My gorgeous great grandsons

My great grandsons are not only handsiome but talented. I just recieved a bunch of pictures with them as star athletes. Also some of Trevor's writings which I thought were charming enough to put in my blog.



VACATION By Trevor Hatch

Let me tell you my story of the time that my parents and I went to Canada. For my parents job.
It was a long ride. About seven hours.

My name is Rodney Bam. I am a normal 15 year old in high school. I am tall,skinny, with blond hair.

When we arrived in Canada we went straight to the hotel. It was suppose to be a five-star hotel with a great restaurant, and pool and spa. It turned out to be a room with two beds and one bathroom, old TV and a tiny pool. The table fit about two and we had three in our family. A bad start but maybe the other bedroom will be better. But nope, one bed mirror and old TV. How lucky am I? I get to stay here 5 days. since it was midnight I decided to go to bed. I laid down and the bed SQUEEEEEEEEKED. I covered my ears with the pillow and slowly and dreadfully went to sleep. I dreamed that night that we had to leave Canada early. I woke up smililing. I ate two strawberry strudels, got dressed and headed off to check out the school.When I got to school my teacher, Mrs Nash introduced me and saaid to make me feel welcome and blah blah blah. The usual new school intro. I just wanted to get my five days over with and go back home.I sat in the middle of the room next to a kid named Greg.he was really short with blond hair. A few minutes into the class I saw a kid named Blake smack him across the face. Gregs eyes started to water, and everyone was laughing. I thought it was wrong and mean but I didn't say anything. Later that day I saw Greg walking down the street.

"Why didn't you stick up for yourself in class?" I asked him.

" I don't know. I got to go." He said.

I went back to the hotel, swam and went to bed.

Day 2

When I got to the school I say Greg picking up his stuff in the hall and kids walking by him laughing. I said,"You want some help?" "Yeah. thanks " he said.

After school I went over to Greg's house for dinner. His mother made us some Canadian bacon. It was the best I had ever had. We did homework and that night I dreamed I was in a world full of Canadian bacon.MMMMMMMMMMMMM.

Day 3

After school that day Greg asked me if I wanted to go to wrestling practice with him.

"You wrestle?" I asked surprisingly.

"Yeah, I'm really good," he said.

"Why didn't you used your wrestling skills to kick those peoples butts who bullied you?'

"I don't know he said." then after a few seconds, "I don't like to use violence to solve problems."

"Oh" was all I could say as it didn't make sense to me.

Day 4

It was Saturday and Greg had a wrestling event. I called all the kids that picked on Greg and told them to be at the the scool at the time Greg was scheduled to wrestle. He was doing really good and ended up goin4-1 and winning first place in the tournament. All the kids congratulated him and he was really happy. We celebrated at Greg's house with cake, brownies, juice and lots of food. we had a blast.

Day5

We packed up all our stuff and had our last meal at the restaurant. Before we left Greg called and thanked me for inviting all the kids to his even.

I said,"No problem, I owed you. You gave me some mighty good bacon."

THE EN


Just a couple of short poems, and then I will quit bragging on my12 yr old budding author.


Trevor's idea of hyperbole.
1 He was so short he jumped off the curb and died.
2 If I've told you once I've told you a million times.]
3 It's going to take a bazillion years to get through
4 medical school.
5 She cried for days.
6 My car is a million years old.
7 she was so dumb she was stumped on the first question where it said put your name.

Definition.

Who loves to beg for food.
Who loves to play;
Who is named Chewee.
Who is tiny.
His people adore him.
They pet him.
People know I love him.
People give him belly rubs.

Lunch, breakfast, dinner.

I was thinking about how much of one's entertainment is wrapped up in food. Especially when one gets older. I now understand better about Aunt Thirza's book where she told what they had for supper each night. I thought it was a good book except for that.

My socializing often now a days consists of going to restaurants. Phoenix has a lot of them and it seems I am always going to meet a friend for a meal. The other morning all the Executive Homes crew met at my favorite breakfast spot in my neighborhood. We can always talk for hours it seems and catch up on each others lives. It is quite unusual I believe, that People who work together stay together for thirty years. I know families who are not that close. When Gail was here Sonney was having a charity event for 175 people (in her beautiful yard.) and Gail just had to go down and visit for a while. She and Sonney have became solid friends. The event was for for people who have lost a child. I didn't go as one hundred dollars per plate seemed a bit pricey for my present budget. I do know a young girl they have set up for free counseling who lost a baby three years ago.( A very hard thing to get over) so the money was definitely for a worthy cause. They put together a charming cook book with recipe's from all the chefs who prepared the food, plus some from the best restaurants in town. I thought I would buy one of those as a gift for Gail. She would actually use the recipes. I wouldn't. I am lucky if I can scrabble an egg now days. Besides it is too hot to cook. I am a grazer anyway. just eat small amounts all day long. That seems to work well for me. Keeps up my energy and holds my weight steady. I had to laugh at one of the ladies at our breakfast get together who, was talking about her elderly mother in law being nothing but skin and bones. Carol herself is about as big as a minute and looks like skin and bones. I find it quite interesting how people perceive themselves. My Doctor told me I needed to gain a few pounds. I had been worrying about getting too hippy since I don't exercise much any more. Of course I have always been built like a pair. In any event we are still a nation of hunters and gatherers.Hunt the super markets for what might taste good.

