Run Away Girl

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I ran away from home and went to SLC, UT! It was a good run and I've had a few others since then. Ran to Fredericksburg, VA, then to Rapid City, SD. The last two were business meetings so all I saw were airports, hotels, and convention centers! My trip to SLC was the first and most enjoyable. At Tawnya's school in West Jordan, I transformed myself into Betsy Ross. It turned out to be a lot of fun as I visited four different 5th Grade classrooms. The kids in Tawnya's class informed their parents that Ms. Bator's mother was Betsy Ross! That must have raised a few eyebrows at home.

Jessica and Tawnya planned some very interesting activities and we dined at some great places too. It's fun to go and let them wait on me!! Gardner Village was decorated for Halloween with witches flying everywhere. (Tawnya hasn't shared those pictures with me yet).

A drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Park City was absolutely gorgeous. The aspen trees were ablaze and looked like they were on fire! The picture just doesn't do them justice.

I'm a sucker for water and rocks. I love the way the sun makes the water shimmer and puts a glint on the rocks.

Dinner at the Mayan was a treat with some very buff guys diving from the high rocks above our table. Ou-la-la! Tawnya & Jess tried to show their Michael Phelps form!

I'm glad to be able to run away every once in a while, but it's great to be home too. After two weeks of travel, my house is in dire need of cleaning. I don't know why my house gets so dirty when I'm gone, you would think it would stay clean with less people running in and out. It makes me wonder what goes on at home when I'm gone!?!

Up, Up, and Away

I've decided to run away from home... but I'm only running to Utah! Jessica & Tawnya talked me into a visit. I got a good price on a ticket, so it's all set. The plane flys west on October 1st and doesn't come back until the 7th (Travis's birthday)! The girls pamper me when I visit, so I'm really looking forward to the time away. Tawnya is getting a good deal though, because I promised her I would come to her school as a mystery guest. So who knows anything about Betsy Ross? I've been looking on the internet for costume ideas... guess I better get busy sewing... Where's Betsy when I need her?! I'm anxious to see how the "mop hat" Betsy wore will look on me. Wish me luck.

Lasting Impressions

With so many writing about their memories of 9-11, it brought to my mind other times when tragedies have created lasting impressions. It seems to me those thoughts and impressions are very real and unforgettable. 1963 - Who can forget where they were and what they were doing when JFK was assassinated? 1966- I will never forget coming home from school and learning of the death of my 19 year old sister. 1985- The death of Pres. Spencer W Kimball; although this wasn't a tragic event, it was very memorable to me because he was "my" first prophet to whom I could relate. 2001- The 9-11 attacks on the USA.
And so it is, life is full of ups and downs. Some events shape our lives forever. I'm so very grateful for the knowledge the gospel of Jesus Christ brings. Although I don't often know "why" some things may happen, I do know through eternity all will be just fine. And for now, I'm okay with that!

Meet My New Friend!

What a breath of fresh air! As I listened to her talk tonight at the RNC, I was impressed with her composer, her directness, her commonness, and the fact that she is a woman!!! GO SARAH PALIN! I'm so glad McCain chose her as his running mate. She will make the next 2 months of campaign rhetoric sooooo exciting. I can hardly wait for the debates to begin. She inspires me to be a politician. But then every time I watch the American beauty pagents I wish I was Miss(Mrs) Minnesota... if only I could come up with a talent!!

Taking It Easy

The surgery is over and I look like a freak! Seriously, I look like the loser in a bar-room fight. The bandage covers my whole upper lip and then some! The pain is tolerable, of course Darvocet is helping. Nicole came over last night and we played Dominoes. Today I slept in, but when I woke up to such a beautiful Minnesota day I just knew we couldn't sit inside the house recuperating. John suggested a drive to Duluth and we all thought that was great. We (John, Nicole, Ruby, and me)drove along the north shore all the way to Two Harbors, then had lunch there. After that we drove back to Duluth and walked along the board walk of Canal Park. The pier and drawbridge were beautiful against the Lake Superior backdrop. There were so many sail boats on the lake, but my camera couldn't do justice to the scene. I thought of Travis since he is my little (now big) sailor! One summer our family rented a cabin in Wisconsin. It came with a sailboat, and we hardly heard from Travis the whole week. He was in his glory out on the lake sailing! After walking the boardwalk, we drove up along the Skyline Drive and stopped at Enger Tower. They have absolutely beautiful shade perennial gardens there. We strolled through the gardens and walked up to the tower. I love to look at the water with it's many movements. The scenery of water and rocks was just what I needed. It was a wonderful day and a great diversion while I'm taking it easy!

Prepare Ye

It's the night before my little surgery and I have worked myself into a tizzy! What am I to do with myself? Even though I know it won't help one bit to worry, I'm very good at just that very thing. To relax and prepare myself for the big day, I'm currently sitting in front of the TV with a lemonade in one hand and a bag of M&M's in the other! What do you suppose I am watching?... Pride and Prejudice, of course!! I shall not be vexed any longer! Mr. Darcy is easy on the eye and Mr. Collins provides great laughter. I love the way Mrs. Collins handles her "dear" husband and she admits she is "quite content". Although I find the British of this era very annoying, it would give me "great pleasure" to visit some of the castles in England or Ireland.

Three of my dearest friends gave me a great boost last night. They made a surprise visit and came bearing very thoughtful gifts. The only problem was I had gone out for the evening and wasn't home to recieve them. They had a wonderful visit with my mother and then bid goodbye. When I arrived home, to my surprise their best wishes for a successful surgery was there. I have beverages, chocolate and hats with wide brims to see me through! True friends are such a blessing and not to be taken lightly. It is my hope to be such a friend to others.

St. Cloud Visit

I arrived home yesterday afternoon after spending 3 days in St. Cloud for a business conference. Was able to listen to some really good speakers about the energy business. We also had two motivational/humorist speakers. They were awesome and kept me awake and laughing! The final day turned political as we had a visit from senate hopeful Al Franken. He had a warm (but reserved) welcome from our group.

However, it wasn't all work! I had time to visit the Gruber's Quilt Shop... it's an awesome place with an unending supply of fabric and ideas. My favorite pasttime was spending about 1 1/2 hours walking through the Clemens and Munsinger Flower Gardens. The water fountains are very refreshing. It was a perfect time to be there because most everything was in full bloom. The gardens were beautiful and the stroll along the river made a perfect backdrop. Each time I attend, I'm impressed with the additions of more gardens. Just when I think they couldn't possibly add more, another one is planted. This is a perfect spot for a family to visit and take a picnic. If you get the time, enjoy!!