What is real?

I haven't had much time to blog and I haven't been taking any pictures. However, I continue to do a lot of pondering. As I watch my mother, and others, slip further into dementia, I can't help but wonder about how to determine what is "real". To my mother, her large belly and great weight gain is ample (ha ha) evidence that she is pregnant. To explain it, she has decided she is the recipient of a "miracle". Russ has been talking about studies that have shown that people who believe they are lucky, or unlucky, generally are so. There is a scripture that says something like "as a man thinketh, so he is" which is a warning to watch what we think. I know people who are constantly paranoid that someone is going to attack them or steal from them causing them to take extreme security measures. On the other hand, there are young people all over the world who have unprotected sex with the totally unconcerned attitude that they won't cause pregnancy or exchange any form of disease. There are many who take risks in driving, physical activities, and even occupations with disregard for potential danger.
So, what is real? Do we know if our perspective on reality is the correct one? There is a wide range of religious beliefs from no god to many gods. Truth is established in the mouths of two or more witnesses. What constitutes a witness? Is someone who simply chooses to believe something a "witness"?
For me, I CHOOSE to believe the witnesses who walked and talked with Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. There were more than one who saw Him and heard Him. I CHOOSE to believe that His promise to return is true. I CHOOSE to believe Joseph Smith saw Him with HIS FATHER. They spoke to him and gave him instructions. I also believe the other witnesses who saw, felt, and experienced things pertinent to Joseph Smith's testimony. I CHOOSE to believe there is an "assistant" to our Father that was promised by the Savior. That would be the Holy Ghost. I CHOOSE to believe the quiet and sometimes insistent promptings I can receive when I pray earnestly originate from the Holy Spirit. My choice is to follow the Savior- to believe in Him, to believe Him, and to try to be like Him. I believe everybody gets to choose- and to receive the consequences of their choices.

More health-related stuff

So for the past 5 or 6 years I have had very rare but somewhat disconcerting issues with my throat/trachea/larynx. Sometimes when I'm awake and sometimes when I'm totally asleep, I suddenly can't breathe. My trachea simply closes right up. It happened last week when the dental hygienist was cleaning my teeth. It freaked her out and she insisted that I see someone before I ever returned. It has been scary to Russ, too. It only lasts a minute so I don't pass out or anything but no air can pass into or out of my lungs. So, I went to an ENT specialist this morning to find out if he could figure out what the problem is. We went over my history of thyroid surgery in 1974, tonsils and adenoids (twice) removed as a kid, exercise-induced asthma, periodic but chronic hoarseness which I thought was caused by acid-reflux, and these strange episodes. He numbed my sinus passages down to my throat then put a scope up my nose and down my throat. He told me to force air through my sinuses and to sing "Eeee", twice, then said, "Interesting!"
He asked if I had had any hoarseness after my thyroid surgery in 1974. I told him my surgeon had told me at the time that I shouldn't plan on a singing career because I probably wouldn't ever be able to sing like I had before. Well, right after the surgery I had no voice for awhile but then it seemed okay. Recently I have noticed more hoarseness and I can't sing quite as well as I used to. I just figured it was another aspect of aging. Then he said, "Well, one of your vocal cords doesn't work, it doesn't move." Amazing! I guess I have been compensating which might explain why I simply can NOT get consistent high notes when I sing. The doctor said that what I'm experiencing is spasms of my larynx which can be caused by any little thing and there is nothing that can be done for them. He suggested angling the head of my bed up to help avoid the possibilities of acid reflux during the night stimulating a spasm. He said the good news was that he didn't see anything seriously wrong so there isn't anything requiring surgery.
So, I have a bit of a dilemma. In researching c-diff (mentioned in my last post), I found out that those most prone to this chronic disease are people who have had lots of antibiotics or people on PPI's. That's me (Nexium). A PPI is a proton-pump inhibitor which is what you take when you have bad acid reflux. The decrease in stomach acid can allow the nasty bacteria to multiply. On the other hand, I could have more problems being able to breathe if I do any less than I am currently doing to cut down on acid reflux. Ironic, huh?

Is this it?

There is a scripture that states, "For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming." There are other similar references. As I have become aware of horrible diseases, I always wonder which is the scourge the Lord is hoping will get our attention. Was it polio? Was it malaria? Is it AIDS or any of the STD's? How about the "super bugs" that seem to be cropping up lately now that our wonderful vaccines and antibiotics have killed off the wimpy plagues? Lately I have learned of another possibility- it's called C.diff which is a nickname for clostridium difficile. I don't know what the first word means but the second word is French for DIFFICULT and that's what this thing is! It's a bacteria that lodges in intestines and causes horrible diarrhea with fever and basic mind-confusion. It can be brought on by the extended use of antibiotics (and even proton pump inhibitors like I take for acid reflux) which tend to kill the stomach bacteria that are GOOD for us because they kill other nasty bacteria. Ironically, the only way to kill these bacteria is an even stronger antibiotic. Now for the nastiest part- the bacteria appear to have gone, by stool test results, BUT, they have only gone into hiding. They hide out in little pockets of the intestine then as soon as you have any even slight illness that takes your immune system's attention, they start multiplying again. IT NEVER GOES AWAY! To make this even worse, the most prevalent place for this bacteria is hospitals and nursing homes. The very places people go to get better can give them something that will never go away and makes them slowly waste away with reccurrent diarrhea. It's like the old horror stories from before the medical professionals knew about keeping things sterile. Now we keep things sterile, spending billions of dollars a day on disposable everythings, and we have just whittled the diseases down to where we have this monster bacteria. We currently know of at least 3 people in our circle of acquaintance that have it. It is just so incredibly sad. We are just more and more anxious for the "brightness of His coming"!

