PRESIDENT MONSON AND OUR STAKE
PRES. SUMMERS 11-2010
President Thomas S. Monson’s love for the members of the church is well known and documented. Our stake has also felt his love. Pres. Monson has attended numerous stake conferences in our valley. He was the General Authority who selected Pres. Douglas Cleghorn as President of the Grand Junction Stake in 1973. He also wrote and talked in General Conference about his experiences with a family in the G. J. 5th Ward. The mother and father requested a personal conference with Elder Monson to discuss their son who was going to leave his mission in Germany and return home early. Elder Monson told them their prayers were answered because he was assigned to tour their son’s mission in Germany on Thursday of the coming week and he would visit their son. He did and their son completed a successful and honorable mission. Pres. Monson stayed in touch with the family and sealed them in the temple once the father became temple worthy.
Pres. Monson continues to have personal influence over the members of our stake. On October 17, 2010 an application was sent to the First Presidency for Dustan and Kadee Blair to be sealed together in the temple for time and all eternity. This permission was necessary because of a prior sealing. Sister Blair was eight month pregnant and of course the Blairs wanted to be sealed before their baby was born so the child would be “born in the covenant.” I explained to them that applications like this take at least 60 days to process and their application would not be approved before the baby would be born and they should just plan on having the child sealed to them after its birth. The due date was about November 20th, 2010.
About November 10th, the office representing the First Presidency processing these matters called Bishop Palmer to find out if the baby was born yet. Sister Blair had experienced labor pains but no baby yet. On the afternoon of November 11th, I received a call from the same office wanting to know if the baby had been born. I told them I would get back to them with the answer. I contacted the Blairs about 3:30 p.m., found there was no baby yet , and reported that the First Presidency was very concerned that the child be born under the covenant, and permission to be sealed had been approved by the First Presidency. I was advised by the Blairs that they wanted to be sealed in the Manti Temple. I called the First Presidency office back and reported and was advised that the Blairs should call the Manti Temple and arrange for a sealing.
Three hours later the Blairs were in my office. In that length of time, they had contacted their bishop, obtained “living ordinance recommends,” called their parents to advised them they were getting sealed the next day in Manti, contacted the Manti Temple to arrange for their sealing and were in my office for their stake presidency interview. Because the baby could come at any minute, they determined they needed to go to the temple immediately. The temple called the First Presidency and received oral permission to perform the sealing. The next day, November 12, 2010, Dustin and Kadee Blair were in a sacred sealing room of the Manti Temple accompanied by their parents, one brother and one cousin and were sealed together for all time and eternity-before their baby was born. It was a marvelous experience for them. Their baby, Ryker Dean Blair, born November 18, 2010, is a “covenant” baby boy. There are over 14 million members of the church, yet our prophet, Thomas S. Monson cares enough about a young couple in Fruita, Colorado to expedite a procedure so the Blair baby could be born in the covenant. He truly cares about us as individuals.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
DR. BURNBAUM 11-9-2010
DR. BURNBAUM NOVEMBER 9, 2010
I had my appointment with Dr. Burnbaum this week. He has changed the frequency on my visits from every three months to every two months. Last spring he increased my Sinemet from 300 mg to 450 mg per day by taking 1 ½ tablets three times a day, morning, noon and evening. I waited until after the Bolder Boulder to increase the dosage. I can’t tell any difference except I now can get restless leg syndrome if I am late 3 or 4 hours with my pills. The doctor said there has been no change in my condition over the last two months and didn’t increase the medication-just exercise. I have been doing better at this-14 miles last week and I am trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I need to start strength and stretching exercises.
Ole Dunn, Don Cleveland and I attended the BYU VS.UNLV football game last Saturday-the only game I could attend this year. Ramon has retired and just had shoulder surgery. He said I looked real good He had aged. I took a suit to be altered at Mr. Mac (weight gain since 2004), bought my pocket calendar for 2011 at the BYU bookstore, gave Kathleen some pictures and genealogy material and picked up 50 caramel popcorn balls that I can’t buy in Colorado. It was a good day.
Sunday I attended three sacrament meetings. Bishop King told me he enjoyed singing with me in church. He said I had a good voice. I don’t know about that but my voice was strong Sunday. I have spent most of my time on Ragged Mt. issues and our stake history. Ragged Mt. is like the Chinese Great Leap Forward two steps forward and one step backwards but things are coming together. Our history should be printed next week for our stake-over 350 pages long. I am very pleased. It is not a history of who was bishop and who were counselors but a history of real people with emotions who serve the Lord in spite of difficulties as they are blessed by the Lord. There will be a full page colored picture of Kenny and Owen fishing at File’s Lake at Ragged Mt. in the book.
We have had the warmest fall I can remember-I have walked in short sleeve shirts in November. God is good.
I had my appointment with Dr. Burnbaum this week. He has changed the frequency on my visits from every three months to every two months. Last spring he increased my Sinemet from 300 mg to 450 mg per day by taking 1 ½ tablets three times a day, morning, noon and evening. I waited until after the Bolder Boulder to increase the dosage. I can’t tell any difference except I now can get restless leg syndrome if I am late 3 or 4 hours with my pills. The doctor said there has been no change in my condition over the last two months and didn’t increase the medication-just exercise. I have been doing better at this-14 miles last week and I am trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. I need to start strength and stretching exercises.
Ole Dunn, Don Cleveland and I attended the BYU VS.UNLV football game last Saturday-the only game I could attend this year. Ramon has retired and just had shoulder surgery. He said I looked real good He had aged. I took a suit to be altered at Mr. Mac (weight gain since 2004), bought my pocket calendar for 2011 at the BYU bookstore, gave Kathleen some pictures and genealogy material and picked up 50 caramel popcorn balls that I can’t buy in Colorado. It was a good day.
Sunday I attended three sacrament meetings. Bishop King told me he enjoyed singing with me in church. He said I had a good voice. I don’t know about that but my voice was strong Sunday. I have spent most of my time on Ragged Mt. issues and our stake history. Ragged Mt. is like the Chinese Great Leap Forward two steps forward and one step backwards but things are coming together. Our history should be printed next week for our stake-over 350 pages long. I am very pleased. It is not a history of who was bishop and who were counselors but a history of real people with emotions who serve the Lord in spite of difficulties as they are blessed by the Lord. There will be a full page colored picture of Kenny and Owen fishing at File’s Lake at Ragged Mt. in the book.
We have had the warmest fall I can remember-I have walked in short sleeve shirts in November. God is good.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Mt. Elbert YM Climb
OTHER EVENTS In addition to the General Priesthood Conference in Salt Lake, our stake Young Men’s Presidency planned two youth conferences to Martin’s Cove and Rocky Ridge and a Mormon Battalion Trek in the Bookcliffs just north of Douglas Pass. An account of the excitement on the hike is contained under the 5th Ward history. We also climbed Colorado’s highest mountain, Mt. Elbert which reaches 14,433 feet and unfurled our own Mormon’s Title of Liberty which was prepared on an animal skin by Pres. Ole Dunn. We camped at the base of the mountain on a Thursday night and were ascending the mountain by 5:30 a.m. the next morning. We started with 54 hikers not counting our support staff. We have two rules:
1. No hiker was to pass Brother Larry Hall who leading the hike as our point man. This was to keep the “rabbits” from hiking too fast and racing to see who could summit first.
2. All hikers had to be in front of myself, Harold Davis and Don Cleveland-we had the drag position. We were to make sure no one was left behind.
The rabbits took off and very soon those of us on drag had every slow struggling out of shape young men. We kept urging them on by counting steps (the Cleveland Shuffle) and instructing the young men to not look up or down the mountain but just at the three feet in front of them and promised them the climb would be easier and they would be surprised on how much progress they would make. The hike was not technical but was very long and tiring-it’s rough to get energy at those higher elevations and some of our group had the symptoms of High Attitude Sickness. All of us made it to the summit except one young man who was out of shape and elected to return to base camp with some hikers on the way down after obtaining at least 10,000 feet but he was happy for what he had accomplished. We gathered on the summit and unfurled our Title of Liberty and then I lead our group signing “O Ye Mountains High” with as much gusto as we could muster breathing the oxygen short air at that elevation. Afterwards, a man approached me and said “We are a church group too.” They were Presbyterians from Kansas City. I told them the Mormons and the Presbyterians were going to sing together on Colorado’s highest mountain so our group joined theirs and I led both groups singing “Onward Christian Soldiers.” It was a great experience. We returned to base camp after being on the mountain about 12 hours. We ate our steak dinner to celebrate our accomplishment. We were going to have a testimony meeting but everyone was so tired that Pres. Chadwick agreed we should just go to bed.
1. No hiker was to pass Brother Larry Hall who leading the hike as our point man. This was to keep the “rabbits” from hiking too fast and racing to see who could summit first.
2. All hikers had to be in front of myself, Harold Davis and Don Cleveland-we had the drag position. We were to make sure no one was left behind.
The rabbits took off and very soon those of us on drag had every slow struggling out of shape young men. We kept urging them on by counting steps (the Cleveland Shuffle) and instructing the young men to not look up or down the mountain but just at the three feet in front of them and promised them the climb would be easier and they would be surprised on how much progress they would make. The hike was not technical but was very long and tiring-it’s rough to get energy at those higher elevations and some of our group had the symptoms of High Attitude Sickness. All of us made it to the summit except one young man who was out of shape and elected to return to base camp with some hikers on the way down after obtaining at least 10,000 feet but he was happy for what he had accomplished. We gathered on the summit and unfurled our Title of Liberty and then I lead our group signing “O Ye Mountains High” with as much gusto as we could muster breathing the oxygen short air at that elevation. Afterwards, a man approached me and said “We are a church group too.” They were Presbyterians from Kansas City. I told them the Mormons and the Presbyterians were going to sing together on Colorado’s highest mountain so our group joined theirs and I led both groups singing “Onward Christian Soldiers.” It was a great experience. We returned to base camp after being on the mountain about 12 hours. We ate our steak dinner to celebrate our accomplishment. We were going to have a testimony meeting but everyone was so tired that Pres. Chadwick agreed we should just go to bed.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
WAYNE H. REDD
Re: WAYNE HARDISON REDD
Dear Buckley,
Thanks so much for your articles on Giants of San Juan in the San Juan Record. I look forward to reading them. The recent history of Wayne H. Redd was very important to me because it tied into my father’s life and gave me an appreciation for the man who gave my father his patriarchal blessing.
