Motherheart: September 2023

Zinnia's from our garden

FAMILY

Road Trip to start the month of August! Brian and Beth asked us to come to Wichita and be with William and Nora for 10 days while they traveled to Spain and France. We had planned to fly - not an easy thing this summer with very full flights. We watched as our name dropped further and further down the list and we had to make a decision to sit and wait in airports and risk not arriving in time or just jumping in the car and driving the 17 hour drive. We decided to make it an adventure and drive a new route.

Full Moon

Moon

The drive did not disappoint. We took Hyw 50 out of Grand Junction to Salida Colorado. There were signs all along the highway saying to check the website for construction closures on Hwy 50. We just kept driving until we came to a sign that said Road closure from 7:30 PM to 6:30 AM nightly in 21 miles. It was 6:50 and we knew we had to make it the 21 miles or we would have to turn around and go back a really long way to get where we were going. We were also trying to arrive in Salida before dark. We were in mountain roads at this point and I drove as fast as the roads would allow. There were several cars on the road and so we felt like we were in good company. We made it with about 10 minutes to spare. We were the last group to go through. As we were driving in a valley, we could see a glimmer in the sky in the distance. We could not figure out what it was until we drove a few more minutes and the Moon peaked over the mountain. For the next 15 minutes we watched as it appeared over the mountain range and into the sky. With the cloudy weather it was absolutely beautiful. The pictures do not show the grandeur of the moment but it was worth the whole drive - even if the last 30 minutes were in the dark.

This map shows where we were on Hwy 50 and Salida to Pueblo and then on to Wichita Kansas. We stayed the night with my Nephew, Nick and family and got an early start the next day for the 9 hour drive to Kansas. We saw new country we had never seen before and enjoyed the majesty of the mountains and rushing waters of the Arkansas River. We were at 14,000 ft - on top of the world.

Anyone remember Gunsmoke? One of my Dad's favorite TV shows while I was growing up. So - we had to make a stop in Dodge City and see what it was all about.

The Boot Hill Special. The railroad played a significant role in the prosperity of early Dodge City. When the railhead was established here in 1872, Dodge City became the ideal location for shipping buffalo hides to points east on the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. After the buffalo herds were hunted out, the cattle industry took over as the major source of income.

The museum is a replica of all things Dodge City including Matt Dillon and Miss Kity.

The 32-foot high original fine art sculpture titled "Kansas Wheat Shock" was built in 1950 and for 40 years welcomed visitors to the High Plains Journal headquarters on Wyatt Earp Blvd.

The largest holding pens for cattle I have ever seen. One was so big there was a lookout point on the highway to stop and take photos. Large processing plants are also in the area. As a result they need lots of feed and the High Plains Region is filled with Wheat, Sorghum, Soybeans, Corn, Cotton and Alfalfa. It was a nice drive seeing the beauty of the fields ready for harvest. They also have miles and miles of Wind Power fields. It was a sight to behold.

We arrived in Wichita and a new adventure began. William is trying new foods and one of his games has Red Curry as part of the story.

We found a recipe, went shopping for all of the ingredients and made Thai Red Curry Sauce with Chicken. It turned out so delicious and as you can see, William not only tried it - he like it. He like it next to the rice not on top of it.

William taste testing

A World of Salt: Salt deposits are found all over the world. Kansas is one of the few sites in North America for a Salt Mine. The Carey Salt Mine was the original name and it is currently called STRATACA.

In 1887 land developer Ben Blanchard drilled southwest of Hutchinson looking for oil. Instead he found SALT.

Rock Salt mining began in 1923. Today the mine measures 2 1/2 miles north and south by 1 1/2 miles east and west. It has 150 miles of tunnels and it grows every year.

You begin the tour by getting a hard hat and then riding in a two story elevator 650 ft. below the earth - a little larger than the St Louis Arch. To get where we were standing we had to travel through many layers of dirt, rocks and salt. From the surface, you passesd through nearly 130 feet of aquifer, over 220 feet of shale and about 300 feet of salt. They have a really nice museum and exhibits and then you ride two different trains to go further into the mine.

