GRATITUDE and GIVING THANKS
Brent and I were just talking about our move to SoCal when Roy was
little (21 months) and Tommy was not quite born. We moved to Huntington Beach for Brent's work and a better future. We
had some pretty rough times there, monetarily, but that time helped us grow and solidified
our life together.
We have so many
happy memories, joy in overcoming the hardships and fun in exploring new places
and people. I think out in the mission field, that area, was
one of my favorite times in all the church wards we have been in.
Beautiful flowers, fruit orchards and the ocean. Seemed like heaven in some ways. Some of our hardest times, but we weathered the brown residue at the bottom of the bottle when I made powdered milk, 1001 ways to cook potatoes as a main dish, fragrant oranges and Brent bringing them home after he had been to help on the Church Farm. 
Learning about Christ-like love from the Armstrong's, our landlords who were of another religion. Finding and making new friends and building a home in a 2 bedroom apartment.
I think we can be very grateful we were not a pioneer, just
think of the heavy, long dresses with all the petticoats…. I remember when all the homes didn't have dishwashers or the internet and computers.
Back then our houses and cars didn’t
have any air-conditioning. That really was not so long ago. Hot, heavy, sweltering days where the ground burns right through your rubber thongs (flip-flops, now a days). Long, hot
nights just waiting for a breeze to come down from the canyons and cool us off. Lots of evenings with the door and windows
all open wide, trying to get a quiver of the tiniest waft of air to move that stifling, muggy air. Shutting the windows early in
the morning to help keep the cool air in as long as we could.
We didn't use fast food as we do now, so cooking was just adding heat to the fire. Taco casserole and Tamale pies, and cool cheesecakes were all good memories from that time.
Can you even imagine being a pioneer, on the plains, in the
winter with a dugout in highest hump of the flat-lands for your protection or a house made out of
dirt sod? I used to read stories of the pioneers and
could not even understand their courage, not to sure that I could do all that
they did. Freezing blizzards or heat and drought
and still not much shelter, and self reliance, with hardships beyond measure.
One of most fun times as a child was playing “going across
the plains” as pioneers in the “Olden Times”
Lots of fun back then, even lots of western shows, Wagon Train, Rawhide (Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates-my favorite), Bonanza, Fury
and so many more. Idyllic stories of times
gone by. Looking back with perspective
tends to leave us with golden memories, but the living through those trials isn’t
easy and was the true test. I guess our
times are no different, we all face challenges, just different ones in this day
and age. We are all the pioneers in our
own life.
I love living in our times with all the
modern technology, improvements to living and the conveniences of our time, right
now.
Just me thinking and reminiscing of times gone by and a happy heart for all those whom came before us, looking ahead, working hard for a better life. And all those who kept, as my Dad used to say, "Improving on the stock".