In reviewing family history items recently, I came across the church’s Annual Conference Report for the April 1927 conference in Salt Lake City. My mother had saved this because Pres. Wayne H. Redd, San Juan Stake President spoke in General Conference. I am enclosing herein a copy of the cover sheet of the report together with Pres. Redd address. The notes on the cover sheet are my mother’s.
President Grant explained in one of his talks, that because of the urgent need for more missionaries, seasoned church leaders were called to serve short term missions. Based on your facts, Pres. Wayne Redd was called to be Stake Patriarch in 1910 and then stake president of the San Juan Stake in 1923. He spoke in General Conference on April 4, 1927 and then served in the California Mission in 1928 to give patriarchal blessings to the members of that mission. My father was assigned to be the missionary companion to President Redd, sometimes being his chauffer and other times working alone or with other missionaries when President Redd was out of town giving blessings. My father had never received a patriarchal blessing and Pres. Redd told my father that he would receive his patriarchal blessing before Pres. Redd returned home at the end of his six month mission. Pres. Redd gave my father his blessing on June 12, 1928 in Santa Anna, California. My father always described Pres. Redd in very loving and respectful terms.
Jay and Marie Redd were also called to be short term missionaries during my father’s mission and were also assigned to the California Mission. They brought their child along on this mission. This is where my father met Jay Redd who convinced him to move after he returned home in 1929 to Monticello where he was hired to run the L. H. Redd Sheep Co. for the Redd family. The company had approximately 22,000 head of sheep. Leland Redd, son of Wayne H. Redd, called my father to be his counselor in the San Juan Stake Presidency in about 1960 so my father served in a stake presidency with the son of his missionary companion.
Buckley, you are a great writer. I read your articles every week. Thanks for the time and effort expended by you.
Kelly summers
Dear Buckley,
Thanks so much for your articles on Giants of San Juan in the San Juan Record. I look forward to reading them. The recent history of Wayne H. Redd was very important to me because it tied into my father’s life and gave me an appreciation for the man who gave my father his patriarchal blessing.
In reviewing family history items recently, I came across the church’s Annual Conference Report for the April 1927 conference in Salt Lake City. My mother had saved this because Pres. Wayne H. Redd, San Juan Stake President spoke in General Conference. I am enclosing herein a copy of the cover sheet of the report together with Pres. Redd address. The notes on the cover sheet are my mother’s.
President Grant explained in one of his talks, that because of the urgent need for more missionaries, seasoned church leaders were called to serve short term missions. Based on your facts, Pres. Wayne Redd was called to be Stake Patriarch in 1910 and then stake president of the San Juan Stake in 1923. He spoke in General Conference on April 4, 1927 and then served in the California Mission in 1928 to give patriarchal blessings to the members of that mission. My father was assigned to be the missionary companion to President Redd, sometimes being his chauffer and other times working alone or with other missionaries when President Redd was out of town giving blessings. My father had never received a patriarchal blessing and Pres. Redd told my father that he would receive his patriarchal blessing before Pres. Redd returned home at the end of his six month mission. Pres. Redd gave my father his blessing on June 12, 1928 in Santa Anna, California. My father always described Pres. Redd in very loving and respectful terms.
Jay and Marie Redd were also called to be short term missionaries during my father’s mission and were also assigned to the California Mission. They brought their child along on this mission. This is where my father met Jay Redd who convinced him to move after he returned home in 1929 to Monticello where he was hired to run the L. H. Redd Sheep Co. for the Redd family. The company had approximately 22,000 head of sheep. Leland Redd, son of Wayne H. Redd, called my father to be his counselor in the San Juan Stake Presidency in about 1960 so my father served in a stake presidency with the son of his missionary companion.
Buckley, you are a great writer. I read your articles every week. Thanks for the time and effort expended by you.
Kelly summers
Thursday, September 23, 2010
2010 KKS HEALTH REPORT CARD
KENNETH KELLY SUMMERS: HEALTH REPORT CARD 2010
September 22, 2010
I have just finished my annual physical with Dr. Motz and give a report on my health:
EYES
I have worn glasses since the 6th grade and been terribly nearsighted-20=600 in one eye and 20=800 in the other. I have a scar which surrounds about 2/3 of my optic nerve in my right eye which probably occurred during my development in the womb. But, I am correctable to 20=20. I haven’t had my glasses changed in about 10 years because my eye sight is not getting worse although I have the beginnings of cataracts but they are slow growing. I stopped by the DMV to see about my eye sight for a driver’s license and they renewed it for another 5 years. I don’t drive in the large cities like Salk Lake or Denver.
THYROID
I watch by thyroid very carefully because there is a direct link between radiation and thyroid cancer. Between atomic bomb testing in Nevada and radiation for acme while in college, I received excess radiation. My blood work and examination this summer by Dr. Huffaker showed the thyroid is normal.
EARS
It has been about 6 years since my last hearing test so I had one this summer. I have lost a little bit of hearing in the ultra high ranges but score 100% of being about to hear and understand when the technician talked to me.
COLON
Because Mother died of colon cancer, I have had 13 straight years of colonoscopies. Last year I had been clear of polyps for about four years so the doctor had me skip a colonoscopy this year. I will have one next year.
PROPSTATE
This was my eight year since prostate surgery and I had a 0.0 PSA again. The most important tests are at five and ten years. I haven’t worried about prostate cancer after my surgery.
PARKINSON’S
I still have Parkinson’s disease and joke with caregivers to see if the new pill is available which will cure it but I know that is a long shot dream. I feel very blessed with how I have lived with my PD. I believe I was diagnosed in 2006. I ran (actually walked) my 10th Bolder Boulder this year and made my lifelong planned trip to Europe this summer with my wife and five daughters. I felt very fortunate to be strong enough to complete this grand experience and thank my wife and daughters who helped me physically so much. I can still accomplish my stake presidency work and plan to complete in three years the normal nine year term. I am not as strong as I use to be and I get tired easier. Drinking a Coca Cola gives me a boost.
My doctor told me this Spring that recent studies show that exercise is the best medicine for PD and that exercise can arrest PD and possibly retard it. I get feeling good or it is inconvenient to walk and exercise so I don’t and then I pay the price with stiffness. Things have settled down now for me so I can walk regularly and it makes a difference. Dr. Burnbaum in my September visit thought he was under medicating me so increased my Sinemet from 300 mg to 450 mg per day-I just take pills three times per day instead of twice a day. I can’t see a big difference if I miss taking a pill except I seem to get restless leg syndrome more. Exercise seems to make more difference than pills. I have a church member in my stake that has to take a pill one hour before he wants to get out of bed. Another member can’t take Sinemet and will have to go to a nursing home. My cousin Nigel Crowe has Parkinsonism; not PD-it is different but has the same medication His movements get very jerky if he doesn’t take his Sinemet on time. Dr. Burnbaum has patients that take 1000 to 2000 mg per day so I still have a lot more medication that can be given me.
GENERAL HEALTH
Dr. Motz is very satisfied with my general health. My cholesterol is low, my heart and lungs sound good and my skin looks good. I am blessed with good health. I am still amazed I can get up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and participate in church work and activities until 7: 00, 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Clarissa takes good care of me. She is my rock.
September 22, 2010
I have just finished my annual physical with Dr. Motz and give a report on my health:
EYES
I have worn glasses since the 6th grade and been terribly nearsighted-20=600 in one eye and 20=800 in the other. I have a scar which surrounds about 2/3 of my optic nerve in my right eye which probably occurred during my development in the womb. But, I am correctable to 20=20. I haven’t had my glasses changed in about 10 years because my eye sight is not getting worse although I have the beginnings of cataracts but they are slow growing. I stopped by the DMV to see about my eye sight for a driver’s license and they renewed it for another 5 years. I don’t drive in the large cities like Salk Lake or Denver.
THYROID
I watch by thyroid very carefully because there is a direct link between radiation and thyroid cancer. Between atomic bomb testing in Nevada and radiation for acme while in college, I received excess radiation. My blood work and examination this summer by Dr. Huffaker showed the thyroid is normal.
EARS
It has been about 6 years since my last hearing test so I had one this summer. I have lost a little bit of hearing in the ultra high ranges but score 100% of being about to hear and understand when the technician talked to me.
COLON
Because Mother died of colon cancer, I have had 13 straight years of colonoscopies. Last year I had been clear of polyps for about four years so the doctor had me skip a colonoscopy this year. I will have one next year.
PROPSTATE
This was my eight year since prostate surgery and I had a 0.0 PSA again. The most important tests are at five and ten years. I haven’t worried about prostate cancer after my surgery.
PARKINSON’S
I still have Parkinson’s disease and joke with caregivers to see if the new pill is available which will cure it but I know that is a long shot dream. I feel very blessed with how I have lived with my PD. I believe I was diagnosed in 2006. I ran (actually walked) my 10th Bolder Boulder this year and made my lifelong planned trip to Europe this summer with my wife and five daughters. I felt very fortunate to be strong enough to complete this grand experience and thank my wife and daughters who helped me physically so much. I can still accomplish my stake presidency work and plan to complete in three years the normal nine year term. I am not as strong as I use to be and I get tired easier. Drinking a Coca Cola gives me a boost.
My doctor told me this Spring that recent studies show that exercise is the best medicine for PD and that exercise can arrest PD and possibly retard it. I get feeling good or it is inconvenient to walk and exercise so I don’t and then I pay the price with stiffness. Things have settled down now for me so I can walk regularly and it makes a difference. Dr. Burnbaum in my September visit thought he was under medicating me so increased my Sinemet from 300 mg to 450 mg per day-I just take pills three times per day instead of twice a day. I can’t see a big difference if I miss taking a pill except I seem to get restless leg syndrome more. Exercise seems to make more difference than pills. I have a church member in my stake that has to take a pill one hour before he wants to get out of bed. Another member can’t take Sinemet and will have to go to a nursing home. My cousin Nigel Crowe has Parkinsonism; not PD-it is different but has the same medication His movements get very jerky if he doesn’t take his Sinemet on time. Dr. Burnbaum has patients that take 1000 to 2000 mg per day so I still have a lot more medication that can be given me.
GENERAL HEALTH
Dr. Motz is very satisfied with my general health. My cholesterol is low, my heart and lungs sound good and my skin looks good. I am blessed with good health. I am still amazed I can get up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and participate in church work and activities until 7: 00, 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. Clarissa takes good care of me. She is my rock.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
STAKE TEMPLE DAY 2010
BLESSINGS ARE RECEIVED BY ATTENDING THE TEMPLE
To celebrate and usher in a new millennium in 2000, the Grand Junction Colorado West Stake had its first stakewide Temple Day at the Vernal Temple where each ward was assigned its own temple session so the saints could enjoy attendance at the temple surrounded by ward members. The tradition has been expanded as we are now assigned to the Monticello Temple.
