I am an olympic junkie. I had a light schedule in school which accommodated watching as much as possible. Canada had a hard time not having enough snow, too much fog and cauldron fail. Olympics are staging their city and country to the world. It reminded me of 2002 when I was a volunteer. I was assigned to the opening and closing ceremonies. Just like Vancouver things did not go perfectly. After rehearsals of four months they opening ceremonies day came and we had the biggest snow storm ever and popped the hot air balloons that aerialist where going to be dangling and performing. Then we had to shovel snow from all the seats.
Volunteer for me was thrilling. The month before opening ceremonies we were assigned specific duties. I was assigned the flag raisers (anyone who touched flags, American, Greece and Olympic flags). I walked them to where ever they needed to go and made sure they were early to the post. It was crazy practicing with stand ins. I did not know who I would be working with until a few days ahead. I was sworn to secrecy. I loved going out on the floor during the ceremonies and taking pictures. I have super pictures of many famous people like Steven Spielberg, Jacques Rogue, Desmond Tutu, and Dorothy Hamill.
During this time is was my goal to have my family experience as much as possible of the olympics. We took buses to events, award ceremonies, anything we could get tickets to. Many times just having a camera at the right place at the right time was captured a special moment. Ty ran into Bode Miller at McDonalds. Jake, Ty and Nick went to see the Today Show in Park City and ran into Kelly Clark hours after winning her gold medal in the half pipe just walking down the street.
My crowning moment was when I was asked to be in the closing ceremonies to raise the Greece flag. I was shocked and readily accepted. It was a special olympic moment for me. I could not stop smiling on the podium. It was so cold but my spirit was hot. I will never live my dream of being an ice skater and winning gold but I was a winner just being apart of the great olympics in Salt Lake City. Go USA!
On our one year anniversary we had the head writer and choreographer, Kenny Ortega of the Olympics come back (he is also know for doing High School Musical, maybe you have heard of it or his other known event was the comeback tour of Michael Jackson). Kenny received a Emmy Award for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and brought it back to the reunion to share with us. Kenny said he could do it without us.
Live every moment and share with others. Life, live it!
It was a promotion with Sandwich thins to use their product and share with your friends. It sounded like something I vowed to do more of this year, HAVE MORE FUN.
I invited some fun and crazy people and we had a party. My unusual idea was to make Sandwich Thins into pizzas. We had over 25 toppings and made amazing pizzas. While they were cooking we ate a green salad and fruit.
Those that came were treated with promotional products and left having a good time. Next day I had left overs with the family. My 25 year old said this would be great a a group date. So there you have it, it was a pizza palazzo hit!
Bake 400 degrees for 10 minutes approx. I cook on stones, I let them cool on the stone for five minutes then remove to rack.
1 c butter
1 c sugar
3/4 c light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 3/4 c flour +4 tablespoons
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup your favorite baking ingredient ( I used M & M’s, skor chips, mini chocolate chips and cherry kisses.)
1 1/2 cup snack foods ingredients ( I used goldfish, trail mix, sunflower seeds, and tortilla chips)
I think salt should equal the sweet ingredients.
Mix butter and sugars together for 3 minutes. On low speed add eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the the flour ingredients. Add last the just and salty ingredients. Mix until just blended. It is a great concoction make yourself a believer of goodness in the mouth. Even though the recipe sounds WIERD!
For Christmas my dad made DVD’s from old family 8 millimeter home movies. They movies were when I was a little girl back in the 60’s. I was the oldest of seven children born very quickly. My parents claimed they had seven kids in five years. I have never been known for my math skills, when you do the math is really is 6 years.
