunter, heading down through town.

This is it! The end of the stampede, which we waited almost an hour for because someone had posted the time wrong...Oh well, the stores were teeming with customers afterward so for local shop owners, this is a great way to kick off Chief Joseph Days. Always the last full weekend in July, Chief Joseph Days is worth the wait!

For Those Who Think God Doesn't Have a Hand on Things.....

Every time I wend my way into Wallowa Valley I'm struck by the beauty and majesty of the mountains here. They are so impressive, with a presence that shows the Master's touch.
How anyone can believe that this world and all in it happened randomly is beyond me. This valley has everything a farmer or rancher needs to grow a myriad of things to provide food and shelter for mankind. From the crystal clear mountain streams, to the fertile soil, all are ready made for us to provide for our families if we are willing to work for it.
We had company last night and discussed this very topic. For the non-believers answer these questions.
If there is no God who created this world, then why did we evolve into upright creatures who can think critically and communicate in such a complex way and not other life forms? How is it that we are the only creatures on earth that evolved to this point? How is it that the world on it's own just happened to set up a way for us to provide for our needs with food, shelter and fuel? We have sunshine, water, good soil, a way to improve what is already here by our own efforts, and fuel, we have more than enough to spare if we use it wisely. We can use the resources available to create all we need to live comfortably. This was random? This was just evolution? It would be like putting all the components of a computer on a table and then waiting to see if it will come together by itself.
As was mentioned in our conversation, to look at a human body and see the amazing complexity of how we function and not see God's hand is ludicrous. To see a honey bee at work, a robin foraging for food in the yard, a fish as it jumps from a lake to catch it's dinner, all are so amazing in beauty and diversity, and they are there for us to admire, or use as a food source, or to help us. I for one don't think that this happened just by chance, and am grateful for the blessing of being able to see the hand of God in all things.

Book notes: 'Encompassing Charity' | Mormon Times

Book notes: 'Encompassing Charity' | Mormon Times