What are your favorite Things

Our newest Grand child, Sarha Lynn Oborn

12/30/2010


I was just reading everyone's posts and took special notice of our first granddaughter Kimber's latest post.  She is in that scary but "delightful place" called "grown-up but not knowing it".  Life is good, she can see that.  But since she has spent all of her life up to this point, "waiting to grow up", she doesn't yet believe it.  Because she has always thought or was taught that "the grown ups know better", (which is often, but not always true). 

What is true is that the the grown ups are in charge.
You are gown up when your parents are no longer in charge and you are.  Period!

I understand her flustration and concerns. 
"I've been there - done that".

When I had the oportunity to teach a parenting class with my wonderful wife, I would start out asking the question "when did you first discover that you were not your parents?" 

That is a very good question for all parents to ask themselves.  The answer is of course you have always been you.  Parents need to understand that answer, because if they don't they may never understand their children and their children may take a long time to understand themselves.

It took me years to realize that life is a journey not a destination nor a professiona AND happiness is discovering what makes you as a person, truly happy and seeking that.

A number of years ago I was visiting a wealth business man in Mexico.  He asked me to tell him about myself, so I told him I had been in the sign business for most of my life and then about what I enjoyed about the sign business.  Then to be polite I asked him about himself.  He then told me all about his family, including his wife and her parents then about his parents following that he told me about his children and their children.  AND then he told me how his family had gotten involved in the business I had come to see him about. 

He then remarked that he had discovered that American's always think that their profession is their life and that's a very big mistake.  I had to agree.

The picture below is photo of one of my sweet wife's favorate things, which of course makes them one of my favorite things.

This yellow roses Sherry grew at the little white house in Palmer Alaska

A Room in the Attic

The attached artwork was given to me the other night by Gaby, while the family was doing “favorite things”. She told me it was a picture of her room in the attic. I left the picture next to the chair when I went to bed. First thing in the morning Gaby entered my room and said “you forgot this Grandpa”. I had. So, I taped it to my wall next to my nightstand so I wouldn't forget it again.

When Gaby noticed I had hung it on my wall, and asked, do you like it? I told her I really did because it reminded me of my room in the attic and promised her I would tell her about my attic room and here it is.

While I was a young boy my father joined the Air National Guard as a fighter pilot, and we moved into a small, single level, frame house on Fireweed lane just west of the Seward Highway. That small house was painted green, had peaked shingle roof, and a small front porch facing the road. The living and dining room were in the front of the house. The kitchen and mom and dad's room were in the back along with the only bathroom, which also had the washer and dryer in it.

On the left (when facing the house) there was a small “add-on”, perhaps an old garage, with a flat roof. It contained two bedrooms. The room in the front was “the boys” where my brother Charles and I slept. In the rear was “the girls room” where Corrie and Celestia slept. As I remember, Butch slept in a small area off the hall between the two small bedrooms.

I really enjoyed finding a quiet place to read. I loved books and would read and re-read books like, Banbi, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Fin, Black Beauty, etc. I also liked to play with tinker toys, my crystal radio, a chemistry set, my tools and a set of encyclopedias.

One Saturday, my Dad took me up on that flat roof of the add-on and we cut a hole in the gable end of the main house. It wasn't a real attic, just a small area about four feet high and eight feet wide. I helped him cut some plywood for a floor and we built a small counter to put my “stuff on”. We hung a small bare light bulb with a pull chain. Then we put a couple of hinges on the wood we had cut out for the door and put a “latch” to open and close it with.  This was my very own “space”. No one was allowed in it without me so it was very special! I called it my “laboratory” and spent a lot of time up there.

So when Gaby gave me this picture of “her room in the attic” it brought with it a flood of choice memories as well as a remembrance of my father that loved me as an individual and showed me what it was like to be a man.

The 4th of July is my special holiday

67 years ago today I crossed the boarder into Alaska with my two sisters and Mom and Dad. I don't have any photos of that day and only vague memories. After all I was only 3 years old. But, I remember my Dad and a frend shooting their guns in the air in celebration.

I also remember my parents talking about that day and the dear friends we met in the campground on the Alaskan-Canadian boarder remained family friends through "thick and thin".  Their names were Larry and Laura Straley. In fact it was Laura that picked me up on the way home from school in October 1955 to tell me that my Dad had been killed in an airplane crash and it was Larry that took me under his wing when I was 14 and taught me how to install carpeting (my first real job).

I remember spending time at the "ski-lodge" they were building near gun-site mountian (half-way between Anchorage and the our homestead on a 4th of July when I was around thirteen. Check out the website here.

For us the 4th of July fireworks were always about guns, fire-crackers and sparklers (mostly because it doesn't get dark enough in Alaska to see the arial fireworks).

I remember building a "cannon" one 4th of July when I was fourteen. My friends and I used a driveshaft from a 38 ford. We welded up one end of it in Bro Carlsons Auto Shop class (he didn't know what we were planning), painted it blue with a american flag on it, and the words THE 2ND AMMENDMENT in white on the side. We droped cherry bombs and M80's down its throat and followed them by balls or rocks and shot them in the air.

Looking back it was REALLY DANGEROUS since we really didn't know where those projectiles were going to fall (someone could have been hurt - BAD).

Today Grandma and I meet with Tressa and John (and the kids) at Tammy and Todds after Liberty's blessing and celebarated with a lunch of Bar-b-que Buffalo while the grandkids played on the 4 wheeler.

