Ferret Nation

My Roots

Mable "Mae" Blanch
Isn't she beautiful.
Such an amazing person. 

I started composing this post in October of 2010. I began the post and since have been continually adding to it. Perhaps it's a post that will never be completely finished.  

On July 13th, 2010 my aunt passed away. Sadly enough due to family conflicts I never knew her in the way that I would have liked to have known her. At various points in my life, the desire to grow closer to her would strike me, but I was my mother's child, and my loyalties had grown rigid. My mind and views were shaped early in life; too early! Over the years I think there were times both my aunt and I tried to foster a closer relationship.  And as I think back over the years I do have some endearing memories, just not as many as I'd like to have, as I should have. 

My father only had two sisters, one older than he (Florence) and one younger (Mae). Tragically my father's father died of Typhoid Fever, July 26, 1929 at the age of 31. My dad was only six years old at the time. My grandmother was an amazing woman. She was left with a farm and three small children to raise even through the depression. She was an incredibly spiritual person and after the passing of my grandfather, lived the rest of her life as a widow.  

This is one of the few pictures of my grandmother's family. My grandma Blanch is the young lady in the center. She is holding my Aunt Florence on her lap. My grandpa Wheatly Lorenzo Blanch, is the handsome young man in the middle on the back row. My father looked a lot like his father. To the right of my grandfather is my great grandma and grandpa Palmer. My grandmother's parents. 

Recently my cousin found a letter written by my grandfather.

None of us knew my grandfather went to Utah State.

If you have difficulty reading the letter, just click on it and 

you will be able to view a larger format.

Some of the pages here could not be displayed in the larger

size due to cropping that occurred along the right hand side

cutting the words off. 

(word inserted - must)

After reading this letter, how I'd like to meet and get to know my grandfather. I know he was a hard worker. I know he was handsome. People tell me he had a temper, yet after reading this letter, I'm not sure the description is entirely true. In thinking about it though, and in factoring in my own nature, perhaps there is some validity to it. LOL 

These pictures were taken at the cemetery, at the time of my aunts passing. My aunt Florence had four boys, my father had four girls. Together, the eight of us are the soul nieces and nephews of my aunt. My aunt never married although she came close a time or two, she chose to remain single. I'm sad that at the time these two pictures were taken my cousin Tom (who I love with heart and soul) had left to return home. From left to right, Mike, Philip, me, Carol and Nancy Phyllis.  Below, Philip, me, Carol, Nancy Phyllis, and David.

Ironically the boys were raised in more of a city atmosphere and us girls were born on the family farm that fell to my father. I think out of all the boys, Tom spent the most time with us on the farm. He was really more like a brother to us than a cousin. And today he only lives three quarters of a mile from me. I live next door to what once was the family farm.

As I think back over our lives I often wonder how differently things might have played out if there had been no conflict between my mother and my father's family. Many people in the beginning didn't think my parents were suited for each other. Who can say that notion is correct? Not me! What I see now that I am older is that harsh perspectives were shaped in rigid minds, perspectives that were often times biased and untrue. How differently things could have been if critical natures and judgmental attitudes could have been replaced with caring acceptance and welcoming kindness. Both sides were guilty of the same infractions.

Since my aunts passing my cousin Mike has been sending everything and anything so that we can come to know our ancestors better. I feel like a horse at a trough that hasn't had water in a long time. I can't drink enough. I have so enjoyed getting to know the beginnings of my roots. And I am finding much of what was shaped in my mind as a child changing and altering. In some regards I'm really learning who these people are for the first time.

This is my dad (Keith) and his sister Florence.

I had never seen my dad as a child until this picture.

Priceless.

As the genealogy comes in, I am compiling it in a book.
I can't wait to see myself through the eyes of these people who went before me.
I am surely going to discover much about who I am and where I came from.
I can't wait! 

SOLD!