Greek Festival

Today Russ and I went to a small Greek Festival. I really love Greek food and thought this would be interesting. The festival is sponsored by a Greek Orthodox Church that is trying to raise funds to build a church building. They are currently meeting in a slightly modified large steel building which they purchased from a Baptist Church. We paid our $2 each to enter the grounds then walked around looking at the various items displayed in booths: jewelry, some clothing, beautiful art (Greece with its stark white buildings layered on hillsides next to deep blue water is so strikingly beautiful!), as well as food. I wished for additional stomachs as well as a bottomless purse so I could try everything available! We ended up getting just one gyro and one Greek salad to share along with a large bottle of water. (It was 99 degrees and the sun was very intense.) I know I always get gyros- but that's because I so like them and really don't have them very often. (Maybe twice a year..??) However, I have vowed that the next time I go to a Greek restaurant, I will try something else. We were grateful for the awnings set up over many tables lined with chairs so we could sit in the shade to eat. It was not disappointing! Then, for dessert we each got a "baklava sundae". Who knew ice cream could be Greek?! It was vanilla ice cream drizzled with honey and sprinkled with bits of baklava (phlyllo dough with walnuts). It tasted wonderful and the cool ice cream felt so good in our mouths.
Shortly after eating, there was a "tour" of the church. It wasn't so much a walk around to see the inside of the church as it was a chance to get into air conditioning, sit in comfortable seats and learn a little about exactly what and "orthodox" church is. I found it very interesting. I have to admire the church members who are diligently seeking to remain "orthodox" according to the written and traditional history of the original church as established by Jesus Christ 2 millenia ago. They believe, as I do, that Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of all who accept Him as their Savior. They believe, as I do, that Jesus was resurrected and that we will be, too. They believe, as I do, that Jesus Christ will again come to the earth and there will be a time when all we be judged and assigned a "mansion" accordingly. Their belief in "Saints" is to use them as role models, not worship them or pray to them. I think that's cool. They have "icons" all over their walls which are elaborate paintings of saints as well as Jesus. The priest emphasized that they do not pray to any of these depictions. They are just there as reminders of what kinds of people they should follow, especially Jesus.
We stood outside after the "tour" and baked in the heat for a little while waiting for the Greek folk dancers. I don't know if there were any adult dancers that performed later, but the children we watched were really cute. Their costumes were fairly elaborate, especially considering the heat! Because all of the shady seats were taken by this time, we sat in the broiling sun. I don't do well in intense sun. After 30 minutes, I was starting to feel nauseous. The children were done but we didn't stay to see if there was going to be anything else. Oh, and the whole time outside of the dancers with their accompanying music, there was a 2-man band playing Greek music. It's amazing how one keyboardist and one stringed instrumentalist (it's like a guitar but shaped like a balalaika), both of whom can also sing, can be sufficient to produce music non-stop hour after hour. And it sounded pretty good to me! I kept my toes tapping the whole time when I stood still or sat.
I had a thought as I was enjoying the food there. Last night we were generously treated to dinner by neighbors for whom we watered plants and stuff while they were gone a few weeks. We went to a Texas Roadhouse, basically a steak house. We were grateful to be taken to a place that was definitely a little more than just eating at Taco Bell or Subway. However, (you guessed this was coming, didn't you?) we were pretty turned off at the volume level and the seasoning on the food. Whereas the food we ate at the Greek festival today, like the food we ate over the summer in Italy, was delicately seasoned with herbs, lemon juice, and other pleasant but subtle flavorings, the food in the steak house was like the atmosphere: in-your-face loud and obnoxious. The music was pretty loud hence the conversation at each table was loud, everybody trying to be heard. The meat and vegetables in my shish kebab were an assault on my tongue. Russ had steak fries that were way too heavily seasoned with some kind of seasoned salt. (The rolls were really good, though.) It's no wonder that Americans have gotten a reputation all over the world for being loud and showy. It's good that we have confidence. It's good that we are not afraid to step in and help, which we do a LOT!! But I think it would be nice for us to be a little simpler, a little more humble, a little better at listening and pondering, maybe going at a little slower pace, too.

Unsung Heroes

Parents of infants and toddlers all complain at some point about the undesirable task of diaper changing. It is certainly the least pleasant part of caring for children, no matter how adorable they may be. The task gets less and less pleasant as the children get older. The parents all breathe a sigh of relief when potty training is successful and , other than some brief teaching moments on the necessity of thorough wiping, the parent can disassociate themselves with the whole process.
At the other end of life, the need for very personal assistance in this unpleasant task arises once again. Every day as Russ and I visit the care facility where Mom is staying, we see men and women who have chosen a career to help people but their everyday tasks require spending considerable time helping people who can no longer deal with bodily functions on their own. Changing the "poopy" diaper of a 6-month old is much easier than dealing with a 200 pound 85-year old. We see these people, paid only slightly more than minimum wage, deal with all kinds of unpleasant tasks all day every day with multiple people, some are constipated, some have diarrhea, some soak through their clothes and everything onto the floor. Then there's the spitting up, throwing up, coughing and hacking, and having to examine every sore and rash. I have long realized a gratitude for the men who brave the overpowering odor of garbage to take away MY refuse in a big truck so I no longer have to look at, smell, or deal with it in any way. Now I am developing an even greater gratitude and respect for those who actually pay money and expend years of study and training to have the privilege of wiping butts and changing soiled bedding. We pay some flashy-dressed public idol millions of dollars for singing a song or pretending to be someone else well in a movie. But these people that do what we cannot or choose not to do get paid a mere pittance and, even worse, often are ignored or possibly disrespected because they have not worked enough to achieve the full title of "Doctor".
I cannot pay them with more money. The ones that help my mother are working in the facility that takes people who cannot pay the high price of a really picturesque care center. I have no more money than they do. But what I can do is appreciate them, not just by saying thank you once in awhile. I can also treat them with respect and acknowledge their efforts in a very real and personal way when I speak to them. They are providing a great service to society.

Our twilight dinner cruise

Since our birthdays are less than a week apart and we don't have any needs or desires to collect any more "stuff", we decided to celebrate with an experience rather than a party, cake, or presents. We found out about a "paddleboat cruise" on a lake not far from Phoenix- surprisingly. We made reservations and, on the appointed day, set out on a drive to find Canyon Lake. As we left signs of civilization, we began to worry about whether we were on the right path. The picture below shows what all of the landscape looked like, with the exception of the lake in the background. All we saw was rocks, sand, cacti and other desert plants under a hot sun.
When we saw the lake in the distance, we breathed a great sigh of relief. Our reservations requested that we arrive at 4:30 and it was nearly 4:00 before we saw any sign of water. The Snake River has been dammed in several different spots, the Canyon Lake being one of the results of a dam. We got our "boarding passes" and climbed aboard the Dolly Steamboat at 5:00. The 2 1/2 hour cruise included dinner and some beverages for $60 per person. We were pretty thirsty so were pleased at the serve-yourself lemonade and water containers immediately available. (There was also coffee and iced tea. Alcoholic beverages and soda were available for a fee.) The boat left the dock and slowly made its way toward what looked like the end of the lake. We began to wonder if we were just going to go in slow circles to make the trip last 2 1/2 hours. But as we neared what looked like the end of the lake, we saw the opening around the high canyon walls and continued along the river for over an hour. As it started getting dark, they turned on lights on the boat. They were the rope-style Christmas lights so they were subtle and romantic. They played pleasant music, at a comfortable volume to allow conversation, interspersed with a smooth-voiced tour guide explaining some of the sights along the way.