We had another successful stake Temple Day in June of this year. I felt such peace among our members who participated and could feel their love for the Lord and each other as we served together in the temple. I continue to be impressed by the large number of temple workers from our stake who serve in the temple and their dedication in serving. They bring a special spirit to our stake as they officiate and serve on our stake Temple Day. I feel a sense of heaven when I attend the temple with stake members and see stake members as temple workers. I feel the power of prayer when I witness ward members surround the sacred altar of the temple and petition the Lord to bless those in need.
The Stake Primary organization continues to provide excellent instruction on the temple at the adjacent Monticello North Chapel. It was my privilege to address these children as they were brought to the front door of the temple and teach them about the temple and encourage them to grow up and be found worthy to enter the temple. I was pleased when I asked them questions that they had an understanding about the sacredness of the temple. Our Primary workers provide a great service in instilling in these children a love of the temple.
Many participated in temple baptisms. Other participated in the “endowment” session or sealing sessions. When we go to the temple for the first time to participate in an endowment sessions, we make sacred oaths to the Lord to keep his commandments and he promises us a place in the Celestial Kingdom if we keep our covenants. Here are some of the reasons why we need to return often to the temple.
a. We1 can’t and don’t remember all we are taught in the temple the first time we attend-we need to return so we can retain what we are taught.
b. We need to do temple work for those who died without going to the temple. It is particularly important to do the work for our own relatives. My daughter rechecked our family genealogy with the church temple records and found some ordinances were not complete. It was a special privilege to be baptized in the Monticello Temple for these relatives.
c. We renew our temple covenants when we return to the temple as we are reminded what we promised when we first went through the temple and are reminded what the Lord has promised us if we keep our temple covenants. I urge members to not only participate in “endowment sessions” but to schedule themselves for a “sealing session” and an “initiatory session.” It is in the “initiatory season” that the promises are made to us-we need to remember those promises the Lord has given us and be reminded why we wear temple garments.
d. In the temple we can cut out the world and concentrate of what things in our life are really eternal. God will inspire us in the temple of the things we need to change. It helps us prioritize our lives and concentrate of the things that really matter. I remember talking to a good friend just after he attended the temple with his spouse and all his children. His wife had a terrible disease that has now taken her life, he had lost his business because government regulation changes had destroyed its value and his house was about to be fore closured but he told me it didn’t matter-having all his family together in the Celestial Room is what really mattered and what was important.
e. The temple lis a great place to get answers to prayer. I have had many experiences of attending the temple to receive an answer to prayer and the Lord’s will has been made known to me. We need to be reverent in the temple and particularly the Celestial Room so members can communicate with Heavenly Father in prayer.
f. The temple is where we can feel and receive peace. It is where we can feel our Heavenly Father’s love. A few years ago I was very worried about a legal matter I was working on at my law practice. I needed peace in my life and told my wife we needed to go to the temple with the hope I could find peace about this situation. Just after entering the Monticello Temple I met a temple worker that had gone through a terrible experience, both legally and emotionally and had survived and weathered the storm. Upon seeing my friend, I received peace that I to would be able to survive my potential difficulty and received the peace that comes from Jesus Christ and stopped worrying about the situation The matter was concluded without difficulty, I had found my peace in the temple.
We are so blessed to be close to a temple. We are so blessed to have faithful temple workers in Monticello from our stake. Our temple is so intimate-so personal. We can worship there with our ward family. We can pray at the temple altars with those we know. We can feel our Heavenly Father’s love and feel the tenders mercies of Jesus Christ. We can be better people by attending the temple. May God bless our stake as we take advantage of the temple. I promise you that attending the temple will give you power as you face life’s difficulties. I thank you for your love and support.
President Kelly Summers
To celebrate and usher in a new millennium in 2000, the Grand Junction Colorado West Stake had its first stakewide Temple Day at the Vernal Temple where each ward was assigned its own temple session so the saints could enjoy attendance at the temple surrounded by ward members. The tradition has been expanded as we are now assigned to the Monticello Temple.
We had another successful stake Temple Day in June of this year. I felt such peace among our members who participated and could feel their love for the Lord and each other as we served together in the temple. I continue to be impressed by the large number of temple workers from our stake who serve in the temple and their dedication in serving. They bring a special spirit to our stake as they officiate and serve on our stake Temple Day. I feel a sense of heaven when I attend the temple with stake members and see stake members as temple workers. I feel the power of prayer when I witness ward members surround the sacred altar of the temple and petition the Lord to bless those in need.
The Stake Primary organization continues to provide excellent instruction on the temple at the adjacent Monticello North Chapel. It was my privilege to address these children as they were brought to the front door of the temple and teach them about the temple and encourage them to grow up and be found worthy to enter the temple. I was pleased when I asked them questions that they had an understanding about the sacredness of the temple. Our Primary workers provide a great service in instilling in these children a love of the temple.
Many participated in temple baptisms. Other participated in the “endowment” session or sealing sessions. When we go to the temple for the first time to participate in an endowment sessions, we make sacred oaths to the Lord to keep his commandments and he promises us a place in the Celestial Kingdom if we keep our covenants. Here are some of the reasons why we need to return often to the temple.
a. We1 can’t and don’t remember all we are taught in the temple the first time we attend-we need to return so we can retain what we are taught.
b. We need to do temple work for those who died without going to the temple. It is particularly important to do the work for our own relatives. My daughter rechecked our family genealogy with the church temple records and found some ordinances were not complete. It was a special privilege to be baptized in the Monticello Temple for these relatives.
c. We renew our temple covenants when we return to the temple as we are reminded what we promised when we first went through the temple and are reminded what the Lord has promised us if we keep our temple covenants. I urge members to not only participate in “endowment sessions” but to schedule themselves for a “sealing session” and an “initiatory session.” It is in the “initiatory season” that the promises are made to us-we need to remember those promises the Lord has given us and be reminded why we wear temple garments.
d. In the temple we can cut out the world and concentrate of what things in our life are really eternal. God will inspire us in the temple of the things we need to change. It helps us prioritize our lives and concentrate of the things that really matter. I remember talking to a good friend just after he attended the temple with his spouse and all his children. His wife had a terrible disease that has now taken her life, he had lost his business because government regulation changes had destroyed its value and his house was about to be fore closured but he told me it didn’t matter-having all his family together in the Celestial Room is what really mattered and what was important.
e. The temple lis a great place to get answers to prayer. I have had many experiences of attending the temple to receive an answer to prayer and the Lord’s will has been made known to me. We need to be reverent in the temple and particularly the Celestial Room so members can communicate with Heavenly Father in prayer.
f. The temple is where we can feel and receive peace. It is where we can feel our Heavenly Father’s love. A few years ago I was very worried about a legal matter I was working on at my law practice. I needed peace in my life and told my wife we needed to go to the temple with the hope I could find peace about this situation. Just after entering the Monticello Temple I met a temple worker that had gone through a terrible experience, both legally and emotionally and had survived and weathered the storm. Upon seeing my friend, I received peace that I to would be able to survive my potential difficulty and received the peace that comes from Jesus Christ and stopped worrying about the situation The matter was concluded without difficulty, I had found my peace in the temple.
We are so blessed to be close to a temple. We are so blessed to have faithful temple workers in Monticello from our stake. Our temple is so intimate-so personal. We can worship there with our ward family. We can pray at the temple altars with those we know. We can feel our Heavenly Father’s love and feel the tenders mercies of Jesus Christ. We can be better people by attending the temple. May God bless our stake as we take advantage of the temple. I promise you that attending the temple will give you power as you face life’s difficulties. I thank you for your love and support.
