Off with the old....

I used this wider view to show the emptiness of the parking lot:o(

On my way to Dick's the other day I noticed Rogers Memorial Theatre (RMT) it was named after Ralph Rogers who founded it, originally it was Pages Lane theatre,(before that the location was used for a laundromat and a Green Stamp redemption center) and thought,"A blog"

It is the end of an era. We have spent many happy hours in this theater watching David do what he does best. Number one, he met Christine here. And we are glad he did, Christine is a great addition to our family.

I have lost count of the performances he has done but none have ever disappointed. Usually we have gone on dress rehearsal nights with a lot of extended family, and additional friends.

He never shows he is aware of us being there, but on one occasion Auntie Bea was visiting and we took her to whatever he was doing and one of his movements required him to indicate "two" which he did in the British fashion. Auntie Bea was delighted.

Chelsea and Derek and Caitlin have also participated here. So that will always be a "bee" in their bonnets

.....IN WITH THE NEW



Centerpoint Legacy Theatre......
is located in Centerville, not too far from RMT. It is great and as you approach it at night it really is "A Theater" all lit up with big windows and people moving towards it. Anticipation....

The opening play was "Hairspray" and guess what part David played?.....
.......Wonder no more.....



He was great!!!!!!!!

So although there is nothing more constant than change, and there are some mixed feelings of leaving RMT we look forward to many entertaining nights ahead.....

Citizens

March 11th 1970 we became citizens of The United States of America.
One of the best decisions of our lives. It was not an easy decision for me until I realized we were raising American kids three of whom were born in Northern Ireland and two not shown in the picture and one yet to be born.
America has been "good" to us but then we have been "good" to America.

We always vote and have encouraged our children to vote. We have taught them to be good citizens at the same time recognizing their British culture. We feel we have done a good job.

Alan came four months before me and I like to say I came with three children and two suitcases.

They all have good jobs and are teaching their families to be good citizens.

So here we are forty one years later, and what started with a family of five in 1962 has now grown to a family of fifty 0ne.

God Bless America.

And God Bless The Marsdens.



(Well this picture is 5 years old so not everyone is here but........)

Springtime in the Rockies :o)

What a beautiful world we awoke to this morning......



Thankfully it is a Spring snow .....



.....and soon this will once again be on the agenda



and my favorite gardner will be doing what he "loves"



He does a fabulous job.

California

We just got home from a delightful week at our favorite beach. We had a wonderful time vegetating. We did go to the San Diego Temple for a session. We attended Sacrament Meeting.


We drove to Laguna Beach to visit a delightful bakery and to buy treats. YUM!!!

We walked on the Pier

, and on the Beach and

watched the sunset every evening.

With it being wintertime the sky was clear and we had fantastic views of

Catalina Island.

We did have a couple of showers one day but the rest of the time the sun shone and we basked in 55 degrees. Well, there was a chill breeze off the ocean but that's ok.


Our thoughts turned to the first time we visited California. it was President's Day 1968. We went with my brother Joe and his wife. We left Utah in driving rain and arrived in Riverside in glorious sunshine. We went to visit with my younger brother Bryan and his wife. As we drove we entered San Bernadino National Forest and I am looking for the forests like we have in Utah. Not in this part of the desert. All we could see were Joshua trees and they were few and far between.

We did stop in Las Vegas at 2am . The Strip stopped at the Stardust.

We visited Disneyland but it was evening and it was closed, but we were able to ride the Monorail and circle the Park which just whet our appetites for more.

This was the first time we visited San Clemente and our fate was sealed. Alan often talks about swimming and body-surfing in February.

We ate at a "fancy" resturant in Newport Beach called the Reuben E. Lee. (Therein lies another whole story) with 5 children at home we didn't do much "eating out".

Oh, and in talking about the children, we had "farmed" them out with friends back in Utah. :o)

Later in 1968 we took the children to California. There is another whole Blog on that trip.



We'll be back. That's a promise.

I Graduated.......

The Therapists at the Radiation Center at LDS Hospital gave me this certificate today.

I cannot believe that 6 weeks have passed so quickly. I thought for sure I would get tired of going there everyday but I did not. Neither did my driver. Perhaps it was because I knew it was essential and also because the people that worked with me there were so friendly, gentle, compassionate, and supportive.

We met some people we knew for years, and met some new people who were there as others support team.

I did not have to have chemo.

I did not get fatigued as I was cautioned I might. I do have some burn that hopefully will heal before too long.

I learned things about radiation therapy I never knew. And marvelled at the equipment that has been developed.

The Therapists told me there would be a slight change in procedure this final week and I assured them that I trusted that they knew what they were doing. One said, "Oh no, we make it up as we go along". (What was I smiling at?)

I can only thank them for their love. And thank you also for your love, concern, and prayers. :o)

Much as I love them and am grateful, I hope I don't have to see them again :o), but I will, I have a follow-up appointment in a month. :o)

East Wind

WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND?
by Christina Rossetti
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves are trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

I memorized this poem in 4th grade, turns out my Sweetheart did also. Today it is very appropiate as the EAST WIND is blowing.



This is to the North

We have seen some dangerous East Winds over the years. The first one I experienced was our first Winter in Utah and Smoot's Dairy Farm in Centerville had downed power lines that caused a fire and destroyed not own farm buildings but quite a few Jersey cows.
Other times semis have been over turned and huge bill-boards have been twisted. Some people have lost shingles and siding on their homes. One home we lived in faced East and all the heat was blown out of the living room into the kitchen that faced West. I don't remember the children ever missing a day of school because of the East wind.

Nowadays the forecasters can tell us when the winds will blow and what causes them.

I took these pictures this morning. These are NOT clouds on the mountaintops, it is the snow being blown off the mountaintops. A very pretty sight. The mountains in Salt Lake were spectacular.



This is to the South

At least all the fog has gone. It is 11 degrees. Wrap up.

We went to lunch........

.......30 miles away, in Morgan, UT.



They have the best raspberry shakes.



We decided to take the scenic route home.



We had never noticed these rock formations before



The Fall colors were beautiful.



We relaxed where the 1847 Pioneers had trod.



We also found we were not the only ones on the road...



88 miles and four hours later we got home. A long way for a hamburger and a shake, BUT.... the weather was glorious, the scenery beautiful, and the company THE BEST....
it doesn't get any better than that.