We learned some really fun facts. In 1945 the artwork hidden by the Nazi regime was rescued from Salt Mines. They had been preserved in the salt mines. "Send it to the Salt Mine" is a common phrase in Hollywood's post production circles. Years ago, film studios realized that the unique atmosphere, depth, and security of this facility provides protection second to none.

Legacy Lost: Nearly every pre-1970 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson has been lost to history. 50% of films made before 1950 no longer exist. Humidity, heat, warehouse fires, improper labeling and handling contributed to lost film. There is no surviving copy of the first night's broadcast of The Tonight Show. Looking for a better way to story film, records and data they found the empty space in the Salt Mine was the perfect answer. Once it is mined out there are miles of tunnels empty that are ideal conditions for storage.

1,660.000 sq. feet of storage

Millions of items

65 employees - 2 shifts

Original costumes of movie characters are stored at the mine. It was amazing to see all of the artifacts, film reels, and storage boxes filled with records.

Batman

This picture depicts a place where the ceiling collapsed. The have monitors all through the mine and have warning when the rock moves or changes so there are no accidents or injuries.

There is a policy that what comes in the mine stays in the mine. It costs money and time to remove it so everything stays down there that is brought in. Garbage and tools and machinery are still there from the 1920's.

We did not see any of the currently mined areas. The salt from the mine is used for roads in winter weather. It is not used for table salt.

Nora with a pic axe. The kids loved it!

BELOVED FRIEND - MAX

Our very dear friend, Max Johnson passed away while we were in Wichita. It was just a 5 hour drive back to Arlington and so we decided to take the kids and drive to be able to attend the Memorial Service. It was so good to be there and celebrate his life. He is one of the most charitable people I know and was the first person we met when we arrived in Texas in 1979. We saw so many friends we have not seen in a few years. Most important we were there to support the Johnson family. Max was an avid golfer - even golfed the week before he passed away. He also was known for always having a pocket full of Jolly Ranchers that he gave to the children or young at heart. They had a large bowl of Jolly Ranchers on the table for everyone to take. He was making people happy even from Heaven.

We stayed in a Hotel and the kids enjoyed the swimming pool. We tried to make it an adventure for them as well. My favorite place is Texas Roadhouse and William was hungry for a Steak. I told him we get the 6 oz. Sirloin. He said, "that's too small for me, I need a least the 8 oz.
The pictures show his reaction as he began working on the meat. He had a fun conversation with the manager when he made is rounds to all of the tables. I was really proud of him for not only eating all of his steak but also helped me with mine.

I took Nora to Sam Moon - walking distance from our Hotel. She found a cute little dog "stuffy" and was so happy to take hime home. My favorite part was a visit to Tiffany at LA Hair for a haircut. She is THE BEST and always makes room for me in her schedule when I am in town.

We made a visit to Shipley's Donuts, ate Braum's on the drive to Arlington and ended the trip with a visit to Rita's Italian Ice. I think you can see it was a hit. We are so grateful we were in a place that we could go to Arlington for such a special time.

Back to Wichita for a few more days. We enjoyed our time with William, Nora and Bailey the dog. Brian and Beth returned home safely after a great vacation to Spain, France and a short stop in London.

We spent our last day eating good food, shopping, bowling and go carts. I have not bowled in years and my first two balls bowled were strikes. Off to a great start. Not a great score in the end but I finished with an 86 with a Strike and two gutters! I beat Russ at 72. Pretty good for two grandparents!

William and Nora were so fun at the Go Carts. Nora finally got around William in the final lap and crossed the finish line. It was fun cheering them on.