President Kelly Summers
Saturday, July 10, 2010
IOM, Scotland and England
> > Isle of Man > > July 3 - Our B & B was run by Millie and Graham, a lovely couple from England. They cooked us a bland English breakfast every morning that we tried to season up a bit with their weak salt and pepper. Millie even told us that she noticed in her last visit to the States that our food was far more flavorful than English food. We all agreed and started ordering our eggs with bacon (which was really just salty ham) to give them more of a taste. > > Nigel met us at the B & B and took us around to several sites that were part of the Kelly and Quine family histories (relatives on Dad's side). We hiked hills, saw family ruins and marveled at the beauty of IOM. Mom thought that it reminded her of Oregon. > > In the evening, we met Nigel and his extended family at an Italian pizzaria. At first we were all a little shy but we soon got comfortable and spent a wonderful evening learning about our Manx cousins and their lives on the island. > > July 4 - We went to all 3 and a half hours of church which ended with fast and testimony meeting. Dad bore a sweet testimony of the truth of the gospel and how grateful he was to be worshiping with his Manx brothers and sisters. I sat next to Tania, who soon became my new BFF and she gave me the low down of everyone who bore their testimony. We were all amused that the meeting was stopped twice to sort out a parking jam in the car park (parking lot), thus the 3 and half hours. Tania told me that they often have parking problems. After the meeting, many people came and talked to us and we learned that many of William Kelly's descendants like to come visit his homeland as well. Everyone at church was very friendly. > > After church we had to deal with our laundry which became quite an ordeal. We spent about $33 to do 4 loads in the wash and 2 loads in the dryer. We only had 45 minutes before the laundry mat closed. In the end, we ended up hanging up half of our laundry around our rooms hoping it would all dry by the morning. Mom said it reminded her of Hannibal, Missouri, and this time we all agreed. We left our laundry problems to drive around the island for the rest of the day. Mom saw haystacks that reminded her of Kansas but Connie pointed out that the sea in the background sort of ruined her comparison. We drove to Peel and walked around it's castle, marveled at how sheep grazed on steep slopes and encouraged and, at times, laughed at Connie as she drove on the left of very narrow, hilly roads. > > This might be a good time to describe what it's like to drive in the IOM. STRESSFUL pretty much sums it up. Connie and I have done a pretty good job so far with the occasional hiccup. Connie has been honked at several times for driving in the the fast lane, I've hit the bumper of the car in front of me when parked on a hill (no harm done other than to my confidence), and we've both have had a hard time not hitting the left curb on occasion. The hardest part has been the accessory movements like shifting and signaling with the left hand and looking the correct way for on-coming traffic when turning. At least once a day we walk to the wrong side of the car. Also, we were a little rusty driving a standard at first, especially in a mini van. It's probably best if you keep us in your prayers. > > We ended this day looking for a restaurant called Costas (a place recommended by Millie). It turned out to be Costers (we didn't take into account her accent) and it turned out to be a Tex Mex restaurant. We were a bit skeptical as we entered and knew we were in for it when we were asked if we wanted chips (French fries) with our enchilada. Not Tex Mex. > > July 5 - Nigel got us tickets to Tynwald which is IOM's biggest national holiday. It's when their parliament is called into session and it's full of all sorts of pomp and circumstance. First the procession (300 people consisting of MPs, special guests, mayors, clergy, etc. -many decked out in big hats and some with those white wigs) were in the church for songs, prayers and speeches. Then they marched out VERY slowly, read the laws that were passed over the last year (only 10) and swore in the new MPs. We couldn't leave because the Coroner (local sheriff) told us we were fenced--aka we weren't supposed to leave until the outside stuff was over. Then someone else fenced us in the Manx language. Then they marched back to the church VERY slowly and who knows what else happened because at that point we left-- we unfenced ourselves. If you feel like you missed this time honored tradition, not to worry, Kate filmed about 45 minutes of it. > > We spent the rest of that day leaving IOM and flying to Scotland. That night we got lost looking for our hotel but were very pleased when we found it-- an old manor on a big park and golf course. Before bed, we drove and found the coal mines that Elizabeth Cunningham's family probably worked in. We returned around 11 PM and it was still light.. > > Scotland > > July 6 - We left our fun hotel to go into Edinburgh to tour the castle. We scored a great parking spot right below the castle. We all enjoyed this tour which included a glimpse of the Scottish Honors (crown, sword and scepter), military memorial and old buildings and other castle stuff. Mom was a trooper because I accidentally took her the wrong way twice which involved going up hills to correct. > > After the castle, we dropped by the Edinburgh Mission home so Dad could say hello to the Paynes who are serving a mission there from Dad's stake. > > We then headed south out of Scotland. We found Hadrian's Wall and drove along it for a while. We even found the tree from Kevin Costner's Robin Hood where he saves the kid from soldiers. Sadly, this seems to have excited us more than it should have. Lots of pictures were taken. > > We continued south and ended up staying in a Travel Lodge off the road (probably comparable to a Motel 6). Connie was involved in some sort of duve drama up at the front desk that I don't think even she can explain. > > Lake District > > July 7 - We started our day touring the pencil museum in Keswick, the place where graphite was discovered. It turned out to be a delightful little museum (thank you, Rick Steves) and we spent just as much time in the gift shop as we did going through the museum itself. > > We spent the rest of the morning driving through the North Lake District. It was absolutely beautiful. Huge green covered mountains spotted with little cottages, sheep and stone fences. I broke a sweat driving through those steep passes and one lane roads but now that it's over, I can say it was well worth it and I'd love to go back and do some hiking. > > After taking tea in Keswick (only Carol and I ordered some herbal teas) we drove to Preston an attended the temple. It's a beautiful temple. > > After eating dinner and watching the Germany vs. Spain game (yeah Spain), we looked for our hotel for an hour and a half in the dark. We were saved by two girls Dad approached in a McDonalds parking lot at 11:15 PM. They escorted us to our hotel and we were all very glad Dad is friendly. Tomorrow we will explore Liverpool and see some of the towns associated with Susanna Stockall and Thomas Summers. Hope you are all doing well. Loves, 3Ks & 3 Cs >
Denmark and London
The church where Johanna Swenson was raised in and later reprimanded for joining the church was pretty cool. There were lots of well taken care of graves around the church which made it a peaceful place and it was interesting to realize and see how old it was and it is still an active church.
We saw several other towns where our g-g-parents were born or married and then made our way to the northern most tip of Demark where the North Sea meets the Baltic Sea.
That night we stayed in a motel with no staff. Carol checked in at a kiosk and her credit card became our motel key that got us through the two outside doors and our room. This was also the room with the 3 level bunk beds. It was a pretty cool concept.
We left the next morning and flew back to London, met Kate and took a double-decker bus around the city for 2 hours. Mom loved it, Dad was almost asleep by the end. Our guide was pretty funny with a good mixture if historical and pop culture references.
This morning we did Westminster where Mom said the Limestone it was made from reminds her of the houses in ... yep, you guessed it... Kansas. We all enjoyed the tour. Then we split up and some did the boat tour on the Thames and others went to the war rooms. Any guesses who went where?
In the afternoon we flew to IOM where Connie got her first taste of left sided driving. She demanded silence unless it was to remind her to stay left. We are here for 3 days and are excited that we won't need to change hotels. Now off to bed.
Loves
3Ks and 3Cs
Made it Across the Pond
After a 9 hours on the plane we made it to Heathrow then took a 2 hour bus to Stansted airport where we waited 30 minutes for our driver from the hotel to pick us up. On the plane, both Mom and Dad were individually fascinated by the map feature in front of them and would periodically update us all exactly where we were. Mom was disappointed we didn't fly over Iceland. Dad got up at one point to use the restroom in the back and got freaked out when he realized that there was only a thin piece of metal that separated him from 600 mph (another fact from the map feature that was closely tracked by both parents). He couldn't relax enough to do his business with that thought so he moved to the center of the plane.
Obviously we are all really tired so after we eat dinner we will all be heading to bed. Dad's eating his first Indian food which i think he is nervous about and Connie has banned him from fixating on prices out loud.
Mom and Dad have been troopers and Dad has already made several friends among our fellow travels. On the coach (English bus), we made an Irish friend who answered almost all of his questions but not all because he's Irish which we discovered half way through our conversation. Mom is convinced that so far, England looks like eastern Kansas.
We get up early tomorrow and head to Demark. I'm sure we will all be wide awake as we haven't adjusted to the time yet.
Loves,
Kim
2Ks and 3Cs
Obviously we are all really tired so after we eat dinner we will all be heading to bed. Dad's eating his first Indian food which i think he is nervous about and Connie has banned him from fixating on prices out loud.
Mom and Dad have been troopers and Dad has already made several friends among our fellow travels. On the coach (English bus), we made an Irish friend who answered almost all of his questions but not all because he's Irish which we discovered half way through our conversation. Mom is convinced that so far, England looks like eastern Kansas.
We get up early tomorrow and head to Demark. I'm sure we will all be wide awake as we haven't adjusted to the time yet.
Loves,
Kim
2Ks and 3Cs
Friday, April 2, 2010
IF FOUND ONE MORE SKUNK
FOUND ONE MORE SKUNK
Last week when Kate and Aaron were in G.J., I made a list of things they could do to help Clarissa and I. A big one on the list was to help me dig up the lawn and uncover the septic tank lid so the tank could be pumped. I try to do this at least every five years. We dug it up with the help of Curtis and Michael and Goodwin’s Septic Tank Service came and pumped the tank. I have two leach fields in the pasture and each spring when I burn or start the irrigation system, I switch the valve to alternate which leech field is used for that year.
The value is located next to the white fence at the front of the house in a four inch plastic pipe inserted about two feet in the ground. I have a special tool to reach to the bottom of the pipe and turn the valve to force the septic tank flow into the field not used the previous year. The opening to the pipe is usually covered by a lid but it had been knocked off so the pipe was open. I pushed up my sleeve and stuck my bare hand into the pipe past my elbow to clean out the debris which I knew would have fallen into the pipe over the last year so I could insert my valve tool into the hole. The first fist full I pulled up was leaves that kind of sealed the pipe. I re-entered the pipe with my hand and the next handful was very wet and gooey. I expected some wetness because the pipe was open and rain and snow could enter the pipe. This substance also was accompanied by a strong pungent odor. I continue to pull handfuls of material from the hole which included hair and decayed flesh so I could insert the tool.
The septic man came over to where I was working because of the smell. Aaron came over too but told his kids to stand back because of the odor. The septic pumper said, “WHAT’S A SKUNK!” Aaron added-“There is its head” pointing to a mass I had pulled out of the pipe and laid by the pipe. All I knew was the stink was bad and my face was a few inches from this sticky mass. There was no reason to stop however because my bare hand and arm had already been up and down the hole and it wasn’t going to get any worse so I cleaned out the hole the best I could. Aaron was scared I might get infection and the pumper hated the smell. Aaron dug a hole in the pasture about 50 feet away and buried the mass in it while shouting at his boys to stay away. I washed off my arm with the garden hose and was then directed into the house where I was advised by Clarissa to strip and shower while she washed all the clothes I was wearing immediately. The stain didn’t wash out of the sleeve on my 2009 Bolder Boulder shirt.
I went to the store-bought some plastic gloves and removed a little more from the hole so the tool attached to the valve and I got it turned. I didn’t get sick but occasionally I smell skunk. I don’t like skunks but I do have some feelings for the little skunk that climbed down the pipe and couldn’t get back out.
K.K.SUMMERS
4-2-2010
Last week when Kate and Aaron were in G.J., I made a list of things they could do to help Clarissa and I. A big one on the list was to help me dig up the lawn and uncover the septic tank lid so the tank could be pumped. I try to do this at least every five years. We dug it up with the help of Curtis and Michael and Goodwin’s Septic Tank Service came and pumped the tank. I have two leach fields in the pasture and each spring when I burn or start the irrigation system, I switch the valve to alternate which leech field is used for that year.
The value is located next to the white fence at the front of the house in a four inch plastic pipe inserted about two feet in the ground. I have a special tool to reach to the bottom of the pipe and turn the valve to force the septic tank flow into the field not used the previous year. The opening to the pipe is usually covered by a lid but it had been knocked off so the pipe was open. I pushed up my sleeve and stuck my bare hand into the pipe past my elbow to clean out the debris which I knew would have fallen into the pipe over the last year so I could insert my valve tool into the hole. The first fist full I pulled up was leaves that kind of sealed the pipe. I re-entered the pipe with my hand and the next handful was very wet and gooey. I expected some wetness because the pipe was open and rain and snow could enter the pipe. This substance also was accompanied by a strong pungent odor. I continue to pull handfuls of material from the hole which included hair and decayed flesh so I could insert the tool.
The septic man came over to where I was working because of the smell. Aaron came over too but told his kids to stand back because of the odor. The septic pumper said, “WHAT’S A SKUNK!” Aaron added-“There is its head” pointing to a mass I had pulled out of the pipe and laid by the pipe. All I knew was the stink was bad and my face was a few inches from this sticky mass. There was no reason to stop however because my bare hand and arm had already been up and down the hole and it wasn’t going to get any worse so I cleaned out the hole the best I could. Aaron was scared I might get infection and the pumper hated the smell. Aaron dug a hole in the pasture about 50 feet away and buried the mass in it while shouting at his boys to stay away. I washed off my arm with the garden hose and was then directed into the house where I was advised by Clarissa to strip and shower while she washed all the clothes I was wearing immediately. The stain didn’t wash out of the sleeve on my 2009 Bolder Boulder shirt.