I guess this picture makes me look sad but I was definitely not sad. I was feeling very pleasantly relaxed, something I too rarely feel. They had a barbeque grill on the fantail and were soon cooking filet mignon and chicken breasts. Since it took some time to have everything prepared, we were glad for the availability of purchasing snacks and tried to stave off the hunger (made worse by the smell of barbeque) with a little package of cashews and a bag of chips. Each passenger got both meats, along with salad, baked potato, green beans (they were too spicy for me but Russ was able to eat them), roll, then apple pie for dessert, a nice meal.

The boat was sufficiently large to carry passengers enough to be profitable but small enough to be fairly intimate. We did wonder, after having driven some very twisty, narrow roads with several hairpin curves, how they ever got the boat out to this surprising body of water in the midst of desert mountains???

Being courageous

There are two major "parts" of each of us which make up who we are. We have a body/clay tabernacle/biological collection of molecules which is ordered by chemicals/hormones and blood. That part of us feels temperature, exhaustion, rage, pain, fear, and euphoria to name just a few. We also have a spirit/soul/God-seed/conscience which is ordered by thought/intention/choice. Remember the old cartoons with the little devil on one shoulder and the little angel on the other, both whispering in some confused character's ear? The reason one is characterized as devil and the other angel is because we have opposing impulses, one basically good and the other basically bad. Our body, or natural man as it is referred to in the scriptures, responds to very self-centered motivations. If we are hungry we eat, sometimes too much simply because we crave the taste. If we are angry, we lash out with words or actions which may harm someone even to the point of being fatal because we don't control the anger. If we don't motivate our body, we can be very lazy and subject to inertia because our body would rather just rest and be "comfortable". The spirit part of us is not nearly as loud and insistent as the body, especially if we tend to ignore it. We have a conscience that pricks us a little when we are about to tell a lie or when we are grabbing for that second piece of cake. It doesn't shout or force us so it's pretty easy to just shut it out. That "still, small voice" (as it is called in the scriptures) is the part of us that we inherited from the God in whose image we were created. It is the part we can choose to develop in order to "be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven"..... or not. We can choose to remain immersed in the chaos of appetites, passions, and influences that totally overwhelm the whisperings of our potential to be like our Father or our Brother, Jesus.
Last night Russ and I watched an excellent movie, thanks to our daughter Angela's thoughtful birthday gift. As I have thought about the movie, I have imagined various people that I love watching the movie and reacting to it. The movie, entitled "Courageous", has to do with the purposeful decision on the part of a group of men to resolve to be involved fathers- not just hunters or gatherers, not just providers and disciplinarians. So often a man feels that being a father consists of not letting his children starve to death or go naked or get beaten; and being a "good" father means providing their kids with all the toys they want. I wondered about the influence the movie might have on those who would choose to go to watch it. The movie could make it "popular" for men to be involved in the lives of their children to the point of teaching them and encouraging them in many positive ways to be honest, hard-working, faithful, sincere men. That led me to think about what "popular" means. Unfortunately, most of the time, "popular" means appealing to that natural man part of us, because it's louder and more easily accessible, more tempting. Why would a man want to move out of his "comfort zone" by speaking to others, even his own children, about feelings, goodness, service to others? Don't men usually prefer to discuss sports, weather, politics,etc. in traditionally loud, boisterous fashion?
I fully support those who are trying to make righteousness "popular". I would so love to live in a society of people who don't have to be afraid because no-one would harm anyone else. I would so love to live in a society of people who are forgiving and caring toward one another. Unfortunately, I think it's unlikely that the world in general has the inner strength to control that natural man tendency to anger, greed, slothfulness, and lust. But I am ever grateful for others, like me, who want to go beyond a vague awareness of good, who want to go beyond even just an acknowledgement of the existence of Jesus Christ as a Savior and Mediator for all of mankind. I am grateful for those who seek to become like Him and encourage others to do the same.

Reverence or respect

Recently I heard about a comment from someone who had observed an LDS family's children as being "so well-behaved". Now, I would be the first to say that certainly not ALL LDS children could always be so categorized. However, I have pondered the behavior of Latter Day Saints, children and adult, in comparison to the the general population. There is something to be said for being taught reverence and obedience. I'm not talking about being brow-beaten into submission. There are very few Latter Day Saints that would not have the courage to speak up about anything they had opinion on. But as we learn about God and His expectations of us, and we learn about our potential as His children, we learn the importance of respect. We are humbled to know that there is much to understand that we don't yet understand. There are many who are more capable and knowledgeable than we are. At the same time, we know that God wants us to be like He is. If in all His wisdom and power, He tells us to be like He is, He must think us capable of doing just that. And as an extension of that awareness of our own potential, we realize that the person next to us has that same potential. We must give the same respect to him/her for their potential that we would expect to be given. Unfortunately, not everyone has yet fully embraced their own potential, much less that of the people around them. As a result, we have disrespect and all the bad stuff that follows- rudeness, abuse, prejudice, hate, etc.
I know it's a minor thing, but the simple act of being quiet and reverent when someone is praying is a big step toward respect. It doesn't matter if they are praying aloud or silently. It doesn't matter what religion they are, either. What matters is an awareness that they are making the effort to address Deity and we should not interrupt. We have become such a loud, self-centered society that we neglect to even be aware that we are interrupting. Instead of giving our full attention to anyone, we talk or text on our phones when we should be acknowledging the cashier in front of us or the child holding our hand or the friend walking with us. God is having to be more and more insistent just to get our attention- thunderings, lightnings, tempests, tsunamis, floods, famines, pestilence, earthquakes!! Maybe we should shut up and listen more. Maybe we should be sure our children understand that respect means to be aware of someone outside themselves and treat them the way they would wanted to be treated. Maybe that could go a long way to improve general world conditions. Maybe we could be more peaceful and happy. That would be nice.