Here we are, fresh out of dental school. The year is 1984,  27 years ago.  Oh, (big long sigh). . . I'd like to go back and do it all again. We've had a good life. God has blessed us immensely!

Here we are today. All that time, gone by in a flash! We've grown a little bit. Added a few chickens to the barn. Had a few life altering experiences. All in all, the years have been kind to us and we have counted many blessings along the way.

We did the unthinkable at the end of January. Man With a Drill sold his Coalville office. Change is hard. We're crying today and we're smiling from ear to ear. It is all bitter/sweet. Feels a little surreal. Man With A Drill needs to slow down, life is too short. He's been burning the candle at both ends. We sat down together, talked over our future, and made a really tough decision. We decided Man With A Drill needs to work closer to home.

Parting with our Coalville office has been heart wrenching, but God has blessed us with the perfect family to sell the practice to. Meet the Judis'. When I look at their picture, it's like looking back in time. Have you ever seen a cuter family? I wonder what they'll look like 27 years from now. Man With A Drill is elated. He tells me every night how blessed he feels. He tells me over and over again how good it feels to be leaving his work in good hands. It's evident, we love the Judis'. Coalville is going to love the Judis'

So . . .good-bye Coalville, hello Farr West Medical and Dental Center. Say hello to Man With A Drill working three minutes away from home. Say hello to one happy wife! Say hello to one happy dentist! There's a couple of walls to move, some equipment to install, a small staff to hire and we're home for good.

I try to think of Man With A Drill being just down the lane, and around the corner. I can take him to lunch, work in his office, he can ride to his place of employment on his bicycle on a sunny day if he wants. Heck, Man With Drill can even walk to his office if feeling so inclined. How sweet would that be? If he has a break in his schedule, he can run home, kiss me and go back to work. I can't even fathom all the things I'm going to love about him being close.

God turned our lives in a different direction, and we're going with it. Here's to change and the good things that come in it's wake. And to the residents of Coalville and the neighboring cities we have served for so many years, three generations now, we are going to miss you. Man with a drill is going to miss you. You have been good to us.

Top Ten Things I learned In 2010

2010 was a great year. It was loaded full of variety. Lots of good things and as always challenges that sometimes felt like I was marching straight up hill. Kaedell posted a list of the top ten highlights for the E. family. Sometime I'm going to get around to that. When I asked Man With A Drill what he thought our top ten list would contain he dismally said, "I don't know? Did I do anything besides go to work?" We really will sit down and think of ten items. I hope the rest of you are working on this as well.

Saturday I had a chance to go on a scenic winter expedition with a bunch of photographers. It was a historic tour of farms located up in the Valley. I almost didn't take this opportunity, but thanks to a new photo friend and her coaxing, at the last second possible, I signed myself up.

Touring one farm after another with a camera in my hand turned out to be the greatest high ever. I'm a farm girl and I was totally in my element, and with a camera no less. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I want go back and do it all again. It was simply a fantastic day! By the time six o'clock rolled around I had 729 pictures packed on my camera. I learned so much in one single day. During the tour our instructor gave us hands on advice and thanks to his great knowledge I finally learned to think in shutter priority, something I've never been able to do. I also discovered I love taking pictures of sheep. I didn't realize this until after I got home and pulled the pictures up. I've always been a Holstein cow fan, and a chicken fan. I'm adding sheep to my list of animals I love.

The entire day was so inspirational I could not get over it, and as the sun finally faded and it was time for us to pack ourselves up in the van and make the trip home, I had so much to reflect on. Taking pictures of life is soul-tisfying. That's my new word for a deep and abiding feeling that grows from your heart and takes over your whole soul. I'm going to use it often. Yes, my farm expedition was a very S O U L T I S F Y I N G day! As a result I'd like to post some of the pictures I took on this beautiful trip, along with some great things I've been thinking about since.