I went to the store-bought some plastic gloves and removed a little more from the hole so the tool attached to the valve and I got it turned. I didn’t get sick but occasionally I smell skunk. I don’t like skunks but I do have some feelings for the little skunk that climbed down the pipe and couldn’t get back out.
K.K.SUMMERS
4-2-2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
SKUNKS
SKUNKS
3-15-2010
My first experiences with skunks were in Monticello. As a child, I knew that Jack Nielson, our next door neighbor had a war with skunks. I knew Jack had a chicken house and that the skunks had a fondness for chicken eggs – they would dig holes under the chicken house walls to obtain access to the eggs. He would place the claw traps in their holes to catch them. He had a long wire hooked to the trap to pull the trapped skunk away from the dwelling houses without getting sprayed and then shoot it. I also knew that we were not to shoot a skunk near the cabin at Beaver Creek because is we only wounded the skunk it might crawl back under the cabin and either spread its scent or die, both options would result in making the cabin uninhabitable.
When we moved to the Redlands, I built a chicken house and raised my own eggs. Soon the skunks found they had a source for chicken eggs. I remember when I only had a couple of hens left that I went to the chicken house at night, turned on the light and put my hand into the laying nest to collect an egg when this skunk was already in the box checking for eggs. I don’t know who was scared the most but the skunk jumped out of the box and exited the chicken house in one direction and I fled out the door in the opposite direction. I was scared and felt very lucky that the skunk didn’t bite my hand. I decided I would out fox the skunk so I started to collect the eggs before dark when the skunk would make it’s visit but the skunk, after a couple of days without finding eggs countered by returning , killing the chickens and dragging them off. I never had chickens again-the skunk won.
We have had other incidents with skunks at our Redland’s home. Kenny was walking down E 7/8th Road to catch a ride for a Cub Scout activity when he got sprayed by a skunk. Clarissa cleaned him up the best she could and took him back to get on the bus. Other boys complained about the skunk smell but Kenny didn’t fess up that he had been sprayed. Last Fall, the Water boys were walking on the trail mowed through the trees and would see skunks but the skunks never sprayed.
My trouble with skunks started again when we got our cats, Lewis and Clark and fed them outside. The skunks discovered that there was cat food left overnight on the back porch in the cat dish and make a regular check each night for a treat. I came home one night and part way up the back steps discovered a very large and agitated skunk on the back porch. I didn’t want to have the skunk spray our back porch but the only unlocked door to get in the house was next to the upset skunk. The cats will jump off the porch but the skunk was too scared to jump. It’s only path was to come toward me and go down the steps to exit the porch but it didn’t want to come closer to me. I had to back off and leave the area and wait for the skunk to leave on its own so I could get into the house. We started to bring in the cat dish before dark and that helped a lot but the skunks would still check out the back porch. We left cat food in a closed plastic bottle for Wendy to feed the cats when we were gone and a skunk chewed through the plastic bottle to get to the food. Surprisingly our cats are not bothered by the skunks and visa-versa-they walked around each other and have no fear or fighting.
In the last couple of weeks I have been invaded by skunks. Two skunks were hit and killed by cars on 20 Road just north and south of our mail box. When I came home last night in the dark, one skunk was traveling up our lane probably on its way to check our back porch but gave up and hid under the storage shed for my client files. I then approached the back porch. We have one of new energy efficient light bulbs that doesn’t put out much light but as I started up the stairs I could see a smaller skunk with two stripes down its back in its white fluffy hair. It acted very confused and didn’t know what to do and didn’t seem to be very smart. I yelled at it and gave it room to come back down the steps but is didn’t know what to do. Again, I didn’t want to scare it and get the back porch covered with
skunks scent. The front door was locked so I stood under our bedroom window and yelled loud for Clarissa to come and help me. My yelling didn’t raise Clarissa because she was on the other side of the house listening to TV but I did manage to get our neighbor’s dog upset and barking at me. I continue to call for Clarissa, the dog continued to bark until the neighbor women yelled at the dog to shut up and the skunk continue to eat out of the cat dish with no intent on leaving. I then went on the opposite side of the house and yelled under the window to the TV room to Clarissa. She got out of her chair, walked down the inside chairs and open the front door. We then checked the back porch and the skunk was still there eating and wouldn’t leave at our screaming. Clarissa wanted to open the door and scare the skunk away with the door or the broom but that was too risky. After a while the skunk left. I will now have to take in the cat dish before dark and get a bright light bulb outside. There has got to be more illumination outside so I can see those skunks. I HATE SKUNKS. I DON’T WANT THEM AROUND MY HOUSE.
3-15-2010
My first experiences with skunks were in Monticello. As a child, I knew that Jack Nielson, our next door neighbor had a war with skunks. I knew Jack had a chicken house and that the skunks had a fondness for chicken eggs – they would dig holes under the chicken house walls to obtain access to the eggs. He would place the claw traps in their holes to catch them. He had a long wire hooked to the trap to pull the trapped skunk away from the dwelling houses without getting sprayed and then shoot it. I also knew that we were not to shoot a skunk near the cabin at Beaver Creek because is we only wounded the skunk it might crawl back under the cabin and either spread its scent or die, both options would result in making the cabin uninhabitable.
When we moved to the Redlands, I built a chicken house and raised my own eggs. Soon the skunks found they had a source for chicken eggs. I remember when I only had a couple of hens left that I went to the chicken house at night, turned on the light and put my hand into the laying nest to collect an egg when this skunk was already in the box checking for eggs. I don’t know who was scared the most but the skunk jumped out of the box and exited the chicken house in one direction and I fled out the door in the opposite direction. I was scared and felt very lucky that the skunk didn’t bite my hand. I decided I would out fox the skunk so I started to collect the eggs before dark when the skunk would make it’s visit but the skunk, after a couple of days without finding eggs countered by returning , killing the chickens and dragging them off. I never had chickens again-the skunk won.
We have had other incidents with skunks at our Redland’s home. Kenny was walking down E 7/8th Road to catch a ride for a Cub Scout activity when he got sprayed by a skunk. Clarissa cleaned him up the best she could and took him back to get on the bus. Other boys complained about the skunk smell but Kenny didn’t fess up that he had been sprayed. Last Fall, the Water boys were walking on the trail mowed through the trees and would see skunks but the skunks never sprayed.
My trouble with skunks started again when we got our cats, Lewis and Clark and fed them outside. The skunks discovered that there was cat food left overnight on the back porch in the cat dish and make a regular check each night for a treat. I came home one night and part way up the back steps discovered a very large and agitated skunk on the back porch. I didn’t want to have the skunk spray our back porch but the only unlocked door to get in the house was next to the upset skunk. The cats will jump off the porch but the skunk was too scared to jump. It’s only path was to come toward me and go down the steps to exit the porch but it didn’t want to come closer to me. I had to back off and leave the area and wait for the skunk to leave on its own so I could get into the house. We started to bring in the cat dish before dark and that helped a lot but the skunks would still check out the back porch. We left cat food in a closed plastic bottle for Wendy to feed the cats when we were gone and a skunk chewed through the plastic bottle to get to the food. Surprisingly our cats are not bothered by the skunks and visa-versa-they walked around each other and have no fear or fighting.
In the last couple of weeks I have been invaded by skunks. Two skunks were hit and killed by cars on 20 Road just north and south of our mail box. When I came home last night in the dark, one skunk was traveling up our lane probably on its way to check our back porch but gave up and hid under the storage shed for my client files. I then approached the back porch. We have one of new energy efficient light bulbs that doesn’t put out much light but as I started up the stairs I could see a smaller skunk with two stripes down its back in its white fluffy hair. It acted very confused and didn’t know what to do and didn’t seem to be very smart. I yelled at it and gave it room to come back down the steps but is didn’t know what to do. Again, I didn’t want to scare it and get the back porch covered with
skunks scent. The front door was locked so I stood under our bedroom window and yelled loud for Clarissa to come and help me. My yelling didn’t raise Clarissa because she was on the other side of the house listening to TV but I did manage to get our neighbor’s dog upset and barking at me. I continue to call for Clarissa, the dog continued to bark until the neighbor women yelled at the dog to shut up and the skunk continue to eat out of the cat dish with no intent on leaving. I then went on the opposite side of the house and yelled under the window to the TV room to Clarissa. She got out of her chair, walked down the inside chairs and open the front door. We then checked the back porch and the skunk was still there eating and wouldn’t leave at our screaming. Clarissa wanted to open the door and scare the skunk away with the door or the broom but that was too risky. After a while the skunk left. I will now have to take in the cat dish before dark and get a bright light bulb outside. There has got to be more illumination outside so I can see those skunks. I HATE SKUNKS. I DON’T WANT THEM AROUND MY HOUSE.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
JOHN D. WHETTEN REMEMBRANCES
REMEMBRANCES OF JOHN D. WHETTEN
Congratulations on your 70th birthday. On this important milestone in your life, I take this opportunity to express my feelings and appreciation for you.
I distinctly remember the first time I met you at BYU. We had both returned to school for our first semester after our missions. We had two afternoon Political Science classes back to back and I was walking to the second class when you caught up to me on the sidewalk, introduced yourself to me and we started to talk. I also started to catch a ride home with you to lower campus after the second class-I lived next to lower campus and you had a math class there which you had to take as a requirement to take other classes necessary to apply to an MBA program. We soon discovered we had a lot in common and our friendship grew and developed. We both applied to graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, both were accepted and we became roommates at Berkeley. We shared so much together. While we have not seen a lot of each other since our Berkeley days, our relationship is based on the quality of our experiences together and not the quantity of time spentp together. A partial list of those experiences include:
1. Our first meeting.
2. Talks as we drove together to lower campus.
3. Study group sessions at the law library in the Smoot building.
4. Listening to news reports on your VW radio on the assassination of Pres. Kennedy.
5. Sharing of spiritual experiences and trying to find a wife.
6. Meeting your family and being loved by them.
7. Graduating at the same time and helping you during our last finals when you and your whole family were so sick.
8. Trip to Berkeley to find an apartment.
9. Being roommates at Berkeley and observing how many TV dinners you can eat after you have eaten dinner.
10. Home Teaching together.
11. Attending your institute class.
12. Double dating together.
13. Great date in San Francisco at the Hungry I.
14. Engagement announcement party together at Bishop Jensen’s home.
15. Attendance at each other’s wedding reception.
16. Trips to the wine country and boating on the Russian River.
17. Touring San Francisco and following Princess Grace Kelly around.
18. Trip to Show Low, Arizona and spending the weekend with you.
19. Your call to me when you were being operated for cancer the next day.
20. Dinners in the Bay Area when we visited there.
21. Telephone calls.
22. Showing you around Grand Junction and seeing where you lived and went to school.
23. Trip to Martin’s Cove and walking Rocky Ridge-a very special experience together.
24. Sharing your writing products and having your missionary books available for me to give to missionaries in my stake when I interview them for their missions.