Taking turns

I haven't written anything here for awhile. I fear I may be falling prey to the "abbreviated communication" disease brought on by Facebook, texting, etc. I don't text but I have been only taking the time to "share" a thought or report an activity in 1-4 sentence bursts. It would be sad if we were to lose the ability or desire to have a lengthy thought or conversation.
Last time I wrote about sponges and I alluded to people who are NOT sponges. I am grateful that, among the people I communicate with most often- basically family members, we manage to take turns needing a shoulder to cry on, a sympathetic ear, or simply a sounding board for venting frustration. When Russ and I were living in Dayton, we relied quite a bit on our older daughter to encourage us, offer a distraction, or just show us love. We ran into many "bumps" in the road of life there: problems with the remodeling, frustrations with a church community that was a bottomless pit of need, and a dishonest business partner that drove us into bankruptcy. Angela called us every day and often invited us for a meal or family activity. She and various members of her family were nearly always available to come to help when we needed it. We have tried to reciprocate but, somehow it never seems like what we give is nearly equal to what we have received. She is now living in a place she really dislikes but we are too far away to either visit her or invite her over. Phone calls, e-mails, and notes in the mail are the extent of what we can do right now.
Victoria had lots of rough moments after Ammon died. We were all pretty grief-stricken but there was no comparison to what she had to deal with. She often needed help in all forms from lots of people. I did what I could to support and help her. Now I sometimes feel that love and support back when I am feeling frustrated or discouraged. I can always talk to her and she encourages me.
It works well that it's rare for us to all be miserable at once. Sometimes in the effort to cheer someone else up, we end up discouraged ourselves. Russ and I do that. We often take turns dragging each other along through hard times. I think that's why God thought it would be a good idea to be married and have a family. We can be intimate enough to know HOW to lift someone else when they need it. Sometimes we do stumble after having helped someone else up, but then we can take our turn receiving a hand-up. It's really nice to have people in my circle of friends and family that I know will give me love and support when I need it. I'm grateful for the loving words I receive, whether over the phone, in person, over the internet, or in the mail. God always answers prayers and it's often through another person. Thank you, God, and thank you to loved ones who do what He would have you do.

Sponges

I have observed that there are sometimes people that come into your life that are like sponges. I hesitate to name anyone specific because I'm just needing to spout off and don't want to hurt anyone. I have known people who seem to be bottomless pits of need. They seem incapable of making good decisions for themselves or they lack confidence or the ability to think well. It seems they are always in need of encouragement, help, praise, or reassurance. I know I have been the recipient of all of those things but I sincerely hope I have never been a sponge, soaking up whatever someone else could offer to the point of their feeling depleted and glad to be distanced from me. I have known people who are so pessimistic and critical that they rarely have anything to offer that can give anyone hope or cheer. It requires a great deal of spiritual strength to not fall into feelings of despair when with them for repeated or extended times. It feels like being under a very dark cloud. I have know people who seem so tired or lacking in energy that it feels like you can never do enough for them and they would certainly not be anyone you could count on to do something for you except under very dire circumstances, and that's doubtful. You feel like every move is a tremendous effort or inconvenience. Being around them makes you feel like either taking a nap just to make time pass or run away to be where there is life and energy- even if it means being alone! I don't know if there is any remedy for sponges. I know we all have seasons in our lives when we are on top then on the bottom, when we are excited and hopeful or we are frightened and doubtful. But it's nice to have people in my life who would step right in to pick me up if I fell, physically or mentally or emotionally or spiritually. I know even the people who are provide an encouraging background to my daily thoughts and activities have issues to deal with and might need MY help or reassurance or encouragement. I really don't mind. I really like to help others, especially those who have helped me in even the smallest ways. But sponges are really a drag. I may love them very dearly but it's exhausting being around them.

Reflections on a rodeo

Yesterday Russ and I attended our first rodeo. As I explained to an interesting couple we met there, it's not that we are "city-slickers". We have spent some time around cows and have ridden horses a little. We just had never experienced a real western rodeo. The weather was good. We had to drive 2 hours to get to the rodeo and it was enough higher in altitude to be 20-30 degrees cooler than the oven here in Sun City. There was a little rain partway through the performance but it was warm enough to be acceptable and we were both happy we had worn hats. (It was to keep the sun off our faces but it worked for the rain, too.) As we lined up at the gates to leave, it finally broke into a downpour but the timing was just fine to have avoided interfering with the show. Now I know it's not appropriate to judge a book by its cover but there were some men there with pretty fine "covers"! They had muscles you could see right through their comfortable shirts and jeans. There were very few tattoos, weird hairdos, black clothes, heavy jewelry, or any other extreme attempts at getting attention. Most of the females were pretty normal, too. There were a few examples of skimpy or tight clothing to show off large chests or skinny waists or whatever they were trying to show off. But for the most part, they were just regular, clean-faced, down-to-earth people. We were amazed right at the start when they requested that hats be removed so they could have a prayer! Right there in public, over the loud speaker! Then they paraded around with the American flag and people just automatically stood up- all the way through the singing of the national anthem, too. And that was sung a capella (without accompaniment- even the pre-recorded kind) by a young lady in modest cowgirl style clothing. She sang with a clear soprano voice without any of the excessive wabblings that seem prevalent among entertainers today. It was simply the national anthem, not somebody's rendition of it.
We saw roping steers solo and as teams. We saw girls riding incredibly fast around big barrels. We saw riders hanging on for dear life to a rope on bucking bareback horses, saddled horses, then the final throat-in-your-heart huge bulls. These were all "rodeo cowboys", not working cowboys. In other words, this is what they do for a living! Russ commented several times, and I totally agreed, it's a heck of a way to earn a living. I would think they would have broken necks and backs and bruises all over the place. We saw a guy get stepped on by a bucking beast. He limped out of the arena with help. One of the ropers got his hand burned badly enough that he couldn't hold the reins with it.
They talked about being grateful for the men and women who serve our country. They talked about being grateful for freedom. The people applauded and encouraged the guys who failed to lasso their target or the ones who fell off their ride too early to qualify for a time ranking. They talked about loving family and how wonderful kids are. There were some kids, aged 5-13, who rode sheep. None of them stayed on very long but they were cheered whole-heartedly by the crowd. The announcer also talked a lot about the animals involved. He praised their beauty and called them "animal athletes". I realize there are probably people who would criticize rodeos. I didn't see any evidence of animals being hurt. I just thought that this is the result of a long tradition of trying to make a community entertainment out of what some people have worked hard to accomplish in their everyday life for many years. It was a way of validating the skills that are normally accomplished without any fanfare.
We had a good time. I can't say we'll become real enthusiasts because we like music better. But we had a good time. I just wish I had remembered to take the camera...............

Commercialism at its finest!

