NEWS FROM THE DAYS - JANUARY 2015

February 1, 2015

DAY FAMILY NEWSLETTER – JANUARY 2015

Christmas day brought about 10 inches of snow. Nothing since. What happened to winter? Perhaps it’s too soon to count winter out. We’re headed to St. George next Thursday to spend a 4 nights for short get-a-way. Looking forward to temps in the 60’s while there. I’ll stop by Danny’s to sign another year’s lease on the way back. Danny broke another two crowns, an ongoing issue with him. He said the last one was when he was eating a Ritz cracker…..go figure.

Not a lot on the calendar this past month. I stopped smoking 13 years ago – I keep tract of it like a birthday and celebrate every January 5th. I keep reading/hearing of all the good news in our country – unemployment way down, the economy growing every quarter, housing up, stock market way up, all the leading economic indicators up, basically good times. I blame Obama. Speaking of politics, Romney announced he’s not running in 2016. Too bad – now the republicans have a chance of winning the White House. I don’t think the country can stomach Hilary Clinton – me included. I still remember the last go around, when about 9 candidates on the republican side traded months leading the pack because nobody really wanted Romney, and month by month, the current month’s leader would stick their foot in their mouth, or have some embarrassing past issue brought up, and another candidate would take the lead for a month or so. Of the 9 or so candidates that would appear on stage in the debates, the only one who didn’t lead the pack at one point or another was Jon Huntsman, Utah’s former governor. I could actually support him, as he is a moderate similar to me. Of course in Utah, a moderate is a flaming democrat, about as far left as you can get on the plank without being ousted to Nevada with Senator Reid.

Linda and I saw a very good play at the U this past month, The Alabama Story. Just a great reminder of the prejudice that existed just 55 years ago in the late 50’s when we all grew up. The play is all about a children’s book about two bunny rabbits that live in the forest and get married. The author and illustrator, when designing the book, made one bunny black and one white to distinguish male versus female. But to a legislator in Alabama, this children’s book was encouraging children to accept interracial marriage between a male and female in the human race. I think it’s going to take another generation, maybe two, for this mind set to completely disappear.

We also saw a couple of movies – Birdman – we still can’t figure that one out. And The Theory of Everything, about Steve Hawkins, an excellent movie. We joined Stephanie and her kids to a day trip to The Hardware Ranch east of the Logan area. They have been feeding elk there since the 1940’s to encourage them from migrating down into the Logan valley where they disrupt farm life. The State of Utah sets up wagon tours pulled by horses that take you right through the 400 to 500 elk that don’t seem to mind the people or horses on the wagons within 10 to 15 feet away. The person guiding the horses stops several times and talks about the elk, the tradition, history and interesting facts surrounding their migration and habitat. They do this December through March, and when there’s enough snow, the wagon is replaced by a sleigh. Our trip was on a wagon with wheels. We stopped in Logan to go to one of the cheese factory stores, Gossner I believe, and bought locally produced milk in cartons that doesn’t need refrigeration, cheese and butter. Then we stopped at a local Mexican restaurant recommended by Shelley. A nice trip, although when I asked Jessica (age 12) on the ride back home if she would rate the trip to the elk as a 7 or 8, she said, no, maybe a 5.

Speaking of Jessica, she recently participated in a ballroom dance contest between schools, and won a gold ribbon. She takes ballroom dancing as an extracurricular activity in the 6th grade, and is looking forward to trying out for the school play next week. Christopher, Debbie’s 25 year old, and his girlfriend, Mariah, have announced a new edition to the family due in mid March. Debbie is putting together a baby shower in a few weeks for Mariah. It looks like the Day name will live on, as they are expecting a boy.

A lady neighbor across the street came down ill at Thanksgiving, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at Christmas, and died three weeks later. We attended her funeral, and can’t believe how one’s life can come to an end so abruptly without any advance warning. Her husband Chris is an all around carpenter who builds cabinets in his garage, as well as remodels homes. He put in the safety rails in our bathrooms and handrail on our basement stairs when Linda had knee surgery and needed more safety. We discovered we were in the same National Guard unit as medics at the same time, but didn’t really know each other personally. He went to Ft. Ord in California for his training, while I went to Ft. Polk in Louisiana. We both went to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, but at different times. Small world.

Linda crocheted a baby blanket for her hairdresser’s new baby born a week ago. And we enjoy using her washcloths in the kitchen that she has crocheted over the past year. Linda is not delighted to start prep for her scheduled colonoscopy in three days. I mean, three days prior, there are dos and don’ts as to what to eat – this all in addition to the dreaded night before activities leading up to the required procedure all elderly people get to enjoy in their old age! Or not! And it will be performed by Dr. Sosselheimer, the same doctor who performed my first colonoscopy 15 years ago on Halloween day. I’ll never forget being wheeled into the procedure room groggy, and looking up at this tall man dressed as a nurse with lipstick on – remember – it was Halloween day, and him introducing himself as my doctor……………for a colonoscopy…….and then I was out.

And that’s the news, the whole news, and the only true news from Zion. Tom