Grandma Ruth Olsen

Grandma Olsen was a wonderful Grandma. She taught many lessons and made many memories with me over the years. She is a great example of enduring to the end. Grandma's life was not easy it was filled with a lot of trials and struggles with her health. When she was 39 years old she got rheumatoid arthritis. This enabled Grandma from doing a lot of things on her own. Simple things in life that we all take for granted. I can't recall a time when Grandma asked "Why me" no matter the lot she was handed she took it on knowing things would work out. She went through a lot especially in the past few years. I remember about two years ago when she got pneumonia the doctors told the family that they may want to make a trip to come and see her because he didn't know if she would make it or not. But then he said knowing Ruth and her history she will most likely pull through because she is a fighter. Anyone else I wouldn't expect them to. And she did. We still made a special trip to come and see her just in case and to just remind her how much we love her.

Grandma was a great example of service. She provided many people the opportunity to serve. She taught her family the importance of working and not complaining about it. That is something that I think we all could have done better. There were times especially when we were younger and didn't totally understand how hard it was for Grandma to have to rely on others to live, to help her with a helping smile. I think the trials she went through was a very humbling experience for her to always have to ask someone for help. We all like to be independent and do our own things but she couldn't. Not only did she provide us with opportunities to serve her but she was also provided us with services. When I was getting ready to go on my mission my parents and I talked about what they would cover and what I would cover and I had the money for my part, but when I went to give it to my parents so they would have it to for each month they told me that Grandma covered my part so I could save my money to help me pay for school for when I came home. While I was on my mission she wrote me very faithfully every week. The gospel was an important part of Grandma's life and she loved the missionary work. She couldn't serve a mission because of her physical limitations so helping to pay for our missions was her way of helping us serve missions. These are just a few services that she did but probably the ones that made the biggest impact on my life.

Grandma always had a project going on. She couldn't do the majority part of the project but she would always volunteer her children and grand-kids to do the parts she couldn't. It seemed like growing up there was always a craft that she and Grandpa were doing, then after Grandpa died she kept up with the crafts. She gave away the things they made to family and friends. I remember the butterflies Grandma and Grandpa made for everyone in 1988. There were so many and it seemed like there wasn't a one that was the same. Each one was painted different. A lot of hard work went into these butterflies. Here is a picture of my butterfly on my living room wall. Thank you Grandma for many decorations.
I remember painting the wall in the back yard a few times I love painting. I also remember painting the fire hydrant Grandma liked to be creative. I wish I had pictures of the different ways she had us paint the hydrant. I don't think the hydrant in their yard was ever the traditional red for very long. A few of the hydrant colors were polka dots, checkers, blue, red and white, and a soldier. I am sure there were more but those are the only ones I can remember. She kept it painted up till the last 3 years when the town redid the roads they also put in new hydrants and said they have to stay red.

One of my favorite things to do when I was younger was freezing corn. I remember we would fill up Grandpa's black truck full of corn some years we would husk the corn on the farm of where we got it from and leave the husks for the farmers pigs or we would take it all back to Grandma's house and back the truck up to the carport and get to work. Some of us would be husking the corn; some would be washing the corn, and then came the messy and fun part cutting the corn off the cob. We all got so sticky during the freezing the corn day it was so much fun. Not only would we cut the corn off the cob but you also had to scrap down the cob with your knife to get the last bit of corn and the juices of the corn. (That is what made us all so sticky because it would get every where.) If I ever cut my corn off the cob just to eat it I still have to scrap down the cob to get the rest of it something just stick with you forever. We would all have cookie sheets or cake pans on our laps that we would cut the corn into once our pans got full someone would come and collect the corn, it would then be cooked. Once it got cooked we would put it into freezer baggies and the baggies would get the date written on them. Then the corn took a trip out to the wheelbarrow where we have the hose running cold water to cool off the hot corn. Once the corn was cool we would put it in the freezer. After it was all done everyone would take the corn their family would need for the year. To this day homemade frozen corn is still my favorite. I looked forward to the assembly line of freezing corn every year.

Another memory I have is every year for Christmas when we were little we would have to wait for dad to get home from work. Once he got home and cleaned up we would call Grandma, Connie, and Norma to come down. They would watch us open our presents and then we in turn would go down to Grandma's house and watch them open their presents. Sometimes Grandma even let us help her open her presents how nice of her to share her gifts. Aunt Connie is the one who would take foreeever in opening her presents. I think she wanted to save every piece of wrapping paper. But boy did it make fond memories. I remember staying for breakfast and having orange pancakes and orange syrup at least once if not a few times but that tradition didn't
stick because not too many of us liked the orange pancakes. I really liked them. yummmmm!

