MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Monday, July 05, 2010 The last few days I have been to the pool three times. The first time must have been Friday; maybe Saturday when Judy asked if I wanted to go. Because of the 4th of July holiday she got off work at noon on Friday and doesn’t have to be back until tomorrow; Tuesday. Sunday, Molly who has been here since Friday, asked me if I would go to the pool with her, and I obliged. We were there for only forty-five minutes and she was ready to go “home”. Today, Bailey, who was over to the house, asked me to go with her. Again I obliged. Bailey is an interesting case study. She is the ultimate socialite. Not only can she stay in the pool for hours, she also makes friends super quick. Today when we got there, she jumped into the corner of the shallow end next to the stairs. I could she her looking over the hoard of kids playing and calculating where to make her move. Soon she chose her prey and starting interacting with three or four kids about her age and right away she was in the midst of them talking and having a gay old time. In a while that group had to get out and go home so Bailey went through the routine again and again was gaily having fun with “friends”. This scenario went on at least five times in the two hours we were there. She is the pro. We took an inflatable raft to the pool with us and she used it as a ploy in inducing kids to play with her. At one point she got in a race with a girl half again as big as her who was wearing flippers. They were doing the back stroke and little Bailey almost kept up with her, flippers and all. She really is a good swimmer and she is best on her back. I remember after the last summer Olympics there was a story about Michael Phelps who won eight swimming medals and breaking many of the old world records. They talked about how his body is proportioned and how it was ideal for swimming. Bailey is built the same way. Earlier today, Judy, Molly and I met Niki, Alexa and Gavin and, Chris and Sierra at the deli at Thanksgiving Point where we ate lunch. Corey dropped Bailey off with us. He went on with Jayden to Stacey’s work. She had to open today and was by herself since the girl who was supposed to help her called in and said she was in California with a broken down car. (Corey doubts the validity of her story.) I started feeling sick and went home while the rest of them walked the gardens. At her request, Bailey came home with “Grandma” and that is how we ended up going to the pool. Later, after Stacey dragged us out of the pool, the four of them and I went to Café El Lago for dinner while Judy and Jim went to a benefit play at the Orem Hale Theater. I forget where Molly went; home to her mother’s I suppose.

DREAM - EVERYTHING IN THREES

SATURDAY, JULY 03, 2010 – Last night/this morning, I had a strange dream. Everything came in threes including three white grand pianos. Another weird part of it is that “we” were witling them down to one of each, for instance, “we” (I think Judy was in it too.) were deciding which piano to remove and after removing it, which of the other two to remove. It seemed that everything was prioritized, good, better, best or whatever. I wish I could remember it better.

VISITING WITH “PAPA”

THURSDAY, JULY 01, 2010 - Last night I took both of my goofy pills—a prescription pain killer and a prescription muscle relaxant. At noon I was still feeling the effects so I laid back down for a nap. At about two I woke up from a wonderful dream. I was the age I am now, sixty-six, yet younger somehow. I was in an old house with my parents, my children and at least one little one, a boy younger than my grandson Gavin I think, but walking, mostly holding onto my finger. My grandpa James “Anthony” Jepson had come for a visit. We talked on and on about many things especially the past. The two of us were as close as any grandpa and grandson could possible get. He mentioned at one point that he was well pleased that I had named one of my sons, James Anthony in honor of him. After a long interaction, perhaps over several days, “Papa” announced he had an appointment with someone somewhere. I assumed he would return. I offered to escort him there. He gladly accepted my offer and off the three of us went. We had the toddler in toe with us. We ambled down the street still talking. He was wearing a light two tone brown suite and a brown brimmed hat. He was wearing rimmed glasses; the same ones he always wore. I mentioned that I had bought the old house I grew up in but that the previous owners had torn it down and build a new modern one in its stead so it really isn’t the old house after all. We didn’t bother to go see it though it was only a couple of blocks away. Grandpa wanted to visit the old drugstore, the one “I used to take you to when you were little.” When we got there we had to climb four or five brick steps up to the door. I carefully held his arm and assisted him up. When we got inside, it had changed little from “the old days”. Grandpa soon was happily engaged in conversation with the shop owner and his wife about "way back then". There were a few other customers in there too. The store was small, maybe 10X30 though there were two doors, the one in the center of the long wall, the one we entered and another at the far right end as you are facing the shop. There was an old cash register and old scales to measure candy etc in. I recognized the back wall from when I was a toddler and told them so. They were pleased. Finally Grandpa said it was time to go. This time we passed the other door/stairs and left through the end door. On the right side of these stairs which were longer than the stairs we had used to enter the store, was a wide brick banister which bowed up slightly in the middle. It curved at the bottom to be horizontal with the street. It had been worn smooth by endless kids sliding down it over the decades. Grandpa got on this banister, laid down and slid to the bottom arriving in a sitting position. I knew though he didn’t say so that he used to do that “way back when”. I, in a semi-panic hurried down the steps to help him at the bottom. I arrived there at the same time he did but he was fine and pleased he could still do it. A woman, dressed in light blue if I remember correctly appeared at that time. I instinctively new she was the person or one of the people he was going to see. She took his arm. I was planning to continue on with them but I turned to help the toddler down the stairs and when I turned around again Grandpa and the lady in blue were nowhere to be seen. I looked all over trying to find them but I knew immediately it was all in vain. Something told me this was the last I would see "Papa" in this life. For sometime now I have been anxious to again be with my ancestors. I was Grandpa’s favorite and want to renew our relationship and tell him how sorry I was that we didn’t get to be together much after my toddler years. He was always gone to Mesa, Arizona doing temple work or living in a bedroom apartment with a bathroom down the hall near the Utah State Capitol. I only remember seeing him there once. As all of you that know me well, know, I am now in tears.