It is ironic that I moved to the community where you grew up. The Whetten name is still remembered here. I wanted to be a lawyer is a city close to my parents. You wanted to work for Clorox, get trained and then be president of a large corporation. Each of us has accomplished our goal and were happy. Our relationship is based on mutual love, not competition. You were happy in what I accomplished and I was happy in what you accomplished.
Thanks for your love, friendship and support. You certainly have been an important part of my life. I thank God I have a friend such as you. I am a better person because of you.
Your eternal brother,
Kelly Summers
Congratulations on your 70th birthday. On this important milestone in your life, I take this opportunity to express my feelings and appreciation for you.
I distinctly remember the first time I met you at BYU. We had both returned to school for our first semester after our missions. We had two afternoon Political Science classes back to back and I was walking to the second class when you caught up to me on the sidewalk, introduced yourself to me and we started to talk. I also started to catch a ride home with you to lower campus after the second class-I lived next to lower campus and you had a math class there which you had to take as a requirement to take other classes necessary to apply to an MBA program. We soon discovered we had a lot in common and our friendship grew and developed. We both applied to graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley, both were accepted and we became roommates at Berkeley. We shared so much together. While we have not seen a lot of each other since our Berkeley days, our relationship is based on the quality of our experiences together and not the quantity of time spentp together. A partial list of those experiences include:
1. Our first meeting.
2. Talks as we drove together to lower campus.
3. Study group sessions at the law library in the Smoot building.
4. Listening to news reports on your VW radio on the assassination of Pres. Kennedy.
5. Sharing of spiritual experiences and trying to find a wife.
6. Meeting your family and being loved by them.
7. Graduating at the same time and helping you during our last finals when you and your whole family were so sick.
8. Trip to Berkeley to find an apartment.
9. Being roommates at Berkeley and observing how many TV dinners you can eat after you have eaten dinner.
10. Home Teaching together.
11. Attending your institute class.
12. Double dating together.
13. Great date in San Francisco at the Hungry I.
14. Engagement announcement party together at Bishop Jensen’s home.
15. Attendance at each other’s wedding reception.
16. Trips to the wine country and boating on the Russian River.
17. Touring San Francisco and following Princess Grace Kelly around.
18. Trip to Show Low, Arizona and spending the weekend with you.
19. Your call to me when you were being operated for cancer the next day.
20. Dinners in the Bay Area when we visited there.
21. Telephone calls.
22. Showing you around Grand Junction and seeing where you lived and went to school.
23. Trip to Martin’s Cove and walking Rocky Ridge-a very special experience together.
24. Sharing your writing products and having your missionary books available for me to give to missionaries in my stake when I interview them for their missions.
It is ironic that I moved to the community where you grew up. The Whetten name is still remembered here. I wanted to be a lawyer is a city close to my parents. You wanted to work for Clorox, get trained and then be president of a large corporation. Each of us has accomplished our goal and were happy. Our relationship is based on mutual love, not competition. You were happy in what I accomplished and I was happy in what you accomplished.
Thanks for your love, friendship and support. You certainly have been an important part of my life. I thank God I have a friend such as you. I am a better person because of you.
Your eternal brother,
Kelly Summers
Monday, January 18, 2010
SAN JUAN RECORD ARTICLES
January 18, 2010
Dear Gary,
After reading “Living and dying; but still thankful” in the San Juan Record, I needed to tell you again how much I enjoy your articles in the paper. Your views about living in Monticello are my opinions also. Yes, Monticello is isolated, cold and windy but it’s the people that make the difference. The receptionist at my office was bored so she volunteered to type up the dictation of my history of growing up in Monticello. I described the terrible car accident near Green River that killed Mrs. Redd and Bob Barton and seriously hurt seven others, the Boy Scout wreck that killed young men and their leaders near Blanding, the Lariat Café disaster, the numerous car accidents that wiped out teenage friends, the cancer deaths and the fasts to end the droughts. She said it depressed her that I had such a sad life growing up in Monticello but I assured her it was a glorious experience to live in Monticello because of the people. There is nothing like a small community that laughs, mourns, cries, fasts and prays together regardless of their religious faith and just cares and loves each other.
I particularly was impressed with “Mile posts in life” and the article about “Hands”- all great writing. I look forward to reading future articles.
I’ve lived in Grand Junction for 42 years, far more than I have lived in Monticello. In fact, I don’t know a lot of people in Monticello anymore as my acquaintances and those I grew up with are dying off. I live in Grand Junction but Monticello is my home. When it is my time to leave this earthly existence, my body will be placed in the Monticello Cemetery among the people I loved in my youth and watched over by the Horsehead.
Thanks again for your powerful writings,
Kelly Summers
Box 203
Grand Junction, CO 81502
Dear Gary,
After reading “Living and dying; but still thankful” in the San Juan Record, I needed to tell you again how much I enjoy your articles in the paper. Your views about living in Monticello are my opinions also. Yes, Monticello is isolated, cold and windy but it’s the people that make the difference. The receptionist at my office was bored so she volunteered to type up the dictation of my history of growing up in Monticello. I described the terrible car accident near Green River that killed Mrs. Redd and Bob Barton and seriously hurt seven others, the Boy Scout wreck that killed young men and their leaders near Blanding, the Lariat Café disaster, the numerous car accidents that wiped out teenage friends, the cancer deaths and the fasts to end the droughts. She said it depressed her that I had such a sad life growing up in Monticello but I assured her it was a glorious experience to live in Monticello because of the people. There is nothing like a small community that laughs, mourns, cries, fasts and prays together regardless of their religious faith and just cares and loves each other.
I particularly was impressed with “Mile posts in life” and the article about “Hands”- all great writing. I look forward to reading future articles.
I’ve lived in Grand Junction for 42 years, far more than I have lived in Monticello. In fact, I don’t know a lot of people in Monticello anymore as my acquaintances and those I grew up with are dying off. I live in Grand Junction but Monticello is my home. When it is my time to leave this earthly existence, my body will be placed in the Monticello Cemetery among the people I loved in my youth and watched over by the Horsehead.
Thanks again for your powerful writings,
Kelly Summers
Box 203
Grand Junction, CO 81502
Sunday, January 17, 2010
DEWEY BRIDGE
DEWEY BRIDGE
JIM STILES
% SAN JUAN RECORD
Thanks for your article “Remembering Dewey Bridge” in the recent San Juan Record. It brought back such fond memories that I have of Professor Valley and Dewey Bridge.
I grew up in Monticello-my Dad, Ken Summers, ran cattle and sheep in Dry Valley, Big Indian and Hart Point in the winter and trailed his livestock to the Colorado mountain summer ranges at Stoner Creek. Rico, Ground Hog and the Glade. About 64 years ago, my father took me to the rim on Hart Point overlooking Indian Creek, the Six-Shooters and what would become the Needles District of Canyonland National Park and said, “ This is God’s country.” I believed him then and I still believe him now. I went to law school in 1965 to the University of California at Berkeley with the intent to live in California but in less than a year I concluded there were too many people in California and this cowboy had better come on home to the Four Corners area.
My wife and I moved to Grand Junction in 1968 to practice law and raise our family and since that time became acquainted with Dewey Bridge, Professor Valley, Castle Valley, Onion Creek, the LaSal Loop and the river road from Moab to Cisco. It has been a great experience. My children mourn the loss of the Dewey Bridge. The six of them have special memories of traveling the river road when there were few culverts and no bridges across the creeks. The roads were dirt. We would stop our van in the middle of the road where a creek crossed and let the kids step out of side of the van directly into the creek water and wade up and down the creek in their bare feet. We didn’t pull off the side of the road because we knew no traffic would be on the river road.
The highlight of this alternate route from Grand Junction to Monticello to visit family was always Dewey Bridge. The kids and I would get out of the van at the bridge and pick up rocks. While my wife would drive the van across the bridge, my kids and I would walk across the bridge and throw rocks in the river at the same time we were hoping the bridge would hold up one more time. Our family remembrance includes actually running out of gas on the bridge. We had forgotten to get gas before we left Grand Junction and found ourselves stuck on the bridge blocking the road with no way to get the van off the bridge to allow traffic to proceed. Lucky for us, there was only one place to buy gas between Mack , Colorado and Moab, Utah and what was at the Dewey Bridge from the elderly gentleman that had his little station there and “God’s Bulletin Board.” The station was closed but we located the owner at his home below the hill and got five gallons of gas from him. The cost was about $5.00 but I gave him $20.00 because I was so appreciative he had gas for me and my family.
I love to talk to D. L. Taylor, who is the 5th generation of Taylors at the Fisher Towers Ranch at the head of Onion Creek. He talks about the difficulty of getting his cows to cross the bridge twice a year and how he hoped the bridge would not collapse under the weight of his cows. He shared with me how his great great grandfather was operating a ferry on the river before the bridge was built when two cowboys got him up at night and paid to cross the river on the Taylor ferry. They said they were “rambling” and needed to cross right away. It was later determined one of the cowboys was Butch Cassidy who had just robbed his first bank in Telluride and was escaping to probably Robber’s Roost or some other location in Utah. My kids and I were disappointed when the creeks were bridged and the new bride was built to replace the old suspension bridge.
I marvel at this part of God’s creation. I drive to the top of Castle Valley to the Loop Road and realize the LaSal Mountains above me are over 12,000 feet in elevation and I am looking down at the Colorado River at about 4000 feet in elevation for a total elevation of over 8000 feet in height. One of the special days in my life was being on the side of the LaSal Mountain in October to ride my bike on the Kokopelli Trail when the sun came up and bathed the Arches, the top of Porcupine Ridge and the LaSal Mountains covered with snow with the aspen trees with their yellow leaves and the oak brush with red and yellow leaves that appeared to be on fire as the morning sun struck them. A couple of years ago I traveled to the top of Castle Valley after the huge fire there and couldn’t recognize the place-it took like a moon scene-everything just burned gray.