Yesterday we went to see some parts of downtown Berlin. There is a "department store" called KaDeWe that is the largest store in Germany. It certainly would rival NY's Macy's or whatever other store you would find in a large metropolitan area. I'm only including a picture of the outside because we spent most of our time on the inside simply trying to comprehend what we were seeing. As you enter on the ground floor, there are walled-off sections devoted to Dior, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, etc. We never even bothered looking at anything. We headed for the escalators and went to the top floor where the edible goods were. It's hard to describe because I have never seen anything like it. There was a huge section just for countless varieties of teas from all over the world. There were sections for candy, separate sections for various countries as well as an area specifically for Godiva chocolates and a couple of areas for bulk bins for the less expensive candies. Some things were not even recognizable to me and since I don't speak/read German and everybody in our family group was also busy looking around, I don't know what the things were that I saw. There were several of what I would call deli counters where you could get everything from seafood to cheese to exotic desserts- including chocolate tortes with gold dust or some kind of cheesecake decorated with fresh raspberries with gold caps on them. Scattered through the top floor were dining areas where people could order things in that area to eat. There was a section for foods from the USA with prices WalMart shoppers would gasp at! We flinched at whole tongues and other anatomical parts of various animals in coolers. There was a whole "store" area for coffees. Susanne bought a couple of interesting candies which looked a little like logs of fudge, one brown and one green, but both topped with nuts. We then went down a couple of floors to the electronics where there were tvs that did things I didn't fully understand. Some were 3-D televisions but some tried to show the difference between being adjustable to the scene (lighting, contrast, etc.) or regular tv. We thought the supposed "improved" version was too artificial looking. Prices were around $1000 and up. We never even stopped at the clothing or household goods. It was enough just to have seen the areas we looked at. Jarom (the oldest grandchild in this family) and I talked about how uncomfortable we felt in the store.We walked from there to a restaurant for some lunch. It was a newly-opened American-style burrito place. I got a burrito bowl with cilantro and lime rice, black beans, and lime chicken with a lemonade flavored with mint to drink. The burrito bowl was really good and, fortunately for me, not too spicy. Russ and I both got the mint lemonade and didn't really care for it. The mint was too strong and there didn't seem to be much sugar in it. From there we drove to a car dealership someone had told James and Susanne about.
The bottom 3 pictures are all from the Berlin Mercedes dealership. The picture above shows just some of the fun things for children to do while their parents "shop". Louisa took a "driver course" and then was allowed to drive one of the electric cars around a course set up to look like a little village. Jarom and Nicholas were too big for that and preferred the race car simulators, anyway. The climbing walls weren't operating when we were there.


Unless I had seen it for myself, I would have had a difficult time comprehending a car dealership with this type of formal dining available. I didn't include the more "casual" cafe on the ground floor. There were too many people there and I didn't want to be rude taking a picture of them eating. I saw lots of sales people around but not one person looked like they were going to buy a car. I thought it must be very boring to work there.


This is just an overall picture taken from one of the upper levels. I think the highest sticker price was over $200,000. I am all in favor of capitalism. I think it's good incentive for people to try harder so they can succeed in having a "better life". I would not try to make laws forcing people to be all on the same economic level (socialism). However, I am ashamed of my fellow human beings who never work hard enough to provide for themselves and are willing to accept welfare and even feel entitled to it simply because they are alive and breathing. On the other hand, I am ashamed of my fellow beings who have excessive money to the point that they buy things most people in the world don't even know exist. I'm not sure just how it has all come reached such wide disparity. I know there has almost always been some form of classism and economic extremes. These days we hear regular reports of economies in the world in jeopardy. I think a lot of that is due to excess spending on the part of governments and individuals. There could be enough and to spare to prevent anyone on the earth from starving, even in drought or flooded areas. There could be enough to provide clothing and shelter for everyone. People do not need a $500 purse or $200,000 car. People need jobs so they can eat and have a roof over their heads- not caviar at $400 a tin and not several homes in several countries that they only occasionally visit. I don't know how it will ever even out. It's going to take a major worldwide change. I hope it's soon.

Obedience with or without the Spirit

I have just finished reading 2 novels involving Orthodox Jews. Also, I recently watched a segment of 60 Minutes concerning an isolated community of monks who spend their entire lives studying scripture, memorizing scriptures and prayers, and singing psalms.
I consider myself to be a person of faith. I realize there are many people in the world, many faiths in the world, and many differing opinions. Although I rely somewhat on my intellect to determine how I will live my faith, I don't think that is enough. Obedience to what we interpret as God's rules is certainly a good start but it can be shallow and causes separation rather than a "unity of faith". In yeshivas, where Jews study, "laws" are determined in a similar way to our judicial system. There is the original writings of a prophet which are studied and analyzed. Then there is great discussion, sometimes quite heated, until a winner is proclaimed, often utilizing writings of past teachers (rabbis). So what you end up with , is someone's interpretation of God's law- whoever is the best at arguing, just as in a court of law justice isn't always done nor truth determined but the winner is whoever was best at arguing. Paul said (Romans 2:28-29) "For he is not Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."
As for separating ourselves from the world, that may be a form of worship but it is not serving God because He has told us to be "in the world but not of the world". I could cite so many scriptures about loving others, serving others, clothing the naked, etc. It's "easier" to be worshipful, quiet, patient when we're alone or only with others who are like-minded, but how can we teach those who most need it? Christ said He came to heal the sick for the well hath no need of a physician.
When we pray for and rely on the Spirit, we will come closer to being one with God and Christ than any other way. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We can't rely only on studying the scriptures because we only understand them according to our limited experience and knowledge. We can't rely on just trying to be separate from the evils of the world because we are not truly serving anyone but ourselves. Being obedient to the letter of the law is better than no obedience. But striving to feel the Spirit, praying for guidance from the Lord (not only asking the opinions of others, no matter how learned), and studying words from prophets ("whether by mine own mouth or the word of my servants, it is the same) which have already answered lots of our questions and given us lots of guidance-- all those things together will bring us peace within, peace with others, and oneness with God. Unfortunately, it won't make us popular with "the world" any more than Jesus and his apostles were. But that's a choice we make.

Picturesque Potsdam

Aha- I figured out how to get the picture on top that I want on top! This afternoon, while the weather is sunny and pleasant, we went on a river/lake cruise in Potsdam. Above you can see us getting on the boat. Then the two pictures below are just two of the lovely castles that have been built along the water.
The one above is apparently undergoing some cleaning or restoration. It is currently being used as a fine restaurant.
They were all built by some person of royal position. Most of them in the late 1800's or early 1900's. If I had been royalty during that time, I would have wanted a residence in this gorgeous area, too. There are 2 lakes connected by a river and with several canals going off the sides. The area is primarily used for recreation now. At one time there was fishing and other industries along the water that used barges for transportation. Today there were lots of sailboats, motor boats, big tour boats, canoes, people swimming, and it was all very beautiful. There are some bridges connecting islands and crossing the waterways in several places. One of the bridges was one we saw when we were here before, called the "spy bridge" because it ended up right on the line between East and West after WWII and was used as an exchange place to return captured spies during the Cold War. Even wars that are "cold" are unpleasant.