THE LAST AIR BENDER

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2010 Yesterday we saw the preview of The Last Air Bender, the movie based on the TV cartoon series. Corey, Stacey, Jayden, Bailey and I had our faces painted. I was the Avatar, and the others were Air, Fire, Water and Earth. It was a 3D movie and a lot of fun. I had seen many of the episodes with Jayden and Bailey on the days I watched the kids while Stacey worked. The movie didn’t tell the whole story so I am sure there will be a sequel. Corey and his family, Jim and Austin and Judy and I ate at Fuddruckers before the movie. Greg and his brother Eric met us at the theater. It was at Jordan Commons. Corey got us free tickets and we didn’t have to wait in line since they were assigned seats.

JEALOUS

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010 I am still reading Driven, the autobiography of Larry Miller. One thing I am jealous of him over is that he had a wife that liked to take long drives with him.

GOSPEL DOCTRINE TEACHER

SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2010 As I have probably noted above, Judy was released from her beloved ward choir director position after ten years and made one of four gospel doctrine teachers. Her week to teach is the third Sunday of each month. This month they switched weeks because we were out of town last week. This year we are studying the Old Testament. She had never read the Old Testament nor have I in its entirety I usually get bogged down in Leviticus. Judy went to the church distribution center (I assume) and got the Old Testament on CD and lesson manuals and other learning and teaching aids. She put the CD’s in her car stereo and listened to them to and from work for weeks, and understood and got a lot out of them. At work she is the one who puts projects together for presentations. She is the best and indispensible. Others in her office either can’t do it at all or do a so, so job at doing it. Hers are professional. National headquarters got wind of one of them and is adapting it on a national or is it global scale. Judy put the same effort and abilities into today’s lesson. She went suddenly from a “why me?’ to a “Wow that was good,” (from others) in one fell swoop. I had gone home after sacrament meeting. And when I came back after the three hour block, I approached the back door as someone was walking out. They told me what a wonderful job Judy had done. About two seconds later, Ethelyn Higbee passed me and said the same thing in pretty much the same words. Later Terry Wolsey, the High Priest group leader called to congratulate her on an excellent lesson. Judy later told me that someone came up to her and said, “We recently moved into this ward. I listened to a different teacher each of the last three weeks and yours was by far the best lesson.” Now, we have a very talented and educated ward with wonderful teachers so that is really a complement. Just now Ethelyn Higbee, another super brain came over to talk to Judy and get her help on something, I think it a presentation for the Empty Nesters tomorrow night. If Ethelyn needs Judy’s help that is something!

LARRY MILLER

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2010 Yesterday I bought the book “Driven”, the biography of Larry Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz etc etc. At the end of each chapter there is a postscript, often by his wife. Following is the postscript from chapter 10. “’The one thing Larry always did was live by the Spirit,’ says Gail. ‘He’d get out of bed and bet on his knees and have long silent prayers. He would tell me about them. The burden he was carrying was so heavy that he felt he couldn’t do it alone. And he felt a great responsibility about his role in the community and toward all those people who worked for him and their families. He prayed for guidance as to what he should do and what decisions he should make.” In a notebook in which he kept his favorite sayings, he included a short list of favorite quotes he liked to consider relating to his faith: Are we mortal beings having a spiritual experience, or are we spiritual beings having a mortal experience? When the student is prepared, the teacher will appear. Children are the messengers we send to a time we’ll never see. When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power. If we were charged with being followers of Jesus Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict us? Thursday, June 24, 2010 I don’t know if I noted it elsewhere but at my last doctor appointment many months ago I was diagnosed with early signs of dementia and put on a prescription of Exelon patches, a transdermal medicine that is supposed to slow down the progression of it. I have not been good at using them. I think I need to, like the neighbor across the driveway, get on the pill form so I will take it along with my diabetes and blood pressure medicines every day. A couple of days ago as I was driving around in the area, familiar area, twice I looked at my surroundings and for a brief moment I felt lost and confused.