Down Memory Lane at Paradise Bakery

Several months ago I wrote about what a tough time I had deciding which college to attend. Today I had a delightful lunch with 2 of the people whose friendship reconfirms in my mind that I made the right decision. Back in the early 90's I saw these 2 everyday and sometimes twice a day! They haven't changed too much except Denice now has short hair and Angela's is long. The three of us plus seven others were called to be Executive Officers in the Upsilon Lambda Delta Sigma Sorority. We preferred "Execs". Here is a chart so you don't get lost (I love charts). For 1 year we were in charge of organizing events for about 600-800 University of Utah Co-eds. We worked very, very hard for those months planning Rush, firesides, dances, service projects, parties and more but in between the stress we laughed, teased, played, cried, talked and had a fantastic time being college gals!

Shopping for a few hundred with Jenn and Denice. Fun. And good training for shopping for 5 boys!

All of us were given nicknames by Angela or Anhela. I was Kay-ye. Don't ask me why. Ask Angela. There was also Denicky, Ho, Shoelster, Lawa, Hen, Heeder, and so on. I am amazed I remember that many.

It is a bit of a tricky situation to be an Exec because we are called from our "home" chapter to work with 9 girls from the other chapters. We didn't know each other and we had to rely on each other to do what we were called to do and try to become friends while still planning and carrying out the events. It could have made for an uncomfortable year but it ended up being a fantastic one instead. One memory stands out in my mind that happened right after we were put into office. We were at an LDSSA convention with several other universities up at USU. We had a lot of responsibilities that we were taking care of and all of a sudden we were told 30 minutes before show time that we were in charge of a skit to introduce all of the University of Utah chapters in front of all these other schools. crap. Well we did it. We pulled together a fun, short skit complete with song and dance to introduce our chapters. I remember thinking after that skit that we would do just fine, come what may.

It was quite a learning experience working in that capacity. I had no idea the drama and chaos that can reign when working with that large of a group. Take for instance the fall dance.

A Casual Dance

For years the Lambda Delt officers had done 2 large dances a year. Both Formal. Well we decided that it would be fun to do at least one of the dances casual. Good idea, no? Well apparently it was the most controversial and confusing thing that had ever happened in these girls lives. We had to actually go to 10 different chapter meetings and define casual for them. We had to dress up in a variety of outfits and show them what was acceptable and what was not. We had to reassure them that they could indeed dress for, attend AND enjoy a casual dance. I am sure that it is still living in infamy in the institute as "The Casual DanceDilemma of 1990"! The things that we learned in our different callings changed our lives. For example Jen was in school learning to be and already working as an accountant. She was our treasurer. Now she is a hair stylist. I think trying to maintain a budget for us and train and help 10 chapter treasurers killed the accountant bug for her! Angela is now a high school history teacher and she proceeded to tell me that after a year as the communications officer and doing countless bulletin boards that she will not do them in her classroom. She hates bulletin boards. Here is one that she did and I wish we had a closeup. It is a hundred little cut out people participating in an epic battle. It was a ton of work no wonder she still has a bit of burnout. See? changed her life. Here she is playing a practical joke on me pretending she and Steve were engaged. They even kissed. Ewww. It freaked me out.

It was great to reminisce with these friends about Spring Break (John Carlyle was the 3rd boy Angela) and Disneyland trips and sleeping in the office because it was just ridiculous to go home and then turn around an hour later to come back. It was great to hear what they have been doing lately and to realize that although I don't see them twice a day or even twice a year that I still consider them great friends and my life is better because of them.

Top 10 Must Visit Spots...

I love traveling. Or at least I think would love traveling if I ever did actually travel. There are places that I would really like to visit someday. Exotic locales that every world traveler would call a must see! I will go and it will be incredible and some places I will love and want to visit again.

However there are already certain places that I return to again and again. They are my Wailing Wall, my Jerusalem, my Mecca. I go because I feel connected to these places and because they are part of my history. They are reminders of where I come from and where I want to be. I hope all of you have places like this.