Anyone want to come to my house for coffee and Krispy Kremes. I promise the conversation will be lievely. There are politics, oil in the gulf, emigration and war in Aphaganistan to be hashed out. All life and death matters.

Honnoring my son for Memorial day.

We were so happy to have a baby at last. He had a lot of curly blond hair when he was born ,but as you can see it quickly disappeared and I soon found he had inherited my father's unmanageable hair. Daddy was so meticulous about his, he must have combed twenty times a day. This was not in his nature at all. He often looked like a wild boy. He was colicky the first few months and I thought I would not survive this.His dad was driving truck but when he got home after very little sleep, I would meet him at the door and say "Take this kid." Terry was small so would fit in his large hand and he sat up in bed sleeping but still tittering the baby. It was a sight to behold. I would try to grab a few winks while I good. This eventually passed and we actually started to enjoy him.
The second picture is he and Michale,. Flora and Darwins baby. We had all been waiting for a long time for this happy event. Flora had miscarriages and I couldn't get pregnant. When we finally got the little darlings we could spend hours just admiring them. They were so cute and extra smart we felt.

We were living out to the radio station west of Cedar City. When Terry was just over two I was mowing the lawn and suddenly missed him. Talk about a panic. I jumped in the car and went down the road after screaming and running around frantically. About a half mile down the road. I see my precious baby pulling his little red wagon. I asked him where he was going. He said" Going to town". He had a pair of clean overalls and his teddy bear in the wagon. All the important things. I was so grateful there was no traffic on that road at that time. This was portent of things to come. Terry was always on the go and hard to keep track of. he was fearless which didn't help my nerves. Driving wildly, climbing ledges, and riding in Boulder rodeos when he had virtually no practice.

I'll try to post a picture of Terry with our dog Tux. The dog had chosen Terry as a favorite and he knew what he was doing. Terry was very tender with all creatures all his life. One time Tux had to have a tick removed from his ear and as he started coming out of the anesthetic he was flopping around as animals seem to do. Terry sat up all night holding his head so he wouldn't hurt himself. When Terry went to Escalante to school about a half hour before time for the bus to be at our house Tux would go out and sit waiting for it. He and Terry would be so happy to see each other,

Unfortunately it was about this time Terry began his painful journey of Alcoholism. Of course this became a bigger difficulty as he grew up and went in the service. He came home from the army with an Austrian wife and two darling little girls. It was a battle of wills from the beginning, and drinking added another very difficult element. It was a relief when the marriage finally ended. Terry loved his daughters with a passion and always tried to do the best he could by them. He taught himself all the elements of construction and got his license without having to attend a great deal of school. He taught himself all the computer programs needed for his work. It seemed his timing was always off, as far as making money even though he did beautiful work.As he got sicker and sicker, I tried everything I could think of to help him to quit drinking. It seemed three months was about his limit to stay sober.He was fun loving and attracted many women but this only seemed to add to his problems. He told me sometimes he felt he was hanging on by his fingernails.

I, of course felt we had been bad parents and done everything wrong. I was talking about this with Terry one time and he told me that his very best memories in life was all of us as a family sitting around the kitchen table making jokes and laughing really hard. Those Hall men were all witty. Randy said at Terry's demise that he had more fun than all the rest of us put together. He was right about that. It has been ten years since his life ended and it still feels painful, not only to me but his father and two brothers. As you think about it from my present perspective it seems his life was too short and surely too painful but we who loved him learned some great lessons from him. We remember his tenderness and his laughter.

I love my Kinle

The first book I down loaded was Dear John as I like Nicolis Sparks. It was so boring. Nothing ever happened. Then I bought "The Help" by Kathryn Stockinette and totally loved it. It is set in Mississippi in the sixties. That doesn not seem that long ago so it is hard to imagine that things were so bad just that many years ago. We have came a long ways. The writter was raised in a typical gentile white family with the mandatory colored maid. Except she wanted to be a writer,which her family just could not imagine. She worked constantly with notes, journals and a small local newspaper. She kept trying to get the right idea for a publisher in New York to show some interest. Finally she hits on the idea of interviewing the colored maids to see what it felt like to be one for all the white familys. Each one seemed to fall in love with the babies, and then of course would have to leave them. They were all very nervous about talking to her because they knew there would be repercussions, They were worried constantly about being fired and it was their lively hood. Kathryn did such a wonderful job of characterization that you feel you know each of these maids personally.(Made me feel I wished I could hire one.) In any event Kathrryn could not write the book while living in Mississippi. She eventually gets a job in New York and writes the book there. She claims it is fiction but still factual in most aspects. She refers to Martin Luther King and Megar Ever's murders as well as President Kennedy's association so it really takes the reader back to those days.