I also have visited Onion Creek many times. One morning returning to Grand Junction I took the side trip up Onion Creek and realized that all the architects in the world couldn’t have produced such beauty as what God had made in the narrows section of the creek. I love the solitude of how isolated Onion Creek use to be and mourned when I visited there on a long weekend and found that every possible place one could pull off was occupied by a camper. I didn’t like the new sign being placed on the highway identifying the road to Onion Creek. How things have changed when I came down Onion Creek to find that a symphony from out of state was preparing to have a concert at the base of the narrows.
When I grew up in Monticello, outsiders considered the Four Corners the end of the earth-hell-desolation and worthless. I didn’t agree with them-my Dad told me it was God’s country and I loved it. Now, everyone wants to come, thousands admire it’s beauty and outsiders are loving the place to death. As I drive up the river from Moab, instead of seeing what was left of the “fort” from a John Wayne movie, I see an upscale resort. The old Dewey Bridge seems to weep as it cables hang down from the suspension wires with no road deck remaining. While I can’t turn back the clock, I am grateful I knew Dewey Bridge, Onion Creek and Professor Valley before it was “discovered” by outsiders.
Kelly Summers
Box 203
Grand Jct. CO 81502
JIM STILES
% SAN JUAN RECORD
Thanks for your article “Remembering Dewey Bridge” in the recent San Juan Record. It brought back such fond memories that I have of Professor Valley and Dewey Bridge.
I grew up in Monticello-my Dad, Ken Summers, ran cattle and sheep in Dry Valley, Big Indian and Hart Point in the winter and trailed his livestock to the Colorado mountain summer ranges at Stoner Creek. Rico, Ground Hog and the Glade. About 64 years ago, my father took me to the rim on Hart Point overlooking Indian Creek, the Six-Shooters and what would become the Needles District of Canyonland National Park and said, “ This is God’s country.” I believed him then and I still believe him now. I went to law school in 1965 to the University of California at Berkeley with the intent to live in California but in less than a year I concluded there were too many people in California and this cowboy had better come on home to the Four Corners area.
My wife and I moved to Grand Junction in 1968 to practice law and raise our family and since that time became acquainted with Dewey Bridge, Professor Valley, Castle Valley, Onion Creek, the LaSal Loop and the river road from Moab to Cisco. It has been a great experience. My children mourn the loss of the Dewey Bridge. The six of them have special memories of traveling the river road when there were few culverts and no bridges across the creeks. The roads were dirt. We would stop our van in the middle of the road where a creek crossed and let the kids step out of side of the van directly into the creek water and wade up and down the creek in their bare feet. We didn’t pull off the side of the road because we knew no traffic would be on the river road.
The highlight of this alternate route from Grand Junction to Monticello to visit family was always Dewey Bridge. The kids and I would get out of the van at the bridge and pick up rocks. While my wife would drive the van across the bridge, my kids and I would walk across the bridge and throw rocks in the river at the same time we were hoping the bridge would hold up one more time. Our family remembrance includes actually running out of gas on the bridge. We had forgotten to get gas before we left Grand Junction and found ourselves stuck on the bridge blocking the road with no way to get the van off the bridge to allow traffic to proceed. Lucky for us, there was only one place to buy gas between Mack , Colorado and Moab, Utah and what was at the Dewey Bridge from the elderly gentleman that had his little station there and “God’s Bulletin Board.” The station was closed but we located the owner at his home below the hill and got five gallons of gas from him. The cost was about $5.00 but I gave him $20.00 because I was so appreciative he had gas for me and my family.
I love to talk to D. L. Taylor, who is the 5th generation of Taylors at the Fisher Towers Ranch at the head of Onion Creek. He talks about the difficulty of getting his cows to cross the bridge twice a year and how he hoped the bridge would not collapse under the weight of his cows. He shared with me how his great great grandfather was operating a ferry on the river before the bridge was built when two cowboys got him up at night and paid to cross the river on the Taylor ferry. They said they were “rambling” and needed to cross right away. It was later determined one of the cowboys was Butch Cassidy who had just robbed his first bank in Telluride and was escaping to probably Robber’s Roost or some other location in Utah. My kids and I were disappointed when the creeks were bridged and the new bride was built to replace the old suspension bridge.
I marvel at this part of God’s creation. I drive to the top of Castle Valley to the Loop Road and realize the LaSal Mountains above me are over 12,000 feet in elevation and I am looking down at the Colorado River at about 4000 feet in elevation for a total elevation of over 8000 feet in height. One of the special days in my life was being on the side of the LaSal Mountain in October to ride my bike on the Kokopelli Trail when the sun came up and bathed the Arches, the top of Porcupine Ridge and the LaSal Mountains covered with snow with the aspen trees with their yellow leaves and the oak brush with red and yellow leaves that appeared to be on fire as the morning sun struck them. A couple of years ago I traveled to the top of Castle Valley after the huge fire there and couldn’t recognize the place-it took like a moon scene-everything just burned gray.
I also have visited Onion Creek many times. One morning returning to Grand Junction I took the side trip up Onion Creek and realized that all the architects in the world couldn’t have produced such beauty as what God had made in the narrows section of the creek. I love the solitude of how isolated Onion Creek use to be and mourned when I visited there on a long weekend and found that every possible place one could pull off was occupied by a camper. I didn’t like the new sign being placed on the highway identifying the road to Onion Creek. How things have changed when I came down Onion Creek to find that a symphony from out of state was preparing to have a concert at the base of the narrows.
When I grew up in Monticello, outsiders considered the Four Corners the end of the earth-hell-desolation and worthless. I didn’t agree with them-my Dad told me it was God’s country and I loved it. Now, everyone wants to come, thousands admire it’s beauty and outsiders are loving the place to death. As I drive up the river from Moab, instead of seeing what was left of the “fort” from a John Wayne movie, I see an upscale resort. The old Dewey Bridge seems to weep as it cables hang down from the suspension wires with no road deck remaining. While I can’t turn back the clock, I am grateful I knew Dewey Bridge, Onion Creek and Professor Valley before it was “discovered” by outsiders.
Kelly Summers
Box 203
Grand Jct. CO 81502
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
CHRISTMAS 2009
12-28-09 CHRISTMAS 2009
This was one of my best Christmases. While everyone was not present on Christmas Eve at our home, it was one of the meaningful Christmas events I have experienced. Kenny, Jo and their family left for Kansas on Dec. 21 to celebrate Christmas with the Elliotts-it was the first time in many years they had all been together. Kate, Aaron and their family came over from Parker on Christmas Day. Kenny and Jo returned to G. J. after Christmas so our grandchildren did have some time to play together.
The highlight however was Christmas Eve. After our fondue dinner, a family tradition, we read the Christmas story from Matthew, Luke and 3 Nephi together with the scriptures about Christ’s tender mercies. Then each family member gave one or two incidents in their life where they had been blessed with Christ’s tender mercies. What a blessing. What a testimony to hear the adult children bear witness of how they had felt Christ’s mercies in the lives. I was so grateful to know that each of my children and Gabi had a testimony and had felt Christ’s love and concern for them individually. I realized how blessed I am to have such wonderful family members.
Things have sure changed in my life, I remember as a kid we would get up at 4:00 a.m. to look at our presents Now, with only adults at home for this Christmas, everyone slept in on Christmas morning. Curtis and Michael Waters called us at 7:14 a.m. to share their excitement of what they received for Christmas. All in our family finally arose and we had our Christmas breakfast. Then we opened up our presents with Kim passing them out.
Other items of interest this past week:
1. I talked to all three sisters this week. It is sure satisfying to feel their love and support. I truly have been blessed to have them in my life.
2. I have started on my “Spiritual Book of Remembrance” or my small plates. I called the new book, “Christ’s Tender Mercies to Kenneth Kelly Summers.” I already have started putting things in my book.
3. I found an old file in my file cabinet called “Remembrances.” I had forgotten what was in the file. I was so excited to find in a big envelope many precious things from my mission like my “Ministerial Certificate” and letter s from people I had taught. When I went on a mission, the missionaries were given a certificate signed by the First Presidency stating the bearer was a missionary for the church and a “duly ordained minister of the gospel.” This certificate got me discounts at some clothing stores and was very useful in getting myself out of traffic tickets. I was stopped 9 times by policeman on my mission but never received a ticket-I was given the “ministerial courtesy.” I was touched by the letters I had received from people I had taught who joined the church or their families. These are truly “tender mercies “to me.
4. We all went to a movie matinee. We saw “Invictus” with Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela about how he used the mostly Afrikaner Soccer team to unite the blacks and the whites of South Africa after he was elected. Counting the movie my kids took me to in Denver at Thanksgiving staring Sandra Bullock in “Blind ?” I went to two movies during the year-that is one over my usual l quota of no more than one movie per year. It has been years since I went to a movie on my own-I only go when my children pressure me into attending with them. They went to two more movies at Christmastime that I didn’t attend. It’s not that I don’t like movies-I love them but instead of paying to see them, I wait till they come out on TV and watch them for free. I guess I never have gotten over when as a kid in Monticello it was 25 cents to see a movie if you were under 12 and 50 cents as an adult. I changed our cable package in October and November to include the sports channels that cover the Mountain West Conference so I could watch BYU football. It was only an extra $16.00 per month- a great buy-cheaper than a single ticket to a game. But about 20 movie channels came with the package and I started watching movies all the time. I soon realized I was wasting my life away watching movies so the Monday after the Utah-BYU game I returned to my old plan with the cable company. I can’t watch BYU basketball but I don’t watch movies all the time either.
5. Kenny and Jo’s boys loved the snow and the deer. Drew and Ian went sledding at Windgate School and loved it. They also tried to have Gabi’s dog “Louie” pull them on the sled. It was so cold and while the boys had winter coats they purchased in California, they were not really Colorado winter coats. They found out however when they went to Kansas that it was even colder there because of the wind.
6. I am amazed at the price of items I purchase. Food is definitely more expensive but clothes and electronics are cheaper than they were ten years ago. I can buy a shirt or cotton pants for less than I paid five years ago. Most of this is caused by globalization-our products are not produced in the USA anymore but in third world countries with cheap labor. Our country doesn’t produce anything, it just buys. I don’t know how much longer this can continue.
7. On Sunday I attended 5th and 8th wards. I completed the 4th quarter by attending every ward sacrament meeting at least once. Next year I am going to visit each ward priesthood meeting at least one in addition to attending each ward sacrament meeting every quarter. My visiting family gave me a good Christmas present by showing up to sacrament meeting on time.
