Donna's Journey

May is gone.

I spoke to my mentor today.

I taught my last MHA class of the 2006-2007 school year.

It was peaceful walking on the smooth new blacktop tonight.

I had the goofiest dream last night and woke up laughing. Never had that happen before.

Julia and I had a wonderful three mile walk through the neighborhood, this morning. I love these morning chats. I came home and showered, while Roger started breakfast. I joined the family in time to help set the table.

After breakfast the boys requested a walk up the Provo River trail. So, off we went. The path is a paved parkway with three lanes, two for biking and one for walking/jogging. As one travels the path, it meanders from Utah Lake to Vivian Park up Provo Canyon, 14 miles long. You will see people on bikes, roller-blades, hiking, skate boards, jogging, walking, and more.

As we started up the path, my son called it the acorn path, because of all the mountain oak, and remember our autumn walks, when we collected acorns. I informed them that fall is the time we would find them. It was a delightful walk and everyone agreed that tomorrow would be a wonderful time for the next walk up the canyon. We were blessed with cool fragrant breezes. The wild roses were in bloom, soft pinks to deep pink. I had seen them in the fall and the blossoms were gone, but I thought that might be what they were. We collected a fragrant little bouquet to grace our mantel. I think I may add wild roses to my herb gardens. Excellent source of vitamin C.

There were all kinds of wild flowers. Where was my sketch book when I needed it? How dare I go unprepared! There were many differing bird sounds. We saw one raptor, then two, then three
in the sky near the cliffs.

The children loved finding huge rocks and dropping them from the bridge and making a enormous splash. At one point a path runs parallel to the bike and walking path. My children love to run up and down that trail and end at a huge boulder that they climb and stand on top. We walked and ran along a two mile portion of the trail, from the mouth of the canyon to the park at the lower dam and then back.

This afternoon was my last youth class for a while, unless we can get a fencing activity going. I sat an chatted with Becky for a while. We shared our summer plans. The best is yet to be!

When I got home from our canyon walk, a box of books and CDs arrived from Vision Forum. When I was talking to Rachel, about Daughter of a King: Princess Academy, at the Forum, she asked if I had checked out Vision Forum. I had checked out the site in the past. However, not recently. I was so busy with graduate work that I had not checked Vision Forum until after I turned in my Princess Academy materials. Last week I checked Vision Forum and they had a special on. “A Daughter of a King” package for 50% off. Curious, I ordered it. Now that everyone is off to Institute and Young Men’s, I can listen to the CDs. I am listening to Strength and Dignity for Daughters. It is powerful. I will enjoy going through the materials.

I should have my written materials back from college, next week. Then I do some polish and then make it available for those who have been waiting, especially those at a distance.

Roger, Julia, and I took a 1.5 mile walk in the cool of the night air. All in all, I walked around 6.5 miles today.

I woke at 5 am and debated on whether to rise, said my prayers, got some great insights, and went back to sleep. I woke later to eat breakfast with the family. Then Roger, Julia and I went to the Mt. Timpanogas Temple. When I got home I saw that Jennifer had weeded a fair section of the garden, alone. I watched Finding Camelot with Mary. She had borrowed the DVD from a friend and wanted to see it. I had never seen it so I watched it with her. I started reading The Eloquent Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Portrait in Her Own Words., a Camelot of our time.

I stopped reading to go to the store and stock up on fresh food. I then took leftovers and frozen chicken and created a Mongolian Chicken stir fry. It was a hit. Then after dinner and devotional, Roger and I headed out for a mile and a half walk on the new blacktop that they are repaving our neighborhood with. Well it is smooth and the impact has spring to it. I do not see them finishing the job this week.

Julia and I start walking again, in the morning. Maybe I will finish my quilt top tomorrow!

What a beautiful Memorial Day! The trees are leafed out, the yards all green, and most of the yards were graced by American Flags. I paused an thought of my father today; he had been on the carrier, USS Prince William during WWII.

