A New Beginning

Wow! Today I sort of feel like a "Grandma Moses." Here I am at 70 years of age and starting something totally new. I'd love to become a famous painter but that is not too likely. Since I do like the computer and all the available things on internet, I decided I would try this avenue of self-expression. I was introduced to blogs by one of my children. Oh, I had heard about it before but never thought I would like to do it. However, another one of our children and her husband gave me the encouragment to try it.
I have always wanted to write - a book or a newspaper column. I tried writing some articles at one point in my life and sent them off. What I got in return were some rejection slips. I know that many writers paper their walls with rejection slips before they have a hit, but I did not persevere. Anyway, here I am starting my "column." And I chose this name so I can write about anything that suits my fancy each day (or whenever).

When I was a teenager I loved a poem by Angela Morgan entitled "Today."

"To be alive in such an age!"

The poem continues with several stanzas, talking about miracles and challenges and the goings on of life. And I felt that! And now today, 2008, I feel that. As a teenager I had just seen my first TV- black and white-mind you! Who ever dreamed we would have living color and such clear screens! And the sizes, oh my! I'd never ridden in an airplane even though some of my friends had. Later, I remember when a friend opened a shop with a word processor where I could go to type a term paper. And with what excitement when my husband and I got our first computer. Once when our daughter was typing a school term paper and I got out our typewriter (electric) to work on some paper I had to prepare. Well, guess what? I decided I could wait to use the computer so I didn't have to turn the carriage and erase my crazy mistakes. And then another new marvelous addition to this age - the internet. Instant information - sometimes more than I ever wanted - but information, none the less. And new exciting things happening all the time.

We've had e-mails from friends we have made in places we've lived - Pakistan, India, and Greece. And news from classmates in Missouri where I grew up and in Idaho where my husband grew up. It's an amazing life and I am exciting to start a new adventure. My family teases me about the long letters I used to write. That's okay. They have a lot of family history in them. And now I'm going to use this new avenue for my love of writing.

Here it is 2008 and Glen and I are still in Citrus Heights, California. We love it here and hope we can stay forever. We had a wonderful trip this last week. We spend all day Thursday in the Temple and Saturday afternoon. Taking a trip takes lots of planning. This week we went south to visit Kathy and her family and then on to visit David and his family. The trip was wonderful. Friday it rained most of the way. But after that the days were sunny and warm. We love visiting our grandchildren. And it is fun to "eat out." Friday we had lunch at Carl's Jr. and on Monday we stopped for a long break at Sizzler's. And of course, on Tuesday we had to stop at Wendy's - we love their $ menu.

There were lots of trucks on the road from all over - Tennessee, Oregon, Washington, Mississippi, and Florida, just to name a few.

Coming home is wonderful and it is nearly time to begin a new month. I think I'll sign off for this first posting. I'll see if I can come up with a catchy phrase to end with each time. Right now I don't have one. But till next time!