Sept 2, 2011

What unique talents or skills have you developed?

I would have to put down my photography skills. I am no where near where I really want to be with that talent but am a lot further than I was each year previous to the last. That is really what it is all about to in that you can better your skills each year. I am still trying to make that happen with the post editing part of that skill as well and am grateful for others who have the skills to create photo editing software to help me in that quest.

Sept 1, 2011

Do you consider yourself to be creative or artistic?

Yes to some degree. Mostly when it comes to taking pictures but I also have done some limited art with pencil and pen. I am not very good at it though. I do love to do photography and have learned that even though I have not considered it ever to be that artistic and creative that there is some degree of both of those talents that exhibit themselves in each good photo that I take whether it be of people or things. I am so thankful for the talent my Heavenly Father gave to me and because it has brought so much joy to others and consequently to myself as I have known that they enjoy what I have done.

Aug 31, 2011

What is your favorite type of music?

Just about any of it except Jazz and hard rock. I can even enjoy some jazz but hard rock sends me over the edge. I mostly enjoy listening to Country however and have decided it comes mostly from my roots. Dad’s favorite group was a country singing group known as the Sons of the Pioneers. We listened to it quite often. Herb Albert, a trumpet player, was another of his favorites and we had several records made by him. Then I guess the fact that all we had was country and western radio stations made what we listened to become what we liked. I did enjoy the Beatles and Monkee’s and other groups like that who were becoming famous during my teenage years. I could not however get to the point that I could enjoy any hard rock, it just didn’t make me feel good when I listened to it and it never ever made any sense. I did start to like some of the more moderate ones later but they were few and far between.

Aug 30, 2011

Do you play any musical instruments?

I played the alto saxophone in my school years except for a couple of years when I switched to the trumpet. I musty admit that I liked the Sax best but was glad to have learned the trumpet since it came in handy trying to play the Kudu horn in scouting and the bugle that was given to me since I played the trumpet and thus could play it as well. It was a bugle that dad had for some reason and I was lucky enough to get it. I have used it in scouting several times especially during Timberline. I never became really accomplished at the trumpet at least not as much as the sax but I enjoyed playing them anyway.

I had 8 piano lessons and have regretted not keeping up with it but I had no use for wasting my time practicing the piano when I was 8 years old. It is a skill I have often wished that I had stuck with just since it is so useable.

Aug 29, 2011

What was the scariest or most stressful thing that ever happened to you? What helped you to get through it?

As a young teenager it was going into an old mine shaft that freaked me totally out. I was lucky to have a good leader that knew when I was ready to turn around even though I didn’t say anything to that nature. He just apparently knew how to read my body language or possibly even that of others in the group. There were some who would have loved to go all the way through the mountain to the other side where it came out but I was not one of them. I just knew in the dark that there would suddenly be a hole that dropped for hundreds of feet that was not there when the mine was made. I have never been totally at home in any tight and dark place. Not even “Nutty Putty cave” which I guess my fear of that place actually became more acute when it was closed for the very reason that I didn’t like it. Someone got stuck and died in it when the rescuers could not get him out. 

Aug 28, 2011

If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?

I will have to think about this one a bit I guess. I have not been one to not like what I am or have become. I guess I might like to have more money which would require my changing things that prevent me from doing things that might create that money but then I realize how blessed I am and cannot wish for riches since I am already very rich because of the children (that includes their spouses as well) and grandchildren that I have.

Maybe there is one thing. My ability to type. And maybe not since I can do a fair job of it and don’t want to take the time from doing other things to spend on that skill when there are many others that need my attention instead.