More views from the tower

Okay, this is so annoying! I purposely placed two of these photos to be next to each other but they didn't end up that way! Grrr! The photo above is of a view from the Victory tower. You can see the Brandeberg gate at the end of the street and some other famous buildings- maybe too small to pick them out so I won't bother trying to describe them to you. But I wanted to include the tv tower because it was constructed by the Soviets after WW II. Obviously, since there was no tv to broadcast before then. The photo below is the Sony Center where we go to see the movies here. Below the theater is a cool Lego shop. Also in the picture you can see the hot air balloon that originates closer to Checkpoint Charlie and the remnant of the Berlin wall. It's tethered and, for a price, you can go up in it to see the surrounding area. Climbing all the steps to the top of the tower was cheaper, 3E each (about $5), but more work!
The last picture in this blog was taken in Vilnius, Lithuania. You can see a tv tower, eerily similar to the one in Berlin. It, too, was erected by Soviets. If you go back through old blogs all the way to 5 or 6 years ago when we went to Lithuania, you can see when I posted the tv tower photo there along with a different Victory statue. War is such a major part of the history of humankind. It's really sad.

Victory Tower

Today James took most of the day off and , despite not feeling well, we did some sightseeing. The weather forecast for the remainder of our time here is not too promising so we needed to do some things while the sun was shining. This morning we went to the Victory Tower. We drove by this when we were here in 2009 but it was surrounded by scaffolding, it was cold out, and we didn't feel like going up in it. Today we climbed the 292 steps from ground level to get to the top where we had an awesome view of Berlin. Here is Jarom on a landing partway up the tower.This is a view from up on the tower.

This is the tower itself. It was built over 100 years ago as a memorial of battle victories over Austria, Denmark, and France. During WWII they actually hung camoflage from the top of the tower to the surrounding trees to prevent Allied bombers from being able to use it as a landmark. I can't imagine how they managed to do that. When some of the troops entered the city, there was considerable damage done to the tower. You can still see pockmarks in the marble and brass parts from the bullets. They have restored the mosaics. It's really beautiful.

Normal activities

We don't go sightseeing every day, fortunately. It's lovely and enlightening but tiring to go here and there all the time- expensive, too. (James is wonderfully generous!) We have been to two movies here at the huge theater that shows movies in English: Cars2 and the last Harry Potter movie. Above we are doing our family home evening activity which was Beatles Rock Band and Band Heroes. We had fun. I am posting the two pictures below mostly for my other grandsons. They are all really into Legos and are very creative. I thought they could see what Nicholas came up with- a rubber band gun. When he first made it, it was the size of a pistol. But he kept working on it. Every day it got a little large and more lethal. It has a trigger mechanism and storage for additional "ammunition". Quite clever!

Russ was doing weeding outside and got the camera to take a photo of me cleaning windows.
It has rained more days than not since being here, although it was gorgeous in Italy the week we were there. We tried to make the best use of a day or two of sunshine. We also prepared for a lovely barbeque dinner hosting the Americans that work with James in the embassy with their families. Susanne did her usual incredible job making food: homemade rolls, tabouli, a corn and bean salsa type salad, an unusual fruit salad of blueberries and currants and wild peaches, a lovely green salad with feta and glazed walnuts, barbequed turkey kabobs and chicken breasts, and cupcakes for dessert- chocolate with chocolate frosting and yummy lime cupcakes with mango frosting. We had very little leftover!

Summer Palace

Okay, this is really bugging me. I know I downloaded these photos in a different order than they came out. Oh well, I will adjust my narrative accordingly. The picture above was taken when we were last here in Berlin for Christmas 2009. James and Susanne brought us to the summer palace because it is famous, even though the gardens were not very lovely at that time of year. I put this picture in to show the difference to what we got to see this time. The photo below shows a few of the flowers there.

This bottom photo shows a similar view to the picture on the top, only much greener.
On the grounds of the palace is a building called the Orangerie where the king had orange trees (hence the name) along with other exotic plants to supply food for residents of the palace. When we visited this time, the grounds in front of the palace were profuse with edible plants: herbs, chard, cabbages, edible flowers, etc.- all very lovely and ornamental. It was tempting to grab some samples to take home!

