Favorite Places

This is one of my favorite places in the whole world. It is quiet, offers a panoramic view of both the city and the ocean, and I have many happy memories of this place.

The soothing rhythm of the crashing waves and the wind blowing away stress is so calming to my soul. I love to visit this special place whenever I'm in San Diego. The lighthouse at Cabrillo is my reminder to look to the light of the Savior for guidance in a darkening world.

Ten Questions for Ten Things of Thankful

Kristi, over at Thankful Me, invited others to answer these questions in a post. For once these are questions I can answer: 

1.  What small act of service have you received that has meant a lot to you?  
At a time of marital crisis a friend sent me a gorgeous floral arrangement. She knew I couldn't announce the crisis in church so was having to face it alone. When it arrived I bawled over her thoughtfulness and generosity.

2.  What was your favorite meal when you were a child?
My mother's tacos and enchiladas. She had learned how to cook authentic Mexican from the ladies in the Spanish Branch where she attended because of my dad's assignment early in their marriage.

3.  Do you enjoy camping?  
Yes. I enjoy the quiet, the fresh air, the challenge of "playing pioneer" and the stars overhead at night.

4.  Have you moved (changed houses) more as an adult, or as a child?  
I never moved as a child, except to change bedrooms. As an adult I've moved twenty-three times. I've become a gypsy. Actually, I moved some as a young adult, as a missionary, and then I married a Marine and have moved following him around. I'm so used to it that every three or so years I get an itch to move again. I like the challenge of a new place.

5.  Where would you like to retire, and why?  
Somewhere close to children and grandchildren, hopefully somewhere south of where I am now so the winters would be milder. But maybe we'll stay here and just be snowbirds travelling south for the winter. We're about ten years from retirement.

6.  If you had a free day next week, how would you spend it?
If I had a WHOLE day free I'd use it to re-organize my Family History paperwork. I need to, but just can't quite get to it.

 7.  If you could suddenly develop a new talent or skill, what would it be? 
In 2008 I enjoyed four months of violin lessons. I regret that I couldn't continue because I thoroughly enjoyed it and wish I'd had the opportunity when I was young to develop that talent.

8.  Do you know where your grandparents and/or great-grandparents were born?
Grandpa Joe was born in Dundee, Scotland, his wife Grandma Fern was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Grandpa Hansen was born in Kvitver, Norway, Nana Hansen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joe's parents were born in Scotland, Fern's parents were born in England and Salt Lake City; Grandpa Hansen's parent were born in Norway, Nana's parents were born in Denmark.

9.  What is one trait that describes you?
Knowledgeable. My children think I'm an encyclopedia; the people at church believe I know everything (they've never met anyone like me); and a dear friend informed me that one of my spiritual gifts is the gift of knowledge, I never knew that, I thought everyone who studied or read knew what I know. I'm not bragging, sometimes it feels like a curse.


10.  What is one of your family traditions?
Using brown paper bags for "wrapping" presents. That got started when our first two children were two and one. We went to a friends home for Christmas Eve dinner and I expected to be home in time to wrap presents. Wrong! We enjoyed ourselves so much that we didn't get home until almost midnight. I stuffed the presents in brown grocery sacks, stapled them shut and wrote names on the bags. Noble and Lt. Lehi enjoyed the bags so much that I never worried about wrapping things again. They played with their presents, putting them in and out of the bags all day. I use wrapping paper for gifts for other's because they don't follow our tradition, but I don't use much wrapping paper for our family gifts. A couple years ago I began making reusable gift bags for our Christmas presents and that has been a fun new tradition, based on the older one.