I went to one of these places a few weeks ago. I doubt you have ever been there and if you haven't then most likely you never ever will. I don't know the real address but to me it would be addressed as:

My Blue Heaven or Bide a While Haven
Wasatch Resort
The Canyon

While in the canyon I visit a museum that could not be more impressive to me than the Met or the Louvre. Over here are some steps made of massive stones put into place by my great-grandfather. I know because I sat on one of those steps looking at an old picture of him putting it into place while my grandmother told me the story.

The rocks themselves talk of the history of this place. My children can tell you of how the men working at the temple quarry would drill into the rocks and pour in water and the the water would freeze and crack the rocks. The put their fingers into the holes left in some rocks as we take our walks. The massive rocks have thousands of stories to tell. Climbing rocks, naming rocks, discovering rocks, conquering rocks and even losing rocks is all part of the experience. We lost Table Rock in the floods of '83. This massive, flat and beautiful granite rock that sat at the side of the creek where we would all climb up on was the scene of many a lunch.

The ancient trails that are known only by a select few. It is so entertaining to see hikers and bikers travel on their beaten path right past Cool Water where freezing cold water bubbles right out of the earth in a beautiful shaded area. The Water Tower where we used to be amazed as our intrepid Uncle Mitch would climb up and reach way down with his pink and white round cup and get us all a drink.

Up the canyon even the cups have historical significance. There are the baby blue/white, pink/white thick plastic cups that are in Grandmas cabin. But the ultimate drinking experience comes from the dented metal cups in the main cabin. There is a joy that comes from filling up these cups with the glacier-licious water that comes straight from the tap. The cups instantly become the temperature of the water which just heightens the anticipation of that first sip. Mmmm. It is so cold.

The fine amenities of the 5 star resorts are not be found here. Indeed some of the best parts of the canyon are the windows that stick and the floor that slants. There is also an unwritten rule that although there is a TV and DVD player available they are never to be turned on. You have to find your own entertainment. There are lizards to be caught and rocks to be thrown. There is the fort you made last year that you have to find, repair and improve upon. It is here the kids learn to play Monopoly and PIT. At night you play kick the can and it is the best because there are so many places to hide and it is so dark! The creek is a dangerous focal point of our trip. It is gloriously powerful right now so it is a bit of a worry because water+unlimited rocks= boys paradise. I enjoy it more when it slows down to a lazy trickle and the pools fill up and you can jump from rock to rock to rock. Or you can add a bit of an adventure and throw big rocks into the little pools and totally soak your unsuspecting brother who is standing nearby!The best part of the creek is the noise it makes when you are sleeping. There is nothing more relaxing in the world than that sound and combined with the cool summer breeze that blows in the old wood windows is the best medicine for any insomniac!All of these attractions are nothing compared to the connection that I feel with family while I am there. The entire place is a treasure box where I store little snippets of memories of family. Each memory as unique and wonderful as the person who gave it to me. Great-grandma Ashton sitting at her kitchen table tatting, Grandpa Carter repairing something, Grandma taking us to visit her cousins down the road, aunts playing PIT, uncles climbing rocks, cousins playing kick the can, 2nd cousins teaching me Solitaire, great-aunts bringing cherries to munch on, Mom taking us on hikes, brothers having waterfights and sisters swinging on the swing and talking until late into the night and now my kids and their cousins are filling their own memory box. I love hearing them reminisce about their adventures on the ride home. Each of these memories tie me to these marvelous people and I feel stronger when I leave there. What other place in the world can do that for me?

The Dudes!

The first boy I loved who wasn't related to me!

