OUT IN NATURE...  

The Heber Valley Girls Camp is amazing!

When Gordon B Hinckley was the prophet and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from 1995 - 2008 (the Mormons) he had a vision for the young women of the church. He wanted a place for them to go where they could be out in nature and feel the spirit. Heber Valley Camp is the realization of his desire for these young girls.

OUR YURT... it sleeps 16

His vision was a camp that would have all the amenities, showers, plumbing, electricity, cabins, beds and activities, so the girls would be comfortable. He wanted them to be able to have a spiritual experience without worrying about learning to cook over a fire, building latrines and staying clean.

His "people" scouted out the mountain above Heber Valley and concluded that a nice camp could be built there. President Hinckley, however, had a larger vision. He said, "Buy the whole mountain." It is a huge area, about 8,000 acres, which is roughly 10 square miles. The church and various donors built a state of the art highway for almost 8 million dollars which leads to cabins, yurts, pavilions, cooking facilities, volleyball, obstacle courses, the lake with canoes and more.

The Young Women use the facilities on Monday through Thursday all summer long and families rent the cabins and yurts on the weekends. It is truly a beautiful place, an homage to how President Hinckley felt about the women in the church.

When we arrived it was delightfully cool and by bedtime there was a torrential downpour. What fun to sleep in a "yurt" and listen to the rain.  The smell was heavenly.

Canoeing on the lake...

Our Little Campers...

Have a beautiful Sunday

HEADING INTO MOOSE COUNTRY...

a quick overnight camping trip!

Everyone talks about the beautiful Heber Valley.  This will be my first time camping there. So excited. 

My gear is packed, including my new air matress. My camera is charged and I'm excited to take in the fall colors and hopefully see a moose.  

FALL is my favorite season! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT...

Downton Abbey season 5 airs Sunday

September 21st. 

For us, here in the United States, it will be a bit later. But... there's good news. I have found this amazing website  "Simply June" I'm not sure how she manages it but she posts the episodes the day after they are shown abroad. I'm including the link to her website.

http://www.simplyjune.org

Meanwhile enjoy this delightful interview with a few cast members as they talk about season 4

Spending the day at... 

CAPITAL REEF NATIONAL PARK

outside Torrey, Utah

Capital Reef is known as the best kept secret in Utah. It is a three hour drive from my home south of Salt Lake City and has breathtakingly beautiful rock formations. These pictures can't even begin to capture the power of the landscape.

The back of Chimney Rock. Because this national park is so pristine and remote the air quality comes very close to perfect.

Don't want to be there when this giant rock breaks and rolls.

When we came around the corner on the trail we all squealed... it looks like a crocodile!

Early settlers carved their names on the rock wall

It was a magical day!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

THE PRAYER

We may not have the voice of Celine Dion or Josh Groban but we all have something to give, a quick wit, a kind word, a patient nature, an artistic flair. The trick is not only to recognize our talents but to share them. Listen as these two make beautiful music... truly a gift from God.

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY!

I WANT TO DANCE IN THE MOONLIGHT!

I have always been a "good girl" an obedient child, who got good grades, practiced my piano and was clueless about Woodstock and Haight Ashbury even in the middle of the 60's

I graduated from college, taught second grade, got married had six babies, and devoted myself to my family. I am a self proclaimed "homebody" who passed up many adventures because I wouldn't leave my children. I have no regrets about that, but TIMES HAVE CHANGED!

The other night my youngest daughter took me to Costco.  What a fun place. She talked me into buying a little bottle of pesto, something I had never tasted. When I got home I opened the jar and took a whiff. It was so robust and dense. I wasn't exactly sure what I would do with it but the delicious aroma gave me this overwhelming feeling that I wanted something new... not the road less traveled but a road I've never set foot on.

I laid in bed that night thinking of all the things I wished I could do with my life...

* I want to take a cruise to Alaska and then travel the scenic route by train across Canada. 

* I want to bicycle through Vermont in the Fall and return to watch the tapping of the Maple Trees in the Spring.

*I want to live in an orange house.

* I want to visit Nantucket and buy a hat from Peter Beatons.

* I no longer want to eat... I want to "dine" on the freshest and most delicious food I can find.  No more meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I want something new, maybe sushi. 

* I want to visit Lake Placid, the Appalachian Trail, and tour the Southern homes in Savannah.

* I want to get my masters degree in English Literature.

* I want to sit in Central Park and watch "Pale Male" swoop through the trees.

* I want to work from home in my pajamas.

*I want to LAUGH every day.





* I want to fall in LOVE.

And... I want to dance in the moonlight like Isadora Duncan, with only a long silk scarf to cover my nakedness. 

I WANT TO FEEL ALIVE!  

Wow, that was quite a bottle of pesto!

KEEPING IT EVEN

INGE LOOK artist

Last weekend I listened to a psychologist speak about the differences in the way men and women relate to their own gender. 

She generalized that while men often "step" on each other as they climb the proverbial corporate ladder, their behavior is both expected and accepted.  Its just men being men, doing what they must to succeed and provide. 





Women she noted, are very different in their approach, they like to keep the playing field even. If a women becomes a little too successful her cohorts will pull her down.  If someone is struggling, others will lift her up. She proposed that we like to feel equal as we measure our success or failure. 

I'm not sure if that is completely accurate but it is food for thought.   Women are competitive and most of us tend to be a little insecure. What looks like criticism is actually a reflection of the fears we hold for ourselves. 

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we truly believed that there was room for everyone to sparkle, each unique but equally valued in what we have to offer. When I find myself feeling threatened I try to remember that the place I hold in the universe can only be held by me. We are one of a kind and we don't have to be afraid. 

I believe as women mature there is potential for an amazing metamorphose. Being generous in our relationships, kind, supportive and forgiving may not always keep things even but it definitely makes us, as individuals, shine a little "brighter" 

"Who can find a virtuous women, for her price is far above rubies."  Proverbs 31:10