Family History, Ann Jack MacFarlane

I was super excited to come across these notes in FamilyTree written by my grandma about her grandmother, Ann Jack MacFarlane. Somehow I was on Ann's page and clicked on memories and these pages were there, but not linked to my own grandma who wrote them. I don't remember seeing them before. 

You can see she write these in 1994 when she was 85. 

If you knew her you can hear her voice as you read.

She had a fantastic memory and remembered every detail of every event,

which we would be more astounded by if it weren't so common for her.

She lived with our family all my life so I grew up with her sharing specific details 

and her infamous recall.

I had to laugh as I read "hearing her" recall the exact layout of her grandmother's home and furnishings.

I remember her telling us as a child their family visited relatives in Holladay.

The children would ride in the back of a wagon and 

it took all day to get there from their home in the Avenues. 

And imagine now we zipped back from Holladay to the Avenues in less than 30 minutes.

It was particularly sweet for me to see this memory of her Grandma in Holladay 

(not sure if it was called Holladay back in those days), 

and know that I wasn't remembering it incorrectly.

Elise and Ethan had their baby late Saturday night and we were getting texts from Sheree to the sisters and mom and Marge text chain for two days straight. Happening on these words of my Grandma made me think she wanted to share in the excitement with all of us too and this was a way she could do it.

Fantasies and Reality

I made so much progress on my revisions last week, working late every night, even on Friday.

I planned to really hit it Saturday afternoon and fantasized going to bed with revisions complete on the first 200 pages and only 100 more to go.

 I'd spend Sunday morning focusing on spiritual nourishment then have Dan read and report Sunday night.

 It was a wonderful dream. Do you like to imagine little fantasy each night as you go to sleep?

We went to Xochitl's one-year-old birthday party on Saturday afternoon and 
then Dan and Nick headed to the track for the Enduro race and I went upstairs to my office to get to work.
And I couldn't think straight or see straight.

I tried skipping a chapter and tried going back a few. 

Everywhere I looked I saw crappy writing and plot threads that fell apart.

I tried writing transitions but they were plodding and stiff.

I was so discouraged I just quit.
But this was a good kind of quitting.
The kind when you accept you just need time away from the work.

You don't suck, you're just burnt out. 

I watched four episodes of Gilmore Girls and went to bed. 

We went to afternoon church at the 28th ward for a farewell 

so Dan could sleep in since he didn't get home until 2:30 a.m.

I spent the morning reading scriptures and FaceTiming with Courtney and Michael.

After church we FaceTimed Marty and Lizzie and Emi,
then Morgan and Chase came over for dinner.
It was a wonderful break I didn't realize I needed.

My friend shared this Banksy quote with me which describes the weekend perfectly:

My Deck of Cards

Phyllis told me she spends 20 minutes front and back in her pool,

roasting like a rotisserie chicken. 

Building up my Vitamin E sounded very inviting this morning and spending some time reading

a good break from thinking.

I worked all day, pausing to chat with Chris about whether or not you can skateboard in the snow so I could determine if it was realistic way for my teenage character (Jake) to get to his friend's house. 

(But not really his friend's house because he lied!) 

It's not, but I think we fudged it pretty well.

Revising the middle of a novel is like holding a huge fan of cards in your hands,

say, 12, and getting them sorted just right (pretend those are the first 100 pages) and then being handed 12 more to hold, (those are the second 100 pages), still in a fan where you can see them, and then being given an additional 12 to sort into the others (which is like making sure the themes of the first 100 carry through to the second 100),

I've written the timeline and themes in four different ways to help me remember and also hang onto the threads to carry them through. By the fourth time, I think I got all the connections.

Dan and Nick came home from race practice this evening, we ate by the pool,

and then I told Dan all about everything I was working on and how I was getting the loose ends pulled together. "Do you want to go back to work?" he asked. 

"I think I need to."

So I worked until 10:30 when I got to a good stopping place. 

Getting Good Use of My Office

I've spent almost all day the last two days in my office in front of my computer.

I've made some good progress on revisions for the next 100 pages, but it's been hard, hard work.

 

Yesterday we went to dinner with Burgoyne's and Goldsberry's--
twice in the same year is a record!

Today I had a body work appointment with Ryan hoping to help my back

and some wrist/elbow pain that started last month. 

It's not usually relaxing because it hurts when he digs into tight muscles,

but it felt so good to lay on his table in a room with plants growing over every wall.