I love boys! Since I was a wee babe apparently. My mom tells stories of how I would always respond better to the mens voices and I always would climb up on their laps and smile and laugh with them. Is it any small wonder that I have 5 boys of my own? Don't get me wrong girls were great but with the boys I didn't have to worry about their crazy emotions in fact some claimed to not have any feelings at all! At good ole Viewmont High I had a few close girlfriends but I had a group of boys whom I adored. Probably too much. I think during the years I had a crush on every single one of them at one point or another. They have gone through some changes through the years. The name by which they were known has changed. They used to be the Stolen Hubs and then they became the Dudes. Some members of the group have come and gone but the core seems to remain the same.Did I mention that I loved them! I really did! Between them all they probably made the ideal man (granted it took all 5-7 of them to make the ideal but he was there) Most of them were funny, some were sensitive, all were smart, some could sing, some played baseball, some soccer, some football, some hockey, some played instruments, some could draw, some could dance, some could ski, some were sensitive, some were politically minded, some had fashion sense and they all made funny-only-for-a-few movies. Wow what a man! The Ideal Man

They were almost always fun to be with. I was the camera woman for filming some of their films, mainly because I had a camera! Many an hour was spent watching them plan a scene that took about 10 seconds of the final film! Later I became a source of free pizza. I remember encouraging them to "Be honest and open". Every once in a while they would open up but mainly they just teased me.

I used to mock them also for many reasons such as the time they let me come to their air band concert. Vastly amusing. I would give a lot to have that on film! I also would tease them about their idle threats. For years they used to threaten that someday they would beat me up, tie me up, drive me out to the desert and leave me for dead. Finally after years and years of this particular threat they made good on it. Granted there was no real beating and I had to hold the rope so they could tie me up and they didn't leave me for long in the desert because there was another car approaching but they did make good on their threat. You mocked my pain! Never do it again!
I blame them for my feelings of not ever wanting to graduate from high school. I just knew we would go our separate ways and lose contact. For the first few years I kept in touch with them through letters while they were serving missions for our church. Then they came home and we hung out for a while (free pizza) and then they started to get married and for quite a while I didn't see much of them. Then about 10 years ago they invited Dave and I to join a dinner group they started where every other month they would get together at someones house for dinner and games. It has become (sad to say) a highlight of my social life.

I love each of them even more now and I also love all their wives (they all married far above themselves). It is amazing how these boys have grown into fine fathers and husbands. They hold down jobs (none of which are in the movie making industry) and they are just good guys!

It gives me hope to think that my silly, crazy, thoughtless, teasing sometimes insensitive, and always full of fun sons will someday grow up to be like a Dude-like man.

When did family reunions become fun again?

I remember distinctly Mom and Dad dragging me to many a reunion in some random park or church cultural hall. I am very certain that the following things took place at almost every reunion.

kids playedadults sat around and talked and laughed at very silly stories

older cousins (first, second, once removed doesn't really matter) who were so awesomely cool that you were a little nervous but oh so eager to hang with their crowd.

lots of good homemade food

boring programs

everyone remarking on how big I was getting

young cousins jumped right back into being friends... doesn't matter when you saw them last.

teenagers sulking

I remember about a million years ago when my Uncle Clifford and Aunt Helen's family came into to town and we got together with them for a few days and we somehow memorized all the songs in "Annie" and performed them for our parent's. Whenever I hear those songs I think of these cousins fondly.

Then I became a teen and the whole reunion thing become quite tedious and boring I remember those years well. Those teenage years through the selfish-young-twenties (sorry, that is what I call those first years in the twenties when everything is about me. Granted for good reasons but another time on that topic) anyway that must be where reunions get a bad reputation. Too bad we can't skip those years.

So my question is this. When did reunions become good things again? I just got back from the Rencher Reunion at the Homestead. It was full of...

Kids playing

lots of adults sitting around talking and laughing only now I am one of them!

older cousins although I am not afraid of most of them anymore. The younger gun-totin' ones scare me a little! It makes me wonder who is going to attack us up there in the booniest of boondocks, an escaped cow?

lots of good homemade food... foil dinners (what are these mysterious things of which you speak?), pancakes and all the protein extras, taco soup, potato bar with all the fixins plus some new yummy fixins. (I still want that pulled pork recipe, Brenda!)

boring programs (not quite so boring, especially sitting near the most sarcastic of the cousins and their spouses)

everyone remarking on how big I was getting. It wouldn't be a compliment anymore although still true. teens sitting around sulking. Another nice thing about the Homestead. Lots of room, lots of things to do, lots of fun events, lots of people with guns to shoot the teens that are sulking.

young cousins jumped right back into being friends... doesn't matter when you saw them last.

