Aug 26, 2011

Have you received any memorable letters you would like to have your children and grandchildren read?

I suppose some of the letters that I might have them read would be letters that I received from my grandmother each year I had a birthday when she would send a dollar to us and include a short note of love and appreciation for us. There would also be the letters that I received from Marie when we were young lovers in high school. They would not be able to though since a lot of them were written in an obsolete language known as “shorthand”, I even had to have help when I was trying to read them. Then letters that my parent wrote to me during my mission would be good for them to read but all of these letters would be thrown away by them if I were to die and they were to come in and clean up. They might stop for a second and read one or two but they are not interested in “old stuff that seems to be something of junk.”  So I guess that if I really want them to read them I should get busy and include them in this blog so that they can ignore them as they do now for the most part. Some do read this and I hope that they enjoy it but I think life is too busy for the rest to read it so I do it for the ones who do read it. Maybe, just maybe they will learn something from my life and my experiences that will help to build their testimonies of the gospel and their Savior knowing that He has done so much for me in preserving my life and giving me direction that has helped me to love all of His creations and all of my relationships with my family and friends.

Aug 25, 2011

Is there anything that you have always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?

Yes there is and I will most likely never get to do it. I have had a dream for more years than I can remember to go to every small town in Utah and find the oldest surviving and longest resident of that city and then to sit with them and get their life story and especially a description of their favorite spots around the town where they have gone to relax and held as their favorite spot or spots. I would then spend a couple weeks in those areas and photograph them and after doing that then publish a book about Utah’s residents favorite spots. It would include places like “Little Egypt and the sphinx” Grandma and Grandpa Poulson were engaged there and it was one of their favorite spots. They took us there a couple of times when we were young and as I have thought back on it through the years I have often thought that I should go and photograph it which has led to wondering how many other places in Utah are practically unknown except to the local residents. As I get older I know that the oldest residents are now getting closer to my own age and I would have to change the scope of the questions to include the favorite spots that their parents loved because our generation has different ones. Mine for instance is Mud Springs campground in Avinaquin canyon south of Duchesne. It was my favorite because I spent so many hours and days walking the old log fence that surrounded the camp as my 4-H leader would take a nap while we were there working on the camp. He was a Forest Ranger and spent a lot of time doing upkeep on that campground. I should probably start doing my project and change the scope a little to include Silver Beaver’s that we meet throughout the state and not only photograph them but their favorite camping spots near the areas where they live. I would never get them photographed though if I did.

Aug 24, 2011

What activities have you especially enjoyed as an adult?

Family, church and scouting activities. They all seem to run hand in hand and the more they involve the outdoors the more I have enjoyed them. I think the most fun I have had is working on projects with family members and camping with family members. I love the outdoors and love looking into the night sky where there are no street light and other city lights to make it impossible to see them. I like being out where I can arise early and watch wild animals near camp when they don’t realize I am there. I love being in the early morning mountain air where it is cool and sometimes just sitting there as the clouds move past me in the trees. It is all so special to be able to watch and be in and around all of the Lord’s creations.

Aug 23, 2011

As you see it, what are the biggest problems facing our nation, and how do you think they can be solved?

OK I am in no way capable of telling how to get our nation out of the national debt the has been created. I am also no expert on why we have to buy oil from other countries especially since we are sitting on huge oil reserves and have enough and to spare in our country alone that the leaders of our country won’t accept. Science has even discovered that what they have thought to be a resource that could dry up actually will replace and restore itself. As we use the oil the earth recreates new reserves of it. The Lord knew what he was doing and science just keeps proving it, not that they need to prove it but it seems that the people of the earth would at least start to recognize it at some point and know that there is a Great Creator even Jesus Christ and His Father (our Father). 

Aug 22, 2011

Which public leaders have you admired most? Why?

I think that my favorite Presidents would have to be Ronald Reagan and the Bush’s. I grew up in the era of Kennedy and other presidents that were well liked and did a lot for the nation much unlike the president s of recent times. Regan and the Bush’s were not afraid to do what was right for the country and were very sincere in what they did as well. I cannot specifically state anything off the top of my head right now but just know I liked them a lot. Clinton was one of my least favorite simply because of his scandalous actions within the White House but since he has been out of the Presidency he has done a lot of good work for the nation and for many people of the world as he has been very active in relief efforts for victims of tsunamis and other natural disasters.

This summers family picture 2011

Wish we could have had Loren but we know what it is like to juggle vacations and were sure glad that we could at least have the rest of his family with us.

Aug 21, 2011

I have had too long of a break, like many before this but have decided just to start with the current date rather than to add them in sequence as I have in the past. So here goes again.

How would you describe yourself politically?

 Republican especially after Obama was elected much to my dismay and now knowing more of the history behind the election that he was actually elected illegally, what in the world is America thinking? It is really not America it is the people with money who work the scenes behind and out of reach of the public view.

Anyway my parents were republicans and I have always been somewhat moderate in my beliefs as well so it was a good fit for me when I began voting at age 18.