Grandma was a great example in her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was always studying her lesson and she was always prepared for the lessons on Sunday. At the first of the year when we would get a new manual for Relief Society before we would get through with a few lessons Grandma would have already read the whole book. She had a great love for her Savior and her greatest desire is to have us all be together as a family again. I was talking to her on the phone when she was in the hospital a little over a month ago. As she was talking to me she was saying to as she was laying there in the bed she was trying to remember the things we say along with our covenants we make in the Temple. She said she was having a hard time remembering it and she wanted to be able to go to the Temple one more time. She had planned on going with Connie and Norma that week but since she got sick she had to stay in the hospital till the following week so she wasn't going to be able to make it with them. But she was able to go the week before she died. When she went she knew it would be her last time there. The Temple reminds me of another service she did for me. When I went through to receive my endowments she was not able to make it. She did however buy all of the things I needed to go through the Temple so I could have my own things from the start.

Grandma loved the mountains. We would go and have picnics or go fishing up on the Big Horns and Grandma always came. While we did the fishing she would sit in the car and wait for us. After she died my Mom, Connie, Nan, Norma, and Randy were talking about how good a fisher she was. To me it sounded like she could hold her own in casting her line and catching a fish.

Cleaning the China Cabinet was another fond memory of my childhood with Grandma. She would have us come down and take everything out wash it and wash down the shelves and clean the glass. As far as I remember we never used any of the things in the China Cabinet but Grandma always made sure they were clean. She has a lot of things in there and it would take us hours upon hours to clean it.

When Grandma got the news that she had squeamish cell carcinoma I wanted to make it back to see her. When I was booking my flight I was trying to decide upon the 26th of August through the 31st or the 2nd of September through the 8th so I could take advantage of the holiday. But when I was getting ready to book it I had a strong impression the September dates would be to late. The morning I was flying out my mom went to Grandma's and reminded her that I was coming to see her. My flight arrived at into Cody at 10:30 my mom and I arrive at Grandma's at 11:30pm. Aunt Nan said she went to bed around 4:00pm and has slept since. We went into her room and I talked with her, we tried to wake her up but she was in a deep sleep. I talked to her about my trip and my flight home. I gave her a hug and told her that I love her. I could tell she was struggling to breathe. Her chin would quiver with each breath she took. And a short 6 hours later around 5:30am on the 27th of August she passed in her sleep. Even though she wasn't awake to tell me back that she loved me I know that she does and I could feel it the following morning when we went to see her after she was gone. My mom, Elizabeth and I went to Grandma's shortly after we got the phone call that she had died. As we were standing in her room I could feel her love for us all.

Not long after we all arrived we had a family prayer and we all gathered around Grandma. Not to make light of the situation but this event reminded me of a time I was sleeping over at Grandma's house. Connie, Norma and I all gathered in Grandma's room to have prayer before she went to sleep. She was lying in bed as we were all kneeling around her I started laughing. Connie and Norma asked me what was so funny. I said I feel like we are praying over the Dead. We all got a good little chuckle out of it even Grandma laughed about it. Now that event was very real as we prayed and thanked Heavenly Father for sending such a wonderful women to be a mother and grandmother to us. Thanking him for her great example and the many lessons she taught us all.

She looked so peaceful lying there; I was holding her hand and crying, my mom was also holding her hand as she was holding me too. We talked about how grateful we are to know that her spirit is perfect and she has straight fingers and straight legs and feet. She could walk off with Grandpa and not need help from anybody. I am so grateful to know that death is not the end it is just the next step in life. I am also very grateful that she held on for me to make it to see her while she was still alive. That was such a great blessing to be able to be there with her. I am grateful that Heavenly Father prompted me to go when I did rather than waiting for the next week. Grandma you are loved and always will be. We will all miss you but I know that you will be here with me through the important events in my life. You may not be in a physical body but your spirit with be in attendance. I can only imagine the excitement she had to finally be with Grandpa again after missing him for nearly 17 years. I am sure there was a mass of people waiting to see her. I think there was a great amount of Joy she felt while she got to greet them one by one giving each an embrace. That is how I imagine it will be like when we pass to the other side. True Joy and True Love will be shared amongst those we love. I look forward to the day I will be able to greet my family with open arms, once again.