Brian and Linda ready to bowl

William & Nora

Time for the drive home. We decided to drive the same route home that we came and saw a few new sites along the way. We visited Royal Gorge between Pueblo and Salida. It was built in 1929. It spans the Royal Gorge as a suspension bridge. It is a maravel of engineering at 1,260 feet long and 956 ft. high. It is a total Tourist Trap. It costs $35 to walk across the bridge or ride a cable car across. They have a ticket office and store that block off any view of the bridge so you cannot see it unless you pay. For some people it is a beautiful canyon with the Arkansas River running through. Being from Idaho, we have our own canyon and bridges that are just as spectacular with the Snake River running through. We took a few pictures to document we have been there.

As we were driving in the mountains on a very winding road, we camem upon several cars stopped on the road. There were 5 mountain goats on the road and we waited for them to cross and got some close up pictures. They seemed to pose for us. We had a really nice drive home.

Our return home brought with it the end of Summer vacation for some of the Grandchildren. So new activities are happening and Fall is on it's way.

BACK TO SCHOOL MOTTO

Preslee cheering for Timpanogos

My Sister's grandchildren are avid mountain bike racers. We went to their first race at Soldier Hollow and it is so amazing to watch these young people climb the mountains on a very narrow trail and then move so quickly coming down the mountain. It is an interactive fan sport as we begin at the starting line and run to the next viewing area then on to the next. They ride the trail two times so we stayed in the lower area and just moved back toward the finish line. Heidi came in #13 - a great finish as that was her starting position so she did not loose any ground.

One of the highlights of our month was Hosting at BYU Education Week. This is our third year hosting and it is something we look forward to doing. This year was a little more walking with a major building project in the middle of campus that made it necessary for everyone to walk around to the rest of campus. My Sister, Pam was with us again this year and it is always nice being with her. I wish it was a time to come home and relax and play games each night, but we were all exhausted from our long days leaving the house at 7:30 am and arriving home after 10:00. A few of our favorite classes: The Psalms and the Birth of Christianity by Fred Axelgard; Bringing Jesus's Jerusalem to Life through 3D Models by Daniel Smith and 1 Corinthians and the Social World of the Apostle Paul, The Historical Context of the Apocalypse: Reading the Book kof Revelation in the First Century by Matthew J. Grey. I took over 500 pictures during the week of the different presentations. I could write so much about it but suffice it to say it was a spirit filled week and we learned so much about the teachings of Paul and other New Testament teachings.

We hosted 3 classes that we enjoyed getting to know the presenters and learning from them as well. Janis H. Rowberry taught Break Free from Anxiety, Depression, and Fear: Learn to Thrive! I loved her class and the techniques she taught. We made an immediate friendship with Janis and her husband, David. He was raised in Idaho Falls, ID and Russ made several connections with him. He is also a retired Institute Director and knew many of the colleagues I worked with. It was a delightful time every day with them.

Jenny Oaks Baker

As part of the week, we attended SINGING IN THE RAIN at the Scera Outdoor Theatre on Monday night and THE REDEEMER by Jenny Oaks Baker, the Lyceum Orchestra, Choir and other soloists. It was the highlight of our week. The program was the story of Jesus Christ through music. It was uplifting, moving, spiritual, fun, entertaining, emotional, and touching all in one.

We had an experience on the last evening, Friday. It was 9:30 pm the end of an awesome week of learning about Jesus Christ and hope, peace, joy, living and teaching as Christ did - a truly special week. We were worn out and tired and looking forward to getting back home and relaxing. Russ and Pam went to the bathroom and I was waiting for them. Most of the room had cleared and I noticed an older woman and a young women still sitting in their seats. The older women just kept looking at me and I thought, "Don't make eye contact with her." Russ was now walking toward me and so I stopped and waited for him coming down the aisle. The women asked me where I lived. I told her, Lindon. She asked if we were going home now. I told her, yes. She asked if I could give her a ride home. At this point the younger women got up, said, "good-bye" and left. I asked her where she lived. She said, "I live just down by the hospital in Provo." I told her it was the opposite direction of where I was going." My mind was racing with thoughts at this point. She was a real "bag lady". She had long socks on her hands and arms and a large bag filled with things. I asked her how she got to BYU and she said she rode the Bus but that the night but would only take her to the main station and she would have to walk a long way. In those few minutes of conversation my mind and heart were saying to me, "how can you spend a week learning about Jesus Christ and His teachings and not help the one in need." I looked at her and told her I would be happy to take her home. I told her we had a little walk to get to our car. She said she was thirsty - she had just thrown her water bottle away - I pointed out the drinking fountain and told her to go het a drink. She couldn't find another bottle in her bag and we continued on. We found out she used to live in our neighborhood when she was married and new several of our neighbors. So much missing from her story. How did she go from living in a beautiful home to almost being on the street. When she found out where we live she asked if we had a basement apartment. We told her, Yes, we live in it.