My ideas are not posted in any particular order. I didn't learn them in any particular order. Life just handed them out to me randomly. In fact, like so many things in life, I keep coming back to them over and over again.

2010 Wisdom 

Things I have learned 

and constantly return to!

Everyday . . .

Learn to be more forgiving.

Soften yourself!

Stop being such a hard nose. 

Keep a generous heart with you at all times.

Take the wheel! 

Grab hold of it!

Have some determination! 

No guts, no glory!

Life is hard and then you die. You might as well stop complaining about it.

There is beauty even in the barest of days!

It's true, when one door closes, another one opens. 

Don't stand looking forever at the closed door, 

Don't dwell on the fact it closed.

Turn around and see what God has opened up for you.

Don't hesitate to enter in!

People are going to get up in your grill! 

People are going to bug the heck out of you.

Take a deep breath and relax!

 (Thanks Desi, for always reminding me of this,

especially when I'm driving!)

Gauge yourself.

Hellooooo . . .

That doesn't mean slow down all the time.

Sometimes it means,

GET GOING! 

In caring for my mom, I'm constantly reminded.

Someday I'm going to be like an old tire.

No one knows what to do with an old tire.

I'm not looking forward to it. 

It's scary to think one day I might be used up and discarded,

Propped up against some fence out back on the farm.

It's an art to learn to grow old gracefully.

It's not easy to sort through it and find your way.

All of this constantly reminds me,

 Live each day to it's fullest!

Often times the true beauty and meaning in this life, in all of it's entirety, comes to us in a storm. 

If you don't exercise and eat good, you will rust!

And corrode!

Then someone will park you out back under the old pines and forget you're there!

Exercise!!!  Keep your gears turning!

We have to age, we don't have to rot!

Again and again,

"Say what you mean and mean what you say!"

Things go better if you . . .

Stay calm. Stay CALM! STAY C A L M ! ! ! ! !

It's all in how you look at it and there's a million different ways to look. 

Don't be so narrow minded!

Open up your perspective, 

Adopt a new way of looking at things.

Adopt a new way of thinking and seeing!

Note: This Great White Pyrenees guarded the sheep

His kennel was a 1/2 acre in size.

Stop and look at the beauty around you. It's everywhere! 

ENJOY LIFE!

ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS!

LOOK FORWARD TO EACH DAY!

GREET EACH DAY WITH A SMILE AND A HAPPY HEART!

Every thing is better in life if you can keep a sense of humor with you. 

Don't take life so serious all the time.

LAUGH!

Change is the only constant in this life. Embrace it.

You dwell in . . . what you dwell on!

In photography every thing hangs on a sharp image.

Creative composition makes all the difference.

Life is no different.

Sometimes the trail is flat,
Sometimes it takes you down the mountain,
And sometimes it's an up hill climb.
No matter what . . .
The point is always the same . . .
ENJOY THE RIDE!

Happy Trails!

Do People Really Look Like Their Dogs?

Desi would like to know?

For The Love Of Jeans

It wasn't a planned thing, it just happened. One minute I was home with my wallet safe in the drawer, and the next minute I was standing in the mall buying jeans. I blame it all on Kyle. The whole thing started when Kyle ordered Kaedell to go and get some up to date, in style jeans. Kaedell said she needed some help, so Emy and I volunteered, then Des caught wind of our shopping plan and that's how it all began.

The first mistake was probably agreeing to go. After we arrived at the mall, I made my second mistake, I followed those girls right into the Buckle without even thinking.  Well, everyone knows if you want  the latest greatest in swanky butt crackin' jeans you have to go to the Buckle. That's when the trouble grew into a lethal threat to my wallet. See as soon as I entered the Buckle, Deserey started picking out jeans to try on. "Excuse me," I said emphatically in a loud and bossy tone, "Hey little girl, we're picking out jeans for Kaedell." I followed that up with, "I know this might come as a surprise to you, but your name is not Kaedell!" Deserey proceeded right into the dressing room with her stack of rhinestone studded pockets. It was as if she hadn't heard a word I said. I hate it! She knows I'm a smooshy push over!