CRAZIEST and SCARIEST night of my life!

A few weeks ago I was really having a hard time sleeping. To the point that I was so physically exhausted that I think it was stopping me from sleeping, I would go to bed by ten (so tired that my eyes would burn) but once I actually got to bed I would end up laying there for hours till way past midnight. Then I would sleep for a few hours and I would wake up and be awake for an hour or more. By the time my alarm went off in the mornings I maybe got somewhere between 4-5 hours of sleep. I normally get close to 8 hours of sleep so this was killing me. This was carrying on for a couple of weeks and I finally hit rock bottom. On July 25th I had made plans to go visit a friend in Connecticut which was about 3 hours from my house. I got up early to head that direction, good thing I had a book on CD to listen to, which helps so much to keep me awake. On my way back it took me an hour to go 10 miles because of an accident on the freeway. So what should have been a 6 hour round trip ended up being 7 hours. I had told some of my friends about the waterfire events in Providence and we had made plans to go that night. However once I got home that evening I was so tired that I knew I would not be able to make it through the evening till midnight when it gets over and to drive another 2 hours round trip. 9 hours in the car in one day is a lot. At this point I had a history of being so tired but not being able to sleep I decided I was going to try and do something about that. My doctor back in Utah has prescribed me with some sleeping pills (because I was having trouble sleeping then too) but I had not used them yet. This was going to be my first time. I took one and decided I was going to jump in the shower and then go to bed. I thought it would take it a little while to kick in. Boy I was I ever wrong. I had just finished shaving my legs, thank goodness, and the tub started moving. I felt like I was on a boat that was in very rough waters. Nothing stood still. It was a challenged to get showered and getting dressed was even harder. I had no idea what was going on. All I knew is this can't be normal. (I had been reading two books Ink Spell and Fablehaven Important info for the next event.) Not only was my bathroom moving I had no sense of balance but I also started to see things. I started to see the characters from the books I was reading. I am so grateful I only saw the good characters and not the scary ones I would have been toast. I saw fairies, brownies (little furry creatures or so I imagined) and the forest areas my house had all of a sudden transformed.

This is the brownie

Here are the fairies

The forest that was now my house.

The forest floor that was now my bathroom floor.
I was so scared because I didn't know what was happening to me that I thought I needed to call someone to get a blessing. When I opened my phone I couldn't really see anything so I called my friend Jake who was at the top of my most recent call to see if he could come give me a blessing, I got his voicemail so I tried to leave a message but wasn't sure if I actually spoke or not. I couldn't tell if the words were only in my mind or if I had really voiced them. Then I started to feel sick to my stomach so I sat on the bathroom floor with my head over the toilet dry heaving. I hate throwing up so I am so glad I didn't actual throw up. I think I feel asleep for a little while with my head dangling over the toilet. Then I thought maybe I should try sending a text message because that doesn't require any words. So I tried to send a text message but I couldn't see very well my vision was all blurred for the real things I wanted to see but clear as day for the hallucinations. I had to concentrate so hard to keep my focus on what I was trying to write.

Because I was still feeling sick I thought it would be a good idea to eat a yogurt something simple and easy to get to since things were still moving or I still couldn't balance which ever way you want to look at it. I sat on the couch in the livingroom and tried to eat my yogurt. I remember looking at the spoon and trying to get it to come to my mouth and having a hard time finding my mouth. And then I don't remember to much after that.

At 11:30 a friend of mine from Utah sent me a text message it woke me up and I saw that I was in my bed and the lamp was on. I don't remember getting to my bed or finishing my yogurt. I turned off the lamp because things were still not normal and I feel asleep again. About 4:00am I was wide awake and couldn't go back to sleep. I felt much better well my stomach didn't hurt and I was not seeing things that shouldn't have been there and my house stopped moving.

A little after 7:00am still awake hadn't been able to fall back asleep my phone starts ringing. Jake was calling me back, he asked me if I was alright? I said yes I am much better now. He said his phone died and didn't charge so he didn't get the message till this morning when he plugged it into his car charger. He said my text message didn't make any sense at all. But once my voicemail came through he understood what I needed. I was totally shocked that I had really left a message. I asked him what I said in the message. He told me I said Jake blessing help please (something to that effect) I said well I got the most important words out. I recounted what happened and then it dawned on me that it was probably the sleeping pill I took that was the culprit of the prior nights events. If I had realized that before I would have gone to bed sooner but I was so scared I was afraid to fall asleep. Not knowing what was going to happen to me. As I started to look back at the events that took place the time log between the phone call and the text had a big gap and this is why I think I must have fallen asleep in the bathroom, but I really don't know. I don't remember hanging out in there that long. In my memories I felt like I had dry heaved a couple times and then I got up to eat the yogurt but the phone call and text message beg to differ.