I got her address to put it in my GPS and started driving. As we neared the hospital the GPS was saying it was another 2 miles down the road and so I thought I must have put it in wrong. I asked her where her home was and she said down on 5th West. I said, Oh, you live closer to downtown Provo and not the hospital. My GPS had been right and we continued on to this 8 unit Best Hotel (name misleading). It had some nice cars in the parking lot but really rough with many people milling around. We told her good-bye and went on our way. I am so glad I listened to my heart, but I knew it was going to be an interesting experience. I did not ever feel in danger but I was glad to have Russ and my sister with me. I hope this story is not over and I plan to follow up and see what more I can do. The Lord always seems to find a way to humble me.

Another highlight of the week was seeing so many friends from Texas. It had been years since we had seen some of them and it seemed like just yesterday. So fun to catch up and renew the friendships. Our friends, the Lawlers were on their way to Wisconsin - moving there after many years in Texas. They were returning home - the very same city I visited last summer to see where my Grandfather was born and raised.

CUMORAH GATHERING

We have wanted to gather with any alumni, mentors, administrators, interns, etc of Cumorah Academy and we finally made it happen. We invited them to our home for a Texas Bar-b-que. It was a beautiful evening to be together and we enjoyed new people and sharing our love and experiences of Cumorah. We met such wonderful people during our time there and are grateful for times like this with Cumorah family.

It was so good to hear about last semester and all of the growth and good things happening in the future. We hope we can continue to help and serve with this amazing program as it continue to grow and expand around the world. I love entertaining in my back yard. As one man said, "it is magical."

Emily and I had the opportunity of attending a concert at the Scera Shell Outdoor Theatre to close out the month. It is such a beautiful venue and we could not have asked for a more beautiful evening. It was a sold out concert featuring Tony and Grammy - Nominated Broadway and Television Star, Jeremy Jordan with Utah Valley Symphony. He is a favorite of Emily's and I am now a fan. He played the lead in the Disney on Broadway movie of one of my all time favorites, Newsies. His rendition of Santa Fe and Bring Him Home from Le Mis made me a fan. Tonight was music for the soul and such a fun time with Emily.

The Moon came over the mountain just before the conclusion of the concert about 10:00. This picture looks like a painting to me. I just seem to be drawn so much to the light.

August is unique this year with two full moons. Last night was the Blue Moon. We drove to the canyon and waited for the moon to come over the mountain. It was so beautiful to watch it emerge and light the sky. Full moons means Logan is up all night so this has been a rough month with two - it takes him several days to get back on a good sleep cycle.

So grateful for the wonders of nature and the creations of God. Grateful for the Peace that comes from the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that when friends like Max Johnson pass away it is but a moment before we will see him again. Grateful for family and the time we have had this month. Missing those who are so far away. So happy to have friends from the many different opportunities we have had in our life - our family of friends continues to grow and bless our lives. May the brightness of the Sun and the Moon continue to shine on you and that you will know that YOU are a Beloved Child of God who loves you.

The Grimmett's

Zinnia's in our yard

I have loved having these flowers in my yard this year. I have made many bouquets and shared them with my neighbors. It is so rewarding making someones day with flowers!