Plants and crystals, a little water feature and good music. 

The room really does have good energy.

It was so rejuvenating for a tired mind and body.

I met Dan each night at 9:30 for a few episodes of Gilmore Girls.

Courtney has us addicted to a show that's 20 years old! 

It's pretty cute though. 

At Home on Haven

Left Pagosa and was happy to be back home on Haven.

It doesn't really seem like we weren't home and now we are,

because we love our Pagosa home too.

But it was nice to see Chris when we got home. And know that we'll see Nick this weekend.

So that's what makes this home better than the other.

And looking forward to seeing Marty, Lizzie and Emi next week at their new home! 

Pagosa Elk Stampede

 Hit the book hard again today and by 5:00 I was brain dead. 

Totally wiped out.

After a 30 minute nap, we took the e-bikes out for an evening ride.

As we left the house, we surprised a huge herd of elk in Green's meadow just across our fence.

They stood and watched us as we pedaled (assisted!) down our road.

We turned toward them after the gate, and they started running out of the meadow,

over the fence, across the road and over a second fence. (A bunch of the babies didn't make the jump).

By the time they made it into the other meadow, it was a stampede

as they bugled and crashed through another fence, 

the thunder of their hooves carrying across the whole valley!

We turned around and rode to Bridge Campground then home again.

On our return, the elk were quietly hanging just apart from the cows.

Dan rode to the top of our hill to watch, and was just in time to see the cows

chase after them and the elk make a break for it back across the road and into the neighboring property to the north of us.

Back at home we ate dinner, FaceTimed with Courtney and Michael

(real work started this week!)

and watched through binoculars as the elk made their way slowly through the forest.

They called to each other late into the night. (Sound on!)

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iPT2hlWGKtg

Until Next Time

Wickhams got up extra early and rode bikes.

Orman meditated outside and taught us his balance exercises.

After breakfast we all hiked to the Falls.

The past two days we've taken the Ranger everywhere because all six of us sit in it just fine.

But the back seat riders get soooo dusty. We haven't had any rain for a month so the dirt is silty again.

So we took the Sequoia for the longer drive.

Everyone is very nice to Kershaw.

When we got home, the girls were happy to sit outside and talk, 

but the boys wanted more adventure and took the Bronco up to Sally's Overlook.

They had to leave by 1:30 for flights from Durango.

It was so fun being together and we're so looking forward to planning trips together

more frequently again.

Dan and I read books and napped in the afternoon

and after dinner we took ATV's to a new trail at the loop we've wanted to hike. 

About 1.5 miles easy hike through the forest until you come to the top of the ridge.

If you had time to keep walking, you'd get to the end at Ice Cave Ridge.

But it was getting dark so we turned back.

Then I stayed up late watching Gilmore Girls and eating ice cream.

All Together Again

Box Canyon Hike to the bridge after breakfast.

Down to the river to cold plunge afterward.

(Don't zoom in unless you want to see some really big bellies.

But it did give us girls the can't stop laughing so hard we're crying 

hysterics later that afternoon while looking at the pics!)

Gosh its good to be with people you can just be yourself with!

Boys went fishing, girls stayed home and talked.

Whey they got back we made dinner, played games, and shared photos to catch up on each other's lives.

Old Friends Best Friends

Yay! Wickham's and Anderson's are here!

Dan texted them only a week ago and both were available to join us for the weekend!

The long story is we heard back immediately from the Andersons that they were in.

(Even though they're going to Iceland on Thursday.)

We didn't hear back from the Wickhams, so Phyllis texted Tiff and encouraged them to make it happen.

They were in the hospital while Kurt was passing a kidney stone!

But the kidney stone passed and they said yes!

(Even though they're going to Cabo on Wednesday.)

We haven't been together since Rosemary Beach for Thanksgiving in 2013.

We were in Pagosa all together (with our families) in 2009 or 2010.

Orman and Dan met the summer of their Freshman year at BYU (1988)

I met Orman the next summer when Dan and I met (1989)

We met Phyllis the winter after Orman and Dan got home and he and Phyllis were engaged in (1991).

Dan and Orman finished the accounting program together and we all moved to Dallas together in 1993.

Dan met Kurt on their missions and I met Tiff the summer after we got married (1992)

and then really got to know her when they interviewed in Dallas, they stayed with us, and we hit it off right away. (1994)

Unfortunately, we moved to Chicago right before they moved to Dallas, but fortunately Kurt had business in Chicago and they came out several times.