Needless to say I will not be taking another one of those sleeping pills. Especially since they didn't even really help me sleep that long. I still woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. That trip was one I do not have a desire to take again. However I do think I know what it might feel like to be drunk and high on drugs all at the same time.

The good news is I think I was so physically whipped that I totally crashed. I went to bed at 8:30 Sunday night and feel right asleep and didn't wake up till 6:30 the next morning. Same thing Monday night slept from 8:30 to 6:30 and I have been sleeping much better since.

This may have been scary in the moment but I get a good laugh out of it now. I was talking with my Dad about this and he said something to me that I didn't put it on my blog yet so Dad here you go now you can always relive this experience with me. Or when you need a good laugh you can read about how crazy I am.

Tall Ships in July

The tall ships were docked here in Boston for about a week or so. There were ships from all over the world. There were ships owned by different Government's from around the world as well as privately owned ships. I had the opportunity to go on two different days. The first day I went with my friend Rachel Anderson. We went down to the pier and toured two different ships. One was the American Eagle, a United States government ship

It was amazing to see the size of everything on these ships. The size of the ropes were huge and there were so many of them.
This is one of the "steering wheels" on the ship.
Oh yup that is Rachel steering clear of any ships we might run into out on our voyage.
These are the other three wheels used to steer the ship. This is the only ship I saw that had more than one wheel.
Rachel and Me on the American Eagle.
If you look close at the chain you can see how large the eyelet of the chain is.
Again look at the size of these ropes.
The men manning the ship were all so young. Rachel asked them how long they had been on the ship and he said that he just started and he is in his sophomore year I think but most of them are still in High School.
I don't know what this really is. I don't know if it really does house explosives or just did at some point and time. As you can see in the picture it has grass growing on the top and back side of it.
This is one of the crew members on a smaller ship that is privately owned. I talked with one of the crew members and he said they will pack up enough things to use and stay on this ship for about 6 months. They have a bunk and they store all of their personal items there at their bunk.
I am on La Amistad which at one point was a slave ship not a very big ship at that but crazy the number of slaves they would pack into this ship.
La Amistad was captured off the coast of Long Island in 1839 and it was taken by 53 captives. Word of the La Amistad's arrival in New London quickly spread and rallied Black and White abolitionists then fighting slavery in America; the abolitionists proved the captives had been illegally kidnapped in Africa and won the first anti-slavery decision before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case arguable turned the tide against slavery itself. The schooner La Amistad was transformed from a ship of enslavement to a symbol of home and monument to the pursuit of universal human freedom.

Between 1998 and 2000 artisans built a recreation of the La Amistad, using traditional skills and construction techniques common to wooden schooners built in the 19th centruy, but using modern materials and engines. They christened Freedom Schooner Amistad. The modern-day Amistad is not an exact replica of La Amistad, as the ship is slightly longer and has higher freeboard. There were no old blueprints of the original.

The second day that I went to the ships I went with my friends Julie Tracy and Katie Smith. This is one of the anchors on the Argentine ship.

I am so grateful to Julie for going with me the second day. I do not spend much time in the city, therefore I do not know my way around the city at all. Julie and I had talked about going to see the tall ships and so when I called her to meet up with her she said she was tired and wasn't going to go. She told me she would give me Katie's number so I could call her and meet up with her. I told her, I am not telling you this to make you go because if you don't want to go no big deal. But I do not know anything in the city, not to familiar with the T or the city. So I didn't think I would be able to make it to meet up with Katie without getting lost. So Julie being such a wonderful friend said she would go so I wouldn't miss out on the opportunity of seeing more of the ships. So is such a great friend and I am so glad that she went with me. Even though she was extremely tired she is so much fun to hang out with and such a joy to be around. She really made a great sacrifice to spend another day at the tall ships with me. Thanks Julie.

Julie Tracy, Katie Smith, Me
Me and Katie Smith
Me at the wheel of another ship. I think I am getting the hang of this whole ship thing. :)
That is Katie's hand and a big, huge knot. It was totally random so we had to take a picture. The rope was just hanging there.