We all worked to clean and weed the back yard and garden. I had much time for contemplation. Roger built beds for my kitchen herb garden at the base of the stairs from the kitchen. We almost have the narrow bed, above the terraced garden, cleared of weeds, so we can plant concord grape vines. My grandmother grew concords, and we grew them in Colorado. The family is excited to get the garden in.

I went to Remedez and got my hair cut this afternoon. It is a different and easier style for my on the go active life. Still long, though above the shoulders, about four or five inches shorter. Mary had her hair cut too. She had about eight inches removed. She want her hair to hit her shoulders and bounce. Its cute, 60s retro, with her deep auburn hair. Still long enough for a french braid or pigtails. I think we are ready for summer.

Time for bed. Early to be and early to rise, lends itself to long morning walks, and cool gardening, as well as breakfast in the open air.

No, its not Johannestag, 24 June. Today was our last Elocution Day. We did a reading of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Everyone in my family played a part, the Allens, and Levies, as well. Even my husband and the little children that were not taking elocution, participated. This was fabulous. I set the padded folding chairs on our large, two car driveway; it was nice under the trees. I played Hermia and my husband was Lysander.

After the reading we had a potluck BBQ, followed by aour last class which was on encouraging the arts in the home. She shared from an Ensign article from 1977 by Orson Scott Card

I loved the John Adams quote she gave.
“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.”

After folks left, I weeded in the yard and pondered today. My husband power-washed the the secret garden, then I put the last loads of dishes and laundry in. I updated my Going Neo-Georgic blog. Then I decided I wanted to enjoy my view more and I cleaned our sliding glass window inside and out.

At family devotional we spoke of what a wonderful time this was. I shared that Ralph Moody’s family, in Little Britches: My Father and I were Ranchers,did a Shakespeare play each year. I see new traditions forming.

When I woke it was raining, and that turned to snow. The same storm had gone through Orem and dropped temperatures there, as well. We drove up the Abajo Mountain, up over the top, and part down the back side. I grew up on a mountain, I live surrounded by mountains, here in Utah Valley. Mountains draw me. I fell in love with the Abajo. I could imagine many nature walks there, picnics, there were many things to paint, a place of inspiration.

We drove down into town and drove up and down each street looking at neighborhoods and stopping and talking to people. Then we contacted the contact person there, Doug. Then Doug met up with us and showed us where the new campus is planned to be built. We had already guessed it when we had our morning ride, and it is a good fit. A very inspiring area. Then we looked at Real Estate possibilities. There were a few homes available, but not to meet our size needs for our new business and its equipment, as well as, my stained glass studio. We drove around the golf course. My husband does not golf, but my sons like the idea of golfing, inspired by my father, who was a semii-pro golfer. He golfed in tournaments and often won trophies and prizes. He lived on the edge of a golf course and my children would watch the golfers. All in all, we will have to build what we need. There were a few of lots, 5-8 acres, which would fit the bill. We have some work to do on our business, before we will be able to swing the move. Yes, Monticello calls to me.

Today my daughter Jennifer turned 18! We got back from Monticello about 8 pm. Jennifer was celebrating with friends {they had spent the afternoon together). We picked her up and took Jennifer to Magleby’s Grill and Oyster Bar for dinner. She has been a real blessing to this family.She has been a wonderful youth and an example to her little sister, with whom she shares a room.

Yeah! Cheer! I completed the Princess Academy materials, except for one section that I am still adding to. I got my papers bound and turned in, for grad school. I had previously emailed them, but the emailed back and wanted hard copy too. My husband and I drove to Cedar City today. I dropped off my 17 year old daughter’s transcript at GWC and picked up my 24 year old daughter’s transcript, at her request, today. OK Jennifer will only be 17 for 7 more minutes, but I digress. After leaving Cedar City we drove through the mountains and through Capital Reef, north to I-70, south through Moab to Monticello, Utah. Absolutely stunning scenery. The rock formations, the river, meadows, and deer. It was a very healing drive.