After my obvious disgust with Deserey's listening abilities. Emilyn and I began browsing  a few of the racks of clothing.  Suddenly it dawned on me Emilyn was not trying on any jeans. "Em," I said, "You're the only one not in a dressing room. You better get in there and join them." Em looked at me with her practical face. "I don't need jeans mom," she sighed.

I think that's about the time the idea of depleting my funds started to take shape in my head. It was just an inkling at first. I started thinking about how wise my oldest daughter is and how grounded she has grown in her ability to save. I weighed my thoughts back and forth. They started with thoughts on how grounded is good and I should learn from my daughter. Those thoughts however were soon replaced with thoughts on how sometimes life needs a little impulse spending. Emilyn is not impulsive, nor did her husband order her to go and get new jeans. I knew right then and there the impulse irrational spending would have to take place on my part. And that's how the thought was born.

It took a bit of doing but I finally got the sales woman to bring Emilyn some jeans as well. "Get in there and try em' on Em." I wouldn't take no for an answer. Well you should have seen them all coming out of their dressing rooms giggling and laughing. It was the most entertaining hour I've had in a long time. It wasn't long and they were trying on every pair in the store.  I whipped out my iPhone and took a picture of them, they all looked so cute in their new shapely attire. I had forgotten what great jeans look like, heck I had forgotten what a cute shape looks like.  Keep in mind my eyes have only seen Eddie Bauer jeans for the last six years. I've gotten many of my blue faded jeans for a dollar. Who cares about fancy pockets and side stitching when you can buy jeans for a buck!

After each one of them had finally found a pair they loved, the idea was now clear and cemented. That's when the words just flew right out of my mouth. I looked at the clerk and said, "Wrap them up, I'll take all three." The clerk was surprised at my announcement. Emy and Kadie said, No mom, you can't buy us jeans." I think they said "no" to me at least a million times. Deserey just looked at me and asked if she could get a second pair. (Hahahahah) Ok, so I'm kidding.

I can't remember when the last time was I took my three girls shopping. I know it was clear back when wrinkles hadn't been invented on my face. I haven't had that much fun in a decade. My impulsive spending spree was the funnest moment ever. I felt like I was rich for all of two seconds until I got home and opened up my wallet. Still, the look on their faces made the jeans worth every penny I paid. And the pain of paying off my charge card was well worth the priceless experience of doing something I had never done before with all three of my girls together like that.

Now when I see them wearing their new jeans I just laugh. I love sporadic split second shopping! I better save my money so we can do it again. I know some other girls who are going to want to go too.

One last note; I wished I looked that good in a pair of jeans!

Welcome To The World Of Skype

Are you like me? Do you like your children to stop in quite often? Well, thanks again to the modern technology, whether they live far away or just a few miles, they can pop in and see you anytime!

Welcome to the world of Skype! Skype is a free software program that works much like most typical instant messaging programs, except that it also allows users to make phone calls using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, as well as video calls and conference calling. Calls made to other Skype users are free, but even calls placed to a landline or cell phone can be made very inexpensively. It's easy to install and use. It's fun too!

Gage and Gavin like to Skype with me.  I've tried to get Kaedell on board, after all she is a Mac Owner, she has not been cooperating! Kaedell this link is for you, "Skype For Mac."

Gavin is in nursing school. He's learning so much it's giving him a big fat head! Hahahahha

And Gage is getting ready to go to law school and his head is getting equally large with knowledge!

Goofy kids!

Did I tell you my boys also like to tease their mother? I wasn't aware of the special effects on Skype until distortions started taking place and I was getting a little worried. My children are always teaching me new things! I love it!!! Thanks for popping in to say hi boys! It was good to see you. Now come over in person would you? Your mother wants to see you fat heads for reals!