This is the interior of one of the foreign ships. It was the nicest that I saw and it was so immaculate.We all had to make a pit stop before we headed back home so we stopped by a hotel next to the ship yard and these guys were all dressed up and so I took their picture because I thought it was so cool.

This is a fire ship. This actually is docked near where I work. I take a walk at lunch every day around the harbor and I walk past this ship. I have never seen it spraying water out like this and I thought it was really neat and wanted to share it with you all.

Unwelcomed Guest

The other night I was walking from the livingroom to the kitchen and the lights were off. Then I needed something that required me to turn the light on. Boy was I glad I did. As I was walking back into the livingroom I happened to glance down at the wall and I found a very large spidery kind of thing. It was about 4 inches long or maybe longer and had a ton of legs. I don't know if it is some sort of centipede but I have never seen one like this before. I am glad I found him because that is one dude I don't want creeping around my house at night in the dark. Not sure where he came from but my guess would be the basement. I think my basement is the home of many creatures I don't want to run into. The picture is not the greatest. I couldn't get my camera to focus well and I wasn't sure how fast this little "big" guy could go with all those legs and I didn't want to lose him. So I settled for a blurry picture so I could exterminate him. As a for warning, beware of the dark corners you may find something unexpected. Now you all know what to look forward to when you come to visit me. But you are all welcomed guests unlike my unwelcomed, now dead friend below.

Wonderful Friends

Last week had some challenges and I have such a sweet friends Amy, who sent me beautiful flowers. They arrived on a perfect day. I had just arrived home from getting a flat tire replaced. At lunch that day I walked out to my car and noticed that the back tire was flat. I examined my tire a realized that there was a crack in the rubber so I would have to replace it not just repair it. I called around to get quotes and find someplace close to me that could give me a new tire. I had plans on driving 3 hours to Connecticut the following morning and couldn't take that trip on a donut so I needed a new tire now. As I called place after place they asked what kind of a tire I have and no one carried that tire. Most places said they wouldn't put something else on either that it should be the same tire to replace it. Finally after a lot of work I found a place who said they will match the tread and put it on the back of the car and all would be well. So that is what I did. My manager was so kind to let me leave work an hour and a half early so I could get my tire situation fixed. After all that as I was driving home I saw a vase of flowers on my front step. I thought what are those from they must have left it on the wrong door step. I didn't think they were really for me, because I haven't received flowers very much in my life and just didn't expect it. But when I went and got them off the front porch it really had my name on it. This is what the note said. "Friends are Angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly. I hope this brightens your day and reminds you how much you are loved!!" It brought tears to my eyes and did brighten my day. Thanks Amy they are beautiful and they still look great and I am enjoying them.

I also had a friend from Utah come and Visit me. Eugene Peterson is a construction consultant and he was out here in Boston doing a seminar and he called and let me know he was coming and so we made plans to meet up. He took me to dinner to America's Oldest Restaurant called Union Oyster House. We had swordfish and scrod. They were both very yummy. It was my first time for both and they were delicious. We had a great time chatting and catching up on each other's lives. I am so blessed to have friends remember that I am here and take time to come and visit with me. Thanks for the company and the wonderful dinner Eugene. After wee were done eating we walked a bit around Faneuil Hall and we both got our pictures taken in the rain in front of the famous Cheers bar.

My friend Maria Peluso is from Connecticut and she was in my ward back in Utah. We tried to make plans to meet up while she was here and my schedule never allowed it. So I told her that I would come and see here which is about 3 hours south west from where I live. This is why I needed to get the new tire on Friday so when I went to see Maria on Saturday I wasn't going to have to cancel because she was leaving and going back to Utah the following Wednesday. It also was her birthday a few weeks earlier so when I got to her house I picked her up and I took her out to Breakfast. We had a good time chatting and eating a very yummy breakfast. I was so full afterwards I felt sick. But it was sooooo good. I stayed for a few hours and then I needed to head back to Massachusetts because I had other arrangements for my afternoon. However, I think Connecticut really liked my company because it kept me there for an hour longer not by my choice. The traffic was as thick as molasses and was going so slow. About an hour later I found out why. I had traveled a whole whoppin 10 miles in one hour because there was an accident. It involved a semi that was hauling a bunch of cars and probably about 4 other cars. But it wasn't on my side of the freeway. The traffic was so slow because people had to slow down and look at the accident. That was just a bit frustrating. Haven't these people ever heard of the saying there is a time and place for everything. The freeway is not the place for gawkers! Hate to break it to you!