Why Monticello? We drove through here in October about this time of night. So I have not seen it during the day. We will check out the community in the morning. When my walking partner’s father was dying, this spring, my husband made a few trips to Delores, Colorado to visit her father. Each time, he would drive through Monticello. He grew to love the sight of Abajo Mountain. Our business is internet based and is not dependent on where we live. We are checking this town out. I do not know what tomorrow will bring. I have had a dream of one day running Bramble Bee Farm, and also an Art Center. I will talk about these plans, later, on my Going Neo-Georgic site. The farm would be herbs, organic veggies, berries, and organic honey. Yes, an apiary…going neo-georgic. When I told my daughter Mary about the possible apiary, she looked at me in the gravest way and said, “Then we would have to get those dreadful looking clothes.” I do not know yet, but Monticello might be the place for Bramble Bee Farm.

I want to share with you two very good resources. I attended a Janine Bolon lecture a year ago, with my husband, daughter-in-law and our oldest son. These principles have changed our life. I have taught these principles to my children and they have shared them with their friends.

I would like to invite you to check these sites out:

Smart Cents Inc

Janine Bolon’s blog

Happy Mother’s Day! Today has been a lovely Mother’s Day. My husband gave me one dozen long stem red roses with babies breath and fern, as he knew I like babies breath. I have to admit, that though I had nursed each of my babies until they weaned naturally, I had not realized until baby seven that nursed babies have delicately sweet breath. My friend had mentioned that she was kind of jealous, as she had been able to have only two children, and they were now grown. She missed the sweet smell of a nursed baby’s breath. So, I had to hold my baby and smell her breath. It was delicate and sweet. The Baby’s Breath flower simply looks sweet but brings my babies to my memory. Oh, I digress. My mother in law joined us for dinner.

At Church, they gave us C.D.s for Mother’s Day. The CD was made by the Fathers and Sons in the Ward and was digitally mastered by a friend who owns and runs a studio. The CD was fabulous! I listened to it twice today.

After church I was fed lunch in bed by my husband and then fell asleep for a very rare Sunday siesta. I worked on family history this afternoon. I found that the Pulaski County Kentucky Genealogical website had posted some new military sections. One had news clippings from the WWII time frame. There I found an article about my father. He was in the Navy during WWII and had been stationed at Norfolk. He was playing football and broke his ankle, and was hospitalized. Apparently, being in the hospital kept him from being killed in an explosion that killed many other seamen. Though it must have hurt and frustrated him at the time, it spared his life, he was able to marry after the war, and I was born. It is amazing to me that through trials God does bring to pass His great work.

No, I did not disappear. I worked on my final summary last week. This week I need to wrap up my semester’s work on my book and the Princess Academy’s Princess Primer for Mothers.

Last Thursday morning I drove my older daughters and three youth to Cedar City for a Statesmanship Retreat at GWC. We had a simulation, colloquium on The Inner Ring, many wonderful lectures, a banquet, BBQ, basically a feast for mind, heart, and body. It was a wonderful experience to spend time with the youth. We called it a wake over. I think I averaged three hours of sleep a night. My daughter had her entrance interview. I stopped and spoke with the director of Distance Studies and brought my laptop. I showed her the work I had done and got good feedback on this week’s end of semester work.

I met many adults and made many new friends. We even had a Utah Senator in our group. That added vitality to the simulation, as he introduced the first bill and got things moving. This was the most active simulation I have experienced yet. I learned the difference between graduated income tax, flat tax, value added tax, and Fair tax (end use). Graduated is what we have, which penalizes those who are productive. I found the discussions very enlightening. I even participated this time in opposing a bill that I felt was unwise and outside of the Federal Government’s charter.

I got to see a presentation about the coming new GWC campus, and see the architect model and drawings. I see wonderful things as a result of GWC building it’s new (second) campus. I can imagine the positive influence of a beautiful Liberal Arts College, being built in a small town. Actually, the planned build out of the campus is to have 11 small Liberal Arts colleges at the site in Monticello. There will be plenty of room on the 520 acre site. They esimate the opening of the first of 11 colleges on the Monticello site, which will be a second campus, will be fall 2012. Well, after I graduate. They are keeping the Cedar City site operational.