Thoughts of peace

Blessed are the peacemakers...... I really prefer peace to contention. It's not that I think everybody should be mindless clones. Different ideas can enrich life tremendously. The difficulty comes in figuring out how to handle differences. You can either try to just ignore them, find a middle ground to agree on (compromise), or have a battle to determine the winner. The method is determined by the seriousness of the issue, the personalities of the parties involved, and sometimes the situation or timing.
I tend to be like an ostrich who puts their head in the sand (from what I understand, that is actually a myth- ostriches don't do that) or a kid who hides their head under the covers. I try to avoid conflict hoping it will just go away. However, I realize that may help to prevent all-out war but it does not create a lasting peace. When we become acquainted with people who have very different opinions from our way of thinking, on many issues or very crucial issues, we tend to decide not to encourage much of a relationship with them. We just don't have enough in common to become good friends. It becomes more difficult when the person is someone we have regular contact with: a neighbor, a co-worker, a family member. Avoiding discussion of contended issues will avoid outright arguments but it also slowly develops walls. In the effort to avoid topics, you put up a caution sign, "Don't go there!" Over time, that can grow. You find it's easier to avoid talking altogether rather than risk treading into what could become troubled waters. Hence, walls are formed and relationships weaken. With fewer common experiences and less frequent heartfelt conversations, you grow in different directions, apart from each other.
Compromise can be effective, but it only works when both parties are willing to respect the other enough to discuss the issue in a civil enough manner to avoid bad feelings. It requires acknowledging some validity of the other's point of view enough to concede a point here or there so that a middle ground can be reached. When you expect a relationship to be continuing (you aren't quitting a job nor is your co-worker, your neighbor isn't moving right away nor are you, family members... well, that's obvious) you have to be able to forgive endlessly because there are often deep emotions involved. One can get angry and say something harsh. One can feel hurt and want to hurt back. If you want the relationship to continue, you must be willing to recognize the hurt, apologize when you are the one that caused it (apologizing for the hurt the other feels but not necessarily the opinion or idea you expressed if it was valid), and have a sincere desire to work things out. It would be easier if we all liked the same color/flavor/style of furniture or wanted to work things out the same way, but the truth is that conflict is unavoidable. Pain is unavoidable. However, all-out war should not ever be unavoidable. It is a choice. We may have shaky truces at times, but we don't have to have vicious attacks and powerful defenses. That should be a very last resort gone into with the full knowledge that damage will be done, some of which may take a very long time to recover from, if ever.
This way of reasoning doesn't come easily. Children don't recognize it. Many adults don't even think deeply enough to work out differences. We too often feel that whatever way we think or do things is the best way, or we may simply not want to make the effort to listen to another idea and think about it. Sometimes someone else's idea is one we have already tried or at least considered so we feel it unnecessary to entertain the idea. (Then the only effective method to avoid contention is to communicate; explain that you have already considered the idea or, on the other side, listen to someone else's explanation realizing they are not putting down your idea. On the contrary, they thought enough of it to have considered it already! )
All this is just desperate ramblings. I keep praying to have more of the wisdom that Heavenly Father has. I truly want to see people in the loving, hopeful way that God and Jesus Christ see them. I don't have any problem loving people but I don't know how to deal with destructive behavior whether toward self or others. I continue to love people even if they're mean, but I prefer avoiding them. I continue to love people who indulge in self-destructive behaviors, but it hurts to be around them so I would rather avoid them. I just need to know how to act and react. I want to be loving and encouraging but I don't want to be patronizing or false in any way. I believe in high moral standards because I truly believe we are all capable of them and we would have a better world with them. I don't want to relax them because they may make someone else uncomfortable. I want to improve, not backslide. I want encouragement to do that, not criticism for my goals and I want to do the same for others. True love doesn't destroy others, it builds them up to be better. That's the kind of world I want.

True religion

True religion is not what church's list your name is on. It's not what you know. It's who you are, all day, every day. When Russ and I were investigating the LDS Church, one of the most striking things I first noticed was the involvement of men with children. I remember a man in the choir, standing through an entire song holding a sleeping child. Today in church here in Berlin, I noticed a man in a pew in front of me holding a young daughter and caressing the hair of another one. Previous to that he had passed the sacrament to them while their mother was out with the youngest daughter. It was so nice to see a man showing pure affection to a child. I have been blessed to be raised as a part of an extended family that is very affectionate. I don't remember much about my grandfather's family but my grandmother's family was a large Irish family that laughed and hugged a lot. I have never liked the idea some people embrace of children being simply "tolerated" until they are more mature and sophisticated. I believe in discipline and teaching, but in the meantime, children's enthusiasm can be truly delightful. I know I just posted a blog about being proud of my children but I just wanted to reiterate how glad I am for the kind of people my children are. Christ loved children- not for their childish self-centeredness or loud, obnoxious behavior- but for their purity, trust, and innocence. Ammon loved spending time with his kids and was patient in teaching them. He made them feel like they were important, and to him they were.


James is very affectionate with his children, too. He plays with them and teaches them. Today he lovingly straightened his boys' ties.
The big guy in the middle is John. I didn't raise him but I'm proud to have him as part of my family. He is fun, affectionate, and loving to children.
It is obvious upon first meeting Angela's family that her boys know their mother loves them. They are generally happy and secure. All Angela's nieces and nephews adore her, too. She doesn't have to lavish them with gifts to try to buy their affection. They just respond to her obvious concern for them as well as her loving attention.
Last, but not least, Lisa is a very loving, attentive mother. She is always willing to have other kids over to help out their parents and the kids are happy to be under her care.

Where your heart is, there is your treasure. If you value fame, fortune, or even worldly knowledge, that is where your allegiance lies. That is your "god"/ what you worship most. If you value love and relationships, you will get along well with God because His "work and glory" is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Love is of supreme importance to Him. He wants us to want to be with him...FOREVER! There is a scripture concerning these days that refers to men's hearts growing cold. Not in my family, thank God. I pray that won't ever happen, even if we don't always agree. I want to continue in love.

I'm glad

When my children were growing up, they sometimes resented my standards for cleaning. I tried to take the time with each child, at whatever age they were, to explain how to get things truly clean. Vacuuming the center of the floor was not sufficient. Dusting around things on the shelf (except books) was not sufficient. Corners were where spiders and other bugs, as well as mold and mildew collected so you should not ignore them. Over the years, I have done quite a bit of cleaning. I learned how by trial and error- spots I missed became obvious eventually. I also learned that the less frequently I cleaned, the harder it was to clean so keeping things clean was easier. Now I enjoy cleaning because I know how. I guess it's that way with most things. When you know how to do something, it's easier and quicker therefore less miserable. I have had many people appreciate my standards of cleanliness, often willing to pay me pretty good money to do it for them. Sometimes I have sensed resentment among my children once they reached independent adulthood, when I cleaned at their homes. Although I never said any such thing, they sometimes interpreted my cleaning as an implication that THEY didn't clean enough. I have had to clarify that with each one. Once they realize that my cleaning was a sincere effort to HELP, not criticize, they let go of any resentment and were grateful.
I am so proud of my children. Each one that I raised, male or female, knows how to clean and does it well. I do not have a hard time finding a clean place to sit or put down an object in their homes. They don't grumble about cleaning anymore. They know how to do it, and they just do it.