They also became very close with Andersons so we spent many holidays together.

Orman and Phyllis went to Wharton the year after we went to Chicago,

And when we ended up in New York in June 1997, Kurt found a job there and they came in October.

Andersons weren't too far away in Philly so we visited each other often, then they arrived in New York for a couple months in 1998, but a few weeks later we moved to New Jersey.

Countless girls trips and family trips since then, and here we are, all empty nesters now.

How grateful am I for friends who we've grown up together and raised our families together. 

We changed a lot, and haven't changed at all.

We can still share anything and laugh so so so hard.

They both flew into Durango then drove to our place, arriving for lunch.

All six of us fit in the Ranger so we drove around the property and over to old camp.

Then up to Marty and Erin's cabin to say hi to EC and everyone.

Orman bought us all scratchers, but only Tiff won. A dollar.

Before we had kids the Andersons came with us to Pagosa. 

We bought groceries at the old store location and Orman bought a scratchers at checkout.

Back then he won $60 and it paid for their groceries!

After dinner we went up to the schoolhouse and found the largest herd of elk! Yay!

We had a campfire, made s'mores, enjoyed the stars and talked about so much until 

the girls couldn't keep our eyes open.

Good Head Space

Did I sleep well last night? No, I did not. Dang back.

I thought for sure hiking would wear me out, and I'd sleep great.

I was wrong.

I did yoga this morning and an arm workout which was just what the body needed.

Then for a change of scenery, we went shopping in town.

Found things we needed at Ace and Walmart.

Ate lunch at the pizza place and walked through the art store.

I wish I would have bought this for home.

But I was looking for Pagosa art, and my brain does too good of a job compartmentalizing.

Found some gems at the antique store though.

For Pagosa:

For New York:

For laughs with my sisters. (I didn't buy it).

Man, remember those days?

When we got back, my brain was clear and I was refreshed and made great progress.

I made it through the first 100 pages and felt so good with where the story's at,

I let (made) Dan read it.

He was a good sport and read the whole 100 pages in one sitting

and really liked it. 

I've been in this spot many times before -- feeling really good about what I've written, and then going back months later and realizing its crap. 

But that's all part of the process. 

Tomorrow our friends come. I can't wait to be with them.

I wish it wasn't right when I was in a good flow, because picking back up again and getting my head back in the heads of my characters takes a good half a day and then we go home the day after that.

But it's worth it. It's been too long since we've been with the Andersons and Wickhams together.

Bumps in the Road

My eyes were still so worn out from yesterday, I couldn't see my computer screen.

I tried changing the size, then got my reading glasses but in the end had to take out my contacts and wear my reading glasses. Also, I thought I kept smelling gas.

I smelled it from time to time yesterday too, but today I couldn't ignore it.

Dan checked it out for me and realized the pilot light on the grill had gone out.

And now I think I was so tired yesterday because I was getting asphyxiated while I worked.

After a couple of hours, Erin dropped by and Dan and I took a break after she left for lunch.

In the middle of lunch I felt a twinge in my back, exactly like the time I threw my back out.

I immediately stood up and walked around. Took some Advil. Changed my position.

Realized sitting on the couch in the same position for so many hours was tweaking my back.

So I took an enforced break.

Laid on the floor and read for a while. 

Then napped.

Then sat in a chair with a back at the table and worked until 5:00

when Dan and I had scheduled to go hiking to the arch on Cimarrona.

My back was still wonky, but walking actually helps a TON

and it felt great while we hiked.

The arch was much farther than we'd expected.

4.0 miles on my watch. 3.5 on his. 

We got there by 7:35 even though we'd planned on turning back at 7:00.

We ate our sandwiches (actually, the grapes tasted way better after hiking for two hours than a sandwich)

and booked it back trying to beat sunset.

The wildflowers were gorgeous (although not as many varieties as in early July)

and the sun set at 8:25, 30 minutes before we go to the bottom.

Dan carried bear spray and I carried rocks, just in case we encountered any wild animals.

We ran quite a bit, walked really fast, and just as we thought we'd have to turn on our phone flashlights for light, we reached the bottom.

We commented that we didn't talk much either way, 

but we both enjoyed being lost in our thoughts in such a beautiful place,

clearing our minds while we focused on the challenge of hiking,

happy that we were together and didn't have to fill the space with words.