What I remember from childhood are many things The day that my youngest sister April, was brought home from the hospital. Birthdays celebrating four girls birthdays in September and sharing parties. I was born first, the next year the twins, Susan and Karen, and last was Becky. I was part of the family productions that my parents orchestrated for the backyard. Where we sang with ukulele’s, danced, mom wrote everything in rhyme and dad did magic. We moved to Monza drive to our big new house. Our first night I slept in my own room with a sleeping bag on the floor. I felt this was the biggest house I had ever seen. We went out for dinner to Chuck-a-rama to celebrate (a very uncommon event at the Horman’s). These are just some of my memories.
When I think about these events I feel I know how I was raised, until I view the home movies I received as a gift. It was a glimpse of a time that I don’t remember. Seeing from my parents eyes who I was, and my six siblings. I saw vacations I don’t remember, Christmases with wonderment in our eyes, and how beautiful my siblings were as young children. Vacations to Yellowstone and boating on Grandpa Horman’s boat. Karen always catching a fish even if no one else could. I was moved to tears as I saw how enchanting the chemistry was with the September girls. My sisters were beautiful and sweet. Karen had a pixie face and always smiling. Becky was happy and my niece Brooklyn (April’s daughter) looked just like her today at the same age. Susan had engaging dark eyes that seemed to have knowledge behind them. We played together, laughed, and always helped the younger kids. I thought, I wish I new those little girls.
There were things that showed the era that pulled my funny-bone. My brother and sister Briggs and Shelley (twins) were playing in the toy box. The lid on the toy box had the name on it that said “Gay Time”. My mom, Hermine climbing into a boat with a dress on which she also wore while fishing. My dad also included clips of his single life, boating with some local woman. There were woman swimming in the lake with swimming caps on. My personnel favorite was a lady climbing in the boat and turning her head and flashed the sporty look of nose plugs. These moments are captured on film for documenting the 60’s in the life of the Horman’s. Which I am grateful.
It wished I had known back then those cute little girls with curled hair and the young parents that slept well from exhaustion. It makes me think, if I have taken enough videos to catch the movie magic of my six sons or have I focused on still photographs? It makes me wonder where is my video camera? So that I can have them say, “those were the days”. I think the camera might be by the beta tapes we filmed of our first three sons.
When I turned 40 life changed. I had a physical and was diagnosed with asthma and high blood pressure. I don’t have any history of asthma in my family, so this was a surprise for me. I was determined to make some changes to improve my health. I started to slim down and walk up Millcreek Canyon daily. One day a friend of mine Julie asked me if I wanted a walking partner. Soon we were best friends. We heard the ins and outs of daily grind, and success of our families.
We experienced so many things. One day we saw a deer injured in the creek and we made many phone calls to get help for the helpless deer. Another day we were dodging a propane tank that fell off a utility truck. We even had our husbands come with us on a Saturday a few times. One day my speedy cyclist brother-in-law buzzed by me so fast on his bike yelling at me that I actually jumped into Julie.
We always had our rituals of walking. We walked up the hill backwards on the steepest part of the hill. There was an area that fish hung out. We would tell fish jokes. Then we would count how many and if there were many we determined it would be a great day. I always walked on the side of the moving cars. Julie walked on the protective painted curb. Julie wandered more than me and I could keep us safely on the road.
Those were the days. Since then Julie started working and I went back to school. Our ties are softer from the mountain but still remain friends. I did learn that “walk talk” was never to be repeated. You never need a therapist with Julie around she was there for a reason, and at the most important part of my life. I am sure she would say the same thing.
Last week I could not wait to walk up the canyon with the new fallen snow. I even walked back home to get a camera. Then the floods of memories came back. Thank God for the canyon where I grew up riding with a boyfriend on his motorcycle and therapy with Julie.
January 13, 2010 - Posted by Jake Spurlock - 1 Comment
I was greeted by Uncle Jim and Aunt Lou, with welcomed arms. A sweet kiss on the cheek, asking how my kids are doing. They came from St George to visit my ailing mother in a rehabilitation hospital. It was sweet to catch up with these relatives after a long break in communication. There was laughter and smiles. They make me feel like I am important to them. Love was shown.