It reminded me of Trevor when he first went to school back in Illinois and they were talking about Martin Luther King. He immediately called me to see if I knew about that.When I said I did, he said, "Well, did you know how bad it was?" I told him I did and I felt a strong implication from him that if I did why didn't I fix it.

At any rate I highly recomend this book. If you haven't read it alread, rush to the library.She is so easy to read and the story flows seamlessly. That is the only bad thing about the Kindle you can't pass your good books along. I am VERY grateful for it though,

This years flowers.

My house looks like a field of tulips. I have vases and vases of every color and it is very much like Spring and one more special Mother's day. Roses are usual my holiday gifts but this year Robert bought me tulips for valentine and I happened to mention to Lucinda how much I enjoyed them, so I got several dozens in mary lovely colors. It is quite inspiring to have your home filled with flowers that you feel were sent with love. My yard has great pink roses so I will pick a bouquet of them for contrast..Robert bought me a delicious lunch yesterday. and Larena and boys sent special cards. Laena's was beautiful. The sentiment especialy touching. I told her when she called she must have inherited a card picking gene from her father. Terry was always exceptionally good at finding the perfect card for the occasion. I love cards and calls the very best. I must say I like being honored on mother's day as it makes you feel you have done your job well.

Friday night I went to a chocalate and wine party with friends and it was a great atmosphere of celebration. Much laughter and delicious food.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU MOTHERS OUT THERE.

Springtime is Company time

I love being able to see family. It lifts my spirits but makes me wish fervently for more energy to enjoy doing things with them. Monika has been here a couple of weeks and will be here until saturday. She is a joy to be around and I feel so proud of her for what she does in McCall Idaho. She is in charge of the city parks and supervises several employees. Shee just had her yearly evaluation and was rated as outstanding. It came with a raise so she is happy. She was already making $24. an hour which I think is outstanding for a girl without a college education who went off on her own when she was 17 to make a life for her self. She also has great people skills. Terry was very proud of her and told me she had taken McCall by storm. It is a lovely resort town and not too large as for as permanent residents. Her room mate came with her and has been helping Dave get new cabinets in Karin's house. I am happy to see her getting her house more livable.

Joyce and Ejner came for several days. They stay with his son but I have gone out to breakfast and done several hours visiting with them. My other niece Pat has been very ill in the hospital it Ogden and thoughtful Joyce has kept me informed of her progress (or lack there of) every single day. We went to the florist and picked out a beautiful azalea plant to send back for her. Gerry, the one Doc gave you inspired me to choose that. I have never thought of azaleas when sending anyone flowers. It reminds me of Noetic Science. They believe that everything we do changes the world. Sort of like the movie"The Butterfly effect." So you can tell Doc he started a new trend, and the azalea growers will thank him. I recently joined a group studying Noetic Science so I will blog about that when I learn more. anyway I really enjoyed Joyce and Ejers visit, even though I was running out of steam by yesterday. I still have another day to spend with Monika on Thursday. Then my Randy is coming on Saturday. I am always thrilled to see that boy. He is so wonderful to be around, and Colorado gets seeming far away now that I am not much up for travel anymore. Family is such a joy!!

Trevor's first romantic kiss.

My great grandson Trevor lived with me from the time he was two until five. I was seventy when he became my total responsibility. By the time he was five his mother had managed to get her life together and was able to take him. Unfortunately they had to move to Illinois so this was very heart wrenching for both Trevor and I. He was a joy and enriched my life a great deal, even if it was hard at my age. All of my family advised me not to do it, but I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. It was the biggest leap of faith I had ever taken.During this time I took him every week to see his mom no matter where she was. Thus he loved her desperately and was thrilled when he could go live with her. She has become a wonderful mother to Trevor and his little brother Bryce.

Recently in school they were to write their story. This included who was their favorite people and why. Larena (his mother) read me this part on the phone last night and it really touched my heart. She was number one, of course. He said because she buys him so many things. She was not offeded at this but just glad to be number one. I told her he was probably so over whelmed with reasons that was all he could say.

Then he went on to list me as number two because he could always call me and talk about anything. He said I was very kind and I made him delicious devinty and when I cooked I always let him lick the spoon. Also that I taught him to play scrabble even though I always beat him when we played.

His Dad was number three because he supported him in all his sports. In the summer when he grilled they would toss the baseball around and sometimes they played catch with the football. Then "My dad works very hard to support our family." I hope when I grow up I will work hard and support my family.

Who knows what will impress a kid. i was pleased about his memories of me but the part that brought tears to my eyes was what he said about his dad. His hopes of being a good father couldn't have been a better closing line as for as I was concerned. Trevor has turned into quite the little writer which I am sure will bring him much joy in his life. Oh, how I love this little boy.