Some reflections

I don't have photos for this blog so if you are one that looks in just for the pictures, you can skip this one. I unfortunately forgot to pack my journal so I took some brief notes in a little notebook as I noticed things or had thoughts I wanted to remember. I will use this as a way of recording those observations.
In the bathroom in our apartment in Italy, there was a bidet. We don't normally use a bidet. There was only a shower, no tub, so when I needed to shave my legs, I decided the bidet was a perfect place to do that. For anyone who may not be familiar with this bathroom furnishing, it looks like a cross between a toilet and a sink. It's used for washing the parts of you that need cleaning after using a toilet. It worked well for shaving my legs.
When I first started noticing "SALDI" in store windows, I thought it was an advertisement for items of a certain designer or manufacturer available in that store. I was thinking it must be a very popular line of merchandise until I realized it was in nearly all the stores and was sometimes accompanied by numbers and percentage signs. Aha! It's Italian for "sale".
Russ and I are fascinated to watch construction and repair work here in Europe, comparing it to what we're accustomed to. At the Palazzo in Italy on Friday, the groundskeeper came to groom the lawn. He was an older man who arrived on a garden-size tractor that had a "wagon" attached to the back without wheels (it was welded onto the back of the frame). In it were his wife (we assumed) who wore a dress, a lawnmower, a broom, a weed trimmer, and some other tools. The man proceeded to mow, then trim, while the woman swept pathways and patios as well as sweeping loose leaves under larger bushes in the flower beds. They were very efficient and did a lovely job.
We have been constantly awed to consider that we have been looking at so many buildings (still inhabited and even updated to included electric, heating, air conditioning-not as common, and running water) all older that the age of the country we live in. There are walls and buildings and towers and roads and sidewalks that have been in existence for hundreds of years and are all still in use!
I guess Italy isn't the only place that has a "siesta" break in the day but we sometimes struggled with scheduling our activities to deal with it. Some places we wanted to go were closed in the early afternoon hours. We were a little frustrated at Italian kids joyfully and very loudly playing outside our bedroom windows until midnight or 1 in the morning. They had napped for several hours in the afternoon while we were trudging about, sightseeing. We tried to be quiet in the morningsince they were still sleeping as we drove away at 8 or 9 in the morning to spend the day traveling to yet another beautiful old Italian town.
I guess Russ and I will cling to our old-fashioned ways in some areas. Washcloths seem to be going out of style even in the homes of our children in the States. In Italy, we used a hand towel for a washcloth because there were no washcloths. We just prefer scrubbing our bodies with a washcloth rather than just liquid soap or a bar of soap or even one of those plastic net things. We also use it to dry off a bit before using the towel so we don't make the towel smelly so quickly because it has gotten so wet. Then we use it to wipe down the shower walls to help avoid water-spotting.
We have found some concepts that could be beneficial to Americans to adopt. For instance, obesity is more rare in Europe. Part of the reason is that they often eat more healthy than Americans- smaller portions and different foods. Another reason is that Europeans are generally more active. We noticed years ago when we first visited James's family in Switzerland, that everyone from the very young children to the grey-haired seniors skis. They also walk, a LOT, and ride bikes and generally spend more active time as families, on dates, with friends, etc. To accommodate that lifestyle, they even pull large enclosed trailers behind tour buses, for transporting ski equipment or bikes for traveling tourists.
One last little thing: when you stop along the highway here in Europe at gas station/rest stops, you have to "pay" to use the toilet. Initially this is annoying. Russ and I were glad that Susanne and James always had the right coins for us to use. However, as I thought about it, it's similar to Aldi's requiring a coin to use a shopping cart. Americans have found that annoying but it really helps to avoid the constant careless leaving of carts all over the parking lots. In addition to causing people to better appreciate the use of a public toilet so they hopefully won't indulge in graffiti or general mess-making, the gas stations offer an incentive of coupons that come automatically when you put the coin in the machine to get through to the bathroom. Those coupons can be used to purchase small items, candy being the favorite for our grandkids here, in the little mini-marts.
We will spend another 2 weeks here and are unlikely to visit Europe again. James has been posted in Europe twice so far so his next post will probably be some other part of the world. It has been a wonderful experience to see this part of the world. The only thing related to Europe that I might consider on my bucket list is a trip to Ireland. I have ancestors who emigrated from there and love Irish music and dancing. Maybe some day.....................

Our last day in Italy

Russ and I were pretty tired of trudging through old towns and fortresses after 4 days so on Friday, when James and Susanne and the kids were headed into Montepulciano again, we opted to stay at the "apartment" and do laundry. The clothesline was strung in the olive orchard.
The picture below was supposed to be the last one for this blog but I still don't know how to change things around! Anyway, for our last night there, we went to a local ice cream shop called Be-Bop and enjoyed our last taste of local gelatto. Really yummy!!
We spent part of our day, along with doing laundry and taking the opportunity to swim in the pool when it was empty of children or other people, watching a repair being done on a main waterline leak right in front of our window. Can you believe that traffic, cars as well as a large truck, got by this truck on the road while they were working?

San Gigmignano

On Thursday we went to two cities, the first of which was San Gimignano, called a Medieval Manhattan for its many towers. Reportedly, at one time there were as many as 73 towers there but we only counted less than a dozen. Still, when you consider building techniques available in the 13th and 14th centuries, this place was impressive. The photo below shows Susanne, Jarom, and me as we are working our way back down from one of the towers we climbed up in. Lots of stairs!

The thing I liked least about this town was the vendors. The town squares were packed full of umbrella-covered booths selling all kinds of merchandise, not just souvenirs but clothing and home linens and all kinds of stuff. We even went by a vending machine installed in a wall for selling condoms!

Siena

This was another lovely church in Italy. This one was especially striking for the colors on the outside which don't really show up well here. There was a sign for the many things that were forbidden inside the church. Sadly, too many people didn't obey these rules. People took pictures and weren't modest about what they wore- they were just tourists going into another beautiful old building.

The picture below is a tower we climbed up in- always climbing, climbing, climbing!

Cortona

Photographs are wonderful but they simply cannot fully give you the same experience as seeing something firsthand. Much of the regions of Italy we visited were endless fields of sunflowers, olive orchards, vineyards, and hayfields interspersed with hilltop villages.

This gives you a little perspective of how steep the climbs were- nearly all day every day. But it was so worth it!

This was the view from the top of a high place in Cortona.

Every time I upload pictures, they don't come out in the order I expect them to. It's pretty frustrating. Oh well..... if that's the worst thing I have to deal with, I'm fortunate indeed, eh? So the photo above is to show a major mode of transportation throughout Europe but this is Florence, or Firenze as the Italians say. Florence wasn't as bad as the smaller Medieval era towns we went to but it is sometimes a little scary having cars whiz by you when there is barely room to plaster yourself against a wall.

This is just an example of how we felt after trudging up steep steps, up hilly streets, through museums and fortresses. I stayed awake most of the time but occasionally I just succumbed to exhaustion, as did others in our little group.

This is not the picture I had planned to post but I can't find the one I wanted to use. Oh well..... You can see, between Susanne and me, Michelangelo's David. It's actually a replica because we were not willing to go in the very long line to see the original. Thanks to Susanne reserving tickets, we were able to go into the Uffizo Art Museum where it was truly amazing to see paintings actually done by daVinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and others that we have only read about or heard of remotely. However, it really isn't as much fun to go where you have to fight crowds and it really does get tiring to sight-see every day. But we wanted to make the most of what time we had in Italy because we will not likely ever return!