When it was my time to leave mom, I mentioned we had a death of my husband’s, Aunt Ella. Aunt Ella has been a part of of lives for six years. She purchased a home 7 houses away from us, as a new widow, moving from Tennessee. I had met her but had not had the chance to get to know her until 2004. She only had her sister left in immediate family that lived some distance away. So we were the on the spot family for daily visits, mowing the lawn, and repairs. She was a funny lady that made you laugh. She always kept us up to date with the “Robb” family and who was in graces with her and not. When you visited her you were strongly encouraged to take a drink of your choice, she found out our favorites and always had them cold for us. She would sit with us and enjoy her Coke. You never left her house in less you had a tin of her famous fudge. If you all ready had some, you needed more. When she made banana pudding we seemed to get some too. I asked her many times for the recipe of the banana pudding and she would not share it. Until one day I made her orange fluff salad, she wanted my recipe. I finally got the coveted recipe.
Aunt Ella fell and broke her hip in November. The following day she had surgery to repaired the hip. Following the surgery she had a massive stoke and never recovered. Sunday this angel left this world at 83 years young. I am sad at my loss but happy for the reunion with of her siblings, parents and extended family on the other side. It must be similar to when I was greeted with Uncle Jim and Aunt Lou. arms opened and love received.
I was explaining to the family at the nursing home we had some family choices we had to make. This weekend the funeral in SLC and burial in Paragonah or the farewell of my niece Tia in St. George called to Germany/Austria mission. We can’t do it all. Mom’s roommate at the rehab piped up, you are in the “crunch years”. As I reflect on her statement I agree. I feel pressure from all points. What the roommate does not know is that I had a son move back home from Florida. We are moving him out of his old room to vacate his room for my mother-in-law to move in. My sister is getting a divorce who has 8 kids. Another sister struggling with breast cancer. We are preparing a son for a mission call, while I am also a student finishing my Associates Degree.
As I reflect on my crunch situation. It is hard to balance it all. I don’t want to rush when my time comes to meet my maker and other family members, so I will do the best I can. Aunt Ella made it through the crunch time to a peaceful time. Aunt Ella, I love you, save a hug for me.
A masterful magician makes clever illusions of making a woman cut in half seems real. Knowing that a person can not survive being cut in half. There are many illusions in this tricky world to watch out for. Deception in our food about sugar is something to be aware of. We need to be educated to watch out for all sugars. Artificial sugars are worse for health and have serious side effects. We are lead to believe that all of these sugar are good for us even at times healthy, by marketing ploys (ex. whole wheat fruit loops).
I wanted to be informed for my own life and for my family health. Both my parents have diabetes. I have watched my mother in the last year be in and out of hospitals and nursing homes, due to complications of diabetes. Doctors whittled off parts of her foot, threatened to cut off her leg for most of the year. It has been horrible to watch and feeling helpless for a disease that can be avoided.
See past the illusion and see sugar for what it truly is.
I was raised in a time of the beginnings of the computer world. The new media is amazing to me. I was very surprised that our home work will be done through this medium. I am excited at this new challenge for me. My video is a short quiz to see what we know about sugars. Take a minute and see how you you do on these four questions.
This video is of my youngest son, Ben. His friend Jesse Clapier found these jump suits in his dad’s closet and made this video wearing them. Ben is sporting the white unit. I was a disco queen in the 70’s dancing at “The Terrace” and other cool places. I never once saw this outfit and sweet moves. Ben you rock, or as you say “FOR THE WIN!”
When I turned 40 life changed. I had a physical and was diagnosed with asthma and high blood pressure. I don’t have any history of asthma in my family, so this was a surprise for me. I was determined to make some changes to improve my health. I started to slim down and walk up Millcreek Canyon daily. One day a friend of mine Julie asked me if I wanted a walking partner. Soon we were best friends. We heard the ins and outs of daily grind, and success of our families.