I really don't know what the kids were doing (besides yelling and runinng around) but then my folks never really knew what I was doing. Some things never change.

Well it is now eight minutes after midnight. It is still light out. Grandma is asleep. And our neighbors are shooting their guns in the air.  Some thing really never do change.  And for that I am very greatful. 

Watch for our new blog

When I was in Alaska in January, I recieved a priesthood blessing encouraging me to use my interest in things digital to unite my many GRAND Children and keep the lines of communication open. That encouragement reminded me of a dream I had many years ago when I was first exposed to the internet. In that dream I saw our family linked by this new tool in such a way that the distances between us were not an problem inspite of fact that our family was expanding around the world.

Our family is currently "joined at the hip" with cell phones and internet tools, many of which have the potential of enticing the unexperance into scarry places. Also much of the family news available is actually limited because of the public nature of the sites.

I have decided to start a family blog that has limited access so that it will be possible for even the younger generation to read and post comments. I hope it is a friendly and safe place as well has an interesting spot for family news.

I am currently designing the site so that it will be both readable and accessable to all who desire to participate in the family. I

GRAND Children

It is Sunday morning and I just finished listening to President Eyring's opening remarks at conference about the importance of the rising generation. I recomend that all parents take time to RELISTEN to that address even if you think you already heard it on Easter Sunday.

It was especally moving for me this morning and brought back innumeral memories from my childhood... forward... including yesterday. I remembered time spent with my grandparents, sibblings, friends and church leaders. I am today a product of what I have experianced and learned from those I have chosen to associate with and those that have chosen to associate with me.

Yesterday Grandma and I spent a wonderful sunny afternoon with Gaby. We shopped at the dollar store for birthday presents, went to Cosco for a inexpensive lunch, played at the park (Gaby really knows how to get the swing going) and played in the water at Bridal Viel Falls.

As I watch my Children rush arround (much like the energiser bunny) I can't help but remember how busy I was a young parent and how important the daily tasks were. In hind sight most of those IMPORTANT tasks were a distraction. The really important tasks are often overlooked./>

I thank God for my GRAND childen.

Every last crumb

Last night Trina made brownies and they were delicious to the taste! (where have I heard that?)

We ate every last crumb. (that little one in the upper right corner was left when I got up this morning (because Amanda had told everyone to not be a pig).

So I ate it after taking this photo.

Grandma and I are really enjoying our time in Utah. The weather has been great.

(if you don't count today because we are having thunder storms, rain and the temp has dropped 25 degrees)

The sun has been shinning for days. Amanda is talking about turning on the air cooler. We have been opening all the window and leaving them open at night.

The temp has been in the 70's and Grandma has been sun tanning every day. She bought a lounger (at savers for $3.50 of course!) so she could layout in the back yard. (I tried to get a picture but she shooed me away.) She is looking health and happy and beautiful.

Brady told her he saw on the news that sun tanning is rooted in addiction but we don't believe it!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/2010/apr/20/frequent-tanning-may-be-rooted-in-addiction

Grandma and I have both had our share of stress and illnesses this winter but the sunshine has been a good therpy and we are now soooo ready to return to Alaska and enjoy the beautiful Alaskan summer.

(I think it snowed again there again today) However, our tickets are for May 4th so cross your fingers.

It's Summer .... somewhere

Well, we been in Yuma almost three weeks. Grandma is almost black. (I’m still white, perhaps pink) and we’re getting lots of rest.

A typical day starts about 9am. (If I get up about 8 I don’t have to wait for the only bathroom.) Breakfast is about 10 and consists of cereal and grapefruit. Grandpa Hanke and I like oatmeal.

Then we take a walk around the block (sometimes 2 or 3 blocks) for exercise, then “the girls” layout in the sun until it gets too hot (around 1 in the afternoon). While the girls are sun bathing there is a cribbage game going on (Grandpa Hanke normally wins) and I sit in the shade and “play with my computer”, or at least that’s what everyone else says. I call it working.

One or two times a week we take a drive across the boarder to Mexico. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to get from the house to the boarder. It doesn’t take long to cross into Mexico , but it can take about an hour to get back into the US because of the long line and passport checks.

In Mexico we shop, eat Mexican food and go the dentist. I am getting some dental work done and Aunt Lynn has gotten new teeth. Uncle Jack goes to the chiropractor. It is fun there and there are lots of fun things to see. While we wait in line to cross the boarder back into the United States, uncle Jack and I buy some treats to eat.

In the afternoon Grandma and her sisters take turns fixing dinner. (lunch is a catch as catch can thing) Dinner at the Hanke’s has always been a sit down affair. We’ve been eating very well. Grandma is staying on her diet and is losing about 3 Ibs a week. Yea Grandma!

After dinner we often play No Count Kings or Mexican Railroad. TV is also a big thing. Grandpa Hanke likes wheel of fortune. Aunt Lynn likes the Bachelor. Everyone except me likes the Biggest Loser. I check out Fox News on the computer.

Before bed we watch the 10 o’clock local news where they make a big thing about a cooling trend when the forecast is for 78 degrees. They have been forecasting rain for next week every week since we arrived. It has rained one night and was cloudy the following day.
Bedtime starts with some reading time and lights out about 11.

I could get used to this.