The cousins aren't so young anymore but it is amazing how we can jump right back into being friends. Maybe it is the special place that we call The Homestead, maybe it is that we are older and supposedly wiser, maybe it is that we have some of the same blood running through our veins, maybe it is because we know perfectly what "He is such a Rencher" means.

Whatever your reasons. I am a fan.

disclaimer: Photos do not necessarily reflect what is being mentioned. Jacqui is not the most sarcastic. Brenda may not be actually bored but then again...

Do you say crick or creek?

I just got back from a mini vacation to "The Canyon" as we call it. It is actually Little Cottonwood Canyon but if you say "The Canyon" to any of us we will know what you are talking about.

In the Wasatch Resort near the mouth of the canyon the pioneers cut granite to make the Salt Lake Temple. They built miners cabins to live in and my great-great grandfather George Ashton had a couple and his son my great-grandfather ,George Ashton, bought a couple also. My grandmothers family would live there all summer long to escape the heat of the city. We, following in our forefathers footsteps continue to spend time and suspend time in this wonderful place during the summer. 2x great George's cabin is "Bide a While Haven" and 1x great George's cabin is "My Blue Heaven".

Great-great Grandpa George!

You must know that these are not what my family calls "Uncle Grant Cabins" but they are quaint and wonderful and they have been updated with electricity and plumbing so we love it there. There are many things that we love about the cabin. 1. The Creek or Crick depending on how you pronounce it! It isn't very far from the cabins which causes young mothers some stress when the water is high, but at night, when the kids are tucked safely in bed, you lay with the windows open and you hear the rushing water and nothing is more relaxing and soothing. During the day, for rock-throwing, wading, picnics and even the occasional water-fight when the water is low, nothing could be more delightful and refreshing as the straight-from-the-glacier water that flows in the creek.
2. The Hikes. Since as far back as I can remember I can recall going on the same hikes that I now take with my little ones. Cool Water, The Water-Tower, Table Rock and Our Property are some of the old hikes. One new hike we discovered is the new trail that has been created called the Temple Quarry trail which has signs explaining all about the quarry and the history of the area. Those pioneers were quite ingenious and it is amazing to still see some of their handywork in the rocks surrounding the cabins. 3. The rocks. Oh my goodness, I love these old rocks. For 4 generations now we have climbed these rocks. They are gigantic and some scare me to death but they are heaven to climb and discover. Every generation has found them and named them. Ship Rock, Piano Rock, Elephant Rock, Slide Rock, Table Rock, Step Rock and the list goes on. My kids call them something else but after a brief description I will say "Oh you mean, Step Rock!" Then Grandma pipes up "That is called Grandpa Rock!" 4. The Swing. For 70+ years this swing has rested on the patio of "Bide a While Haven" Cabin. My mother played on it as a child as did I. I can remember the thrill and terror of flipping it over backwards as I watched my kids do this week! What amazes me is that I never taught them that! It just seems to be instincive! Smart kids (or not considering the landing for all falls is concrete of the hardest kind)

5. The Kitchen. All things cooked in this old kitchen (complete with unused old-fashioned stove) are delicious but the best thing in this kitchen is the water that comes from the tap. FREEZING cold and the best way to experience this water is in the antique metal cups that also become FREEZING cold! It totally takes me back to my childhood and arguing with my sister over which cool cup I got and which was hers!

6. The women. This used to be a man's domain. The miners, the grandfathers and the uncles (Uncle Mitch was, as a far as we were concerned, the King of the Canyon whom we all followed without question) but slowly it has been taken over by the women. My Great-grandmother sitting at her kitchen table reading. My grandmother sitting and telling family stories. My aunts doing handiwork and playing PIT until late into the night (at the top of our lungs). My mother leading the hikes and band-aiding the hurts (we went through 1 box and 1 first-aid kit worth of bandaids! this isn't a wimpy place!) My sisters (including inlaws) talking, laughing, cooking, cleaning, hiking, playing games. And now my sons.... It seems that it is going to have to include men again because these boys love this place and the forts and lizards and nightgames and rocks!