It's been a while....

Sorry that there has not been an update in a while!

Lets catch up shall we...

The kids have finished school... Kraig will be in sixth grade and Maggie will be in third grade next year.

Kraig is continuing his progress through Scouts. He will be getting his first merit badge at the next Court of Honor... He will be getting the Genealogy Merit Badge, along with his Scout and Tenderfoot advancements.

Cathi will start taking college courses this fall... I think she's nervous!

Katie is a Junior in High School and will finish up her studies next year.

Maggie is being cute and practicing her drawing and typing.

Sandy and I are still working hard at being parents (never ending isn't it!).

We spent the last week and a half in Panaca. Cathi went to girls camp with Karyn. Karyn had fun, but I think Cathi has convinced us that she's not a camper... only with an RV! LOL!

We went to Saint George and saw the Pine Valley Chapel, the Tabernacle and the Saint George Temple Visitors Center. Thought about going to Zion for a drive, but didn't want to pay the $25.00 entrance fee... just to stay a couple of hours... not worth it.

We also went to the Valley of Fire, visited Hoover Dam and saw the lights of Las Vegas.

On the way home we went to Lehman Caves and took the tour of the cavern.

I'll post some pictures soon.

And now for something completely different...

I thought I would use video for an entry to my blog... How's that!... that means you have to turn on your sound!

Christmas in Panaca

I'll probably get a "nasty-gram" from the editor of the "Lincoln County Record" and I might not for reposting a story from their website, but I do miss Christmas time in Panaca.

Panaca’s Cookie Crumb Trail 

Panaca's first "Cookie Crumb Trail" Christmas celebration was a wonderful start to the holiday season, on Saturday, Dec. 6.  The "live nativity" scene was a meaningful experience, not only to those viewing it, but especially to those who volunteered to take part in it. A big round of thanks to all that participated, and to Dixie Tienken and Beverly Peterson for lining up characters, and to Marty Buschmann, Don Cumming and Pete Peterson for costuming, set design and construction, and sound system. Thank you also to Neldon and Carol Mathews for use of the property, to Matt and Jule Wadsworth and family, and Tina & Ed Welty for use of the live animals ("Bo" the goat made a big hit), and to Raymond Thompson and Kenny Lee for loan of the hay.

Inside the Town Hall, nativity collections were displayed by about 20 different people, with the collection of Caliente residents Marvin & Ruth Richardson taking up 3 tables, and Larry & Renee Hansen's collection taking up 2 tables! Our spirit spilled onto the lawn out front as we decorated the Town Tree with family ornaments, and everyone enjoyed cookies & cocoa, compliments of CindySooz Restaurant, the Panaca Market, the "Y" Service, and the Pine Tree Inn. Thanks also to everyone that brought cookies to share! Merlin Rohde's hay wagon made 3 trips around town before dark, carrying spirit-filled carolers led by Sisters Jernigan and Newitt from the LDS Missionaries.

We also thank Linda Lee, Grayce McBride and Kathy Wadsworth for opening the Panaca Heritage Center for the day, so that people could learn more about Panaca's pioneer heritage. And we could not have decorated the Town tree without the assistance of Panaca town "Maintenance Max" Austgen and "Santa Lee"! And UNCE Extension Educator Holly Gatzke volunteered her entire afternoon, while her family was out cutting their tree.

Yet to come is the Lighting Contest, to be judged on Monday, Dec. 15. Thanks to Lincoln Communities Action Team (LCAT) for the advertisement and support of this fun activity! Next year will be even better!

Submitted  by Barbara Rohde, Panaca LCAT representative
Copyright 2008 Lincoln County Record, Caliente, Nevada

On a side note...
When we moved to Panaca in 1982, just down/up (whatever!) from the family house was this GI-HUGIC pine tree! It must have been at least 4 stories high! Anyway, each Christmas, everybody in town would gather at the tree for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony (it had Christmas lights on it!), with hot chocolate, smores and other goodies and we would all sing Christmas carols, turn on the lights and have a really great time. This tree was sooooo tall, that after the Christmas Lights were turned on, it could be seen from the mountains to the East of Panaca by anyone coming down the highway from Utah and from the rest of the hills around the valley. Well, I think it would have been my Junior year in High School, but a wind storm and I mean storm blew through the valley and this very old and very tall tree was blown over. Thankfully it fell into the street and not on anyones house. It was a sad day for sure. But alas, traditions cary on and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting now takes place (I think it still does) in front of the Panaca Post Office on the main street through town.

Have a Merry Christmas
and a happy New Year!

Proposition 8 - Short video

I know that we are all getting inundated with radio and TV adds concerning the election and all of the propositions to be voted on this November 4th.

Here's is a short 6 min video about the ramifications if Prop 8 fails in California. Before I give the internet address, the California State School Superintendent says that California schools will not and do not teach homosexual marriage in school. While that may be true in some locations, it is not true in Massachusetts where gay marriage is already legal. In Massachusetts, parents are not given any notification at all about what is being taught to their children when it comes to gay marriage. Since gay marriage is legal in Massachusetts, the schools there do teach gay marriage and the gay lifestyle as early as kindergarten. If this isn't indoctrination into something that is morally wrong, then what is.

Please view this video and pass it along to those you know in California and encourage them to vote YES on proposition 8 on November 4th.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1815825713

So, as you can see from the video, if Proposition 8 fails in California, then things will change. Schools will teach (if they don't already) that being gay is ok and that being gay is normal. Also, now here's the big one... Parents will not have a say in what is being taught to their children. Parents will not be able to tell the school(s) that they (parents) do not want their children to be taught that it is ok for gays marry.

I am a parent and I will have the last word when it comes to what my children are taught in school, even to the point of taken them out of school and teaching them myself at home.

Protect our children, protect the sanctity of marriage and vote YES on Proposition 8.

Like my bio says... "Its hard to write about oneself!"... Unless your Steven! My sister Karyn says on her blogg that I've been tagged... what's up with that?? Is this like the "letter" that got passed around in Jr. High...

Question 1: Do you like me?
Question 2: What is your favorite color?
Question 3: Who is your favorite teacher?

Remember those? I do... I think I even passed one around to someone once upon a time! ;-) So I will wait and see what happens next.