8. My kids believed I needed help in the wardrobe department so most of my presents at Christmas were clothes. It’s true that everyone of my casual cotton pants were frayed at the bottom but the rest of the pants looked okay. My kids also thought I shouldn’t wear Bolder Boulder shirts everyday so I received lots of cotton pants and cotton casual shirts. I have worn all the shirts and some of pants.
9. We had a big snow storm about the 9th of December and the snow has stayed on the ground ever since that time and it is cold, cold cold. I didn’t walk this week because it was so cold and the roads were icy. I have my rules and unless it gets up to at least 20 degrees, I don’t walk.
10. Gabi is sure a good cook. He fixes the family special meals when we are together. They are always very tasty.
K. K. Summers
This was one of my best Christmases. While everyone was not present on Christmas Eve at our home, it was one of the meaningful Christmas events I have experienced. Kenny, Jo and their family left for Kansas on Dec. 21 to celebrate Christmas with the Elliotts-it was the first time in many years they had all been together. Kate, Aaron and their family came over from Parker on Christmas Day. Kenny and Jo returned to G. J. after Christmas so our grandchildren did have some time to play together.
The highlight however was Christmas Eve. After our fondue dinner, a family tradition, we read the Christmas story from Matthew, Luke and 3 Nephi together with the scriptures about Christ’s tender mercies. Then each family member gave one or two incidents in their life where they had been blessed with Christ’s tender mercies. What a blessing. What a testimony to hear the adult children bear witness of how they had felt Christ’s mercies in the lives. I was so grateful to know that each of my children and Gabi had a testimony and had felt Christ’s love and concern for them individually. I realized how blessed I am to have such wonderful family members.
Things have sure changed in my life, I remember as a kid we would get up at 4:00 a.m. to look at our presents Now, with only adults at home for this Christmas, everyone slept in on Christmas morning. Curtis and Michael Waters called us at 7:14 a.m. to share their excitement of what they received for Christmas. All in our family finally arose and we had our Christmas breakfast. Then we opened up our presents with Kim passing them out.
Other items of interest this past week:
1. I talked to all three sisters this week. It is sure satisfying to feel their love and support. I truly have been blessed to have them in my life.
2. I have started on my “Spiritual Book of Remembrance” or my small plates. I called the new book, “Christ’s Tender Mercies to Kenneth Kelly Summers.” I already have started putting things in my book.
3. I found an old file in my file cabinet called “Remembrances.” I had forgotten what was in the file. I was so excited to find in a big envelope many precious things from my mission like my “Ministerial Certificate” and letter s from people I had taught. When I went on a mission, the missionaries were given a certificate signed by the First Presidency stating the bearer was a missionary for the church and a “duly ordained minister of the gospel.” This certificate got me discounts at some clothing stores and was very useful in getting myself out of traffic tickets. I was stopped 9 times by policeman on my mission but never received a ticket-I was given the “ministerial courtesy.” I was touched by the letters I had received from people I had taught who joined the church or their families. These are truly “tender mercies “to me.
4. We all went to a movie matinee. We saw “Invictus” with Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela about how he used the mostly Afrikaner Soccer team to unite the blacks and the whites of South Africa after he was elected. Counting the movie my kids took me to in Denver at Thanksgiving staring Sandra Bullock in “Blind ?” I went to two movies during the year-that is one over my usual l quota of no more than one movie per year. It has been years since I went to a movie on my own-I only go when my children pressure me into attending with them. They went to two more movies at Christmastime that I didn’t attend. It’s not that I don’t like movies-I love them but instead of paying to see them, I wait till they come out on TV and watch them for free. I guess I never have gotten over when as a kid in Monticello it was 25 cents to see a movie if you were under 12 and 50 cents as an adult. I changed our cable package in October and November to include the sports channels that cover the Mountain West Conference so I could watch BYU football. It was only an extra $16.00 per month- a great buy-cheaper than a single ticket to a game. But about 20 movie channels came with the package and I started watching movies all the time. I soon realized I was wasting my life away watching movies so the Monday after the Utah-BYU game I returned to my old plan with the cable company. I can’t watch BYU basketball but I don’t watch movies all the time either.
5. Kenny and Jo’s boys loved the snow and the deer. Drew and Ian went sledding at Windgate School and loved it. They also tried to have Gabi’s dog “Louie” pull them on the sled. It was so cold and while the boys had winter coats they purchased in California, they were not really Colorado winter coats. They found out however when they went to Kansas that it was even colder there because of the wind.
6. I am amazed at the price of items I purchase. Food is definitely more expensive but clothes and electronics are cheaper than they were ten years ago. I can buy a shirt or cotton pants for less than I paid five years ago. Most of this is caused by globalization-our products are not produced in the USA anymore but in third world countries with cheap labor. Our country doesn’t produce anything, it just buys. I don’t know how much longer this can continue.
7. On Sunday I attended 5th and 8th wards. I completed the 4th quarter by attending every ward sacrament meeting at least once. Next year I am going to visit each ward priesthood meeting at least one in addition to attending each ward sacrament meeting every quarter. My visiting family gave me a good Christmas present by showing up to sacrament meeting on time.
8. My kids believed I needed help in the wardrobe department so most of my presents at Christmas were clothes. It’s true that everyone of my casual cotton pants were frayed at the bottom but the rest of the pants looked okay. My kids also thought I shouldn’t wear Bolder Boulder shirts everyday so I received lots of cotton pants and cotton casual shirts. I have worn all the shirts and some of pants.
9. We had a big snow storm about the 9th of December and the snow has stayed on the ground ever since that time and it is cold, cold cold. I didn’t walk this week because it was so cold and the roads were icy. I have my rules and unless it gets up to at least 20 degrees, I don’t walk.
10. Gabi is sure a good cook. He fixes the family special meals when we are together. They are always very tasty.
K. K. Summers
Saturday, January 2, 2010
CLOSING POST OFFICE BOX 398
December 31, 2009
CLOSING OUT POST OFFICE BOX 398, GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO 81502
Today, December 31, 2009 I closed out Post Office Box 398, Grand Junction, Colorado 81502. This was an important milestone in my life and the life of many other attorneys who used that post office box when they practiced law in Grand Junction.
I had this task posted in my calendar for today but my mind was occupied by other events. Kenny, Jo and their children left for California by nine in the morning and Kim, Connie and Carol left at the same time to return to Denver. I spoke at the LaRue Olson funeral who was one the church pioneers in Western Colorado. I couldn’t get Jim Golden’s key because he was in the hospital with gall bladder troubles so I took my key and Joan’s key to the post office. That is when my mind started to concentrate on just what I was doing and how significant this closure was to me.
On December 31, 2007, the law firm of Golden, Mumby, Summers, Livingston and Kane consisting of Jim Golden, Keith Mumby, Rich Livingston, Bill Kane, Alan Hassler and myself was dissolved. Our lease was up at the Wells Fargo Bank fourth floor where we had resided since May 1, 1979-28 years. Jim Golden was about 76 and had been seriously hurt- receiving a brain concussion while riding his bike in the east tunnel on the Colorado National Monument. He set up an office downtown in a building he owned and did some legal work under the name of James Golden, LLC with Joan, our former office manager doing some work for him in the evenings. Keith Mumby, about a year younger than Jim, was only working a day or two a week and continued his semi retirement by sharing an office with Rich Livingston near Horizon Drive. I needed to retire because of my Parkinson’s disease and set up an office in my den at home where Teresa, my secretary worked part time until May of 2008 when all my cases were completed and my files closed and stored in the new storage unit constructed next to my home. I kept one phone number we had at the firm’s office, 970-242-0197, which I had published in the telephone book so that clients could find me to get information from my files. Bill Kane joined the Traylor law firm and Alan Hassler opened up his own office on North Avenue.
Everything fell in order when the firm was dissolved. It was agreed that the firm post office box would be maintained until clients became acquainted with whatever address their lawyer was using for mail. I agreed to be the “mailman” and check the box regularly and distribute the mail to each attorney. At first, I checked the box everyday but with the passage of time I was only distributing mail once a week. By the end of 2009, about the only mail coming to the box were flyers, catalogues and solicitations so it was decided when the box rent became due January 1, 2010, not to renew. I already had opened in 2007 a new box for me and my business interests so my mail was coming to that box.
Our firm started in about 1935. Keith Mumby has a card printed in 1938 what shows at that date the firm used P. O. Box 398 so this box has been used by the firm at least since that time. The firm was located on Main Street, and then in the 1950s moved to 200 North 6th Street across from courthouse so there were at least three different locations for the firm but the same post office box during all this time. I joined the firm in 1968 so I was with the same firm almost 40 years.
I took my keys to the window at the post office and told a clerk that I knew I was there to close Box 398 and from his expression and the tone of his voice it was like, “You can’t close this box-the law firm has had this box forever.” This box number was first used in the old post office building on Rood Ave. which now is the Federal Building and the firm continued to use the same numbered box in the “new” post office when it was opened in 1965. The clerk was so astonished at my request he called over another clerk to share this startling news.
Closing the box and then cancelling my business phone number and having any calls to the business line transferred to my home phone until my name disappears from the phone books closes an important chapter in my life and is the final act of my retirement. I feel like the final nail has been nailed in the coffin. No longer will I make trips to the post office on a regular basis to check the firm mail. No longer will I visit other offices to distribute mail. I particularly will miss my visits with Joan, Rich and Keith at their office near the airport and get a nibble of dark chocolate from the bar Joan keeps in the frig for me. I do not miss the pressure of practicing law but I do miss my partners, staff and clients.
I have been blessed most abundantly by the Lord, my partners and staff. My partners have all been very honest, honorable and outstanding men. They have all been good lawyers. They have been my friends. I have had dedicated and loyal secretaries, receptionists and bookkeepers. The practice of law has been very good to me and allowed me to support my family and work in the church. I remember that night in the summer of 1963 at our Beaver Creek cow camp cabin when I discussed with my dad what occupation I should pursue and decided to become a lawyer. I think how fortunate I was to obtain admission to the University of California at Berkeley, meet Clarissa and get a great legal education. I think how blessed I was to find employment with Golden and Mumby the first trip to Grand Junction, our first choice of where to live. Many doors opened for me in the legal profession here. I particularly am grateful I could use my legal talents to acquire church properties, especially Ragged Mountain. I have had a chance to serve in the Kingdom Of God in Western Colorado and believe God brought me here to do His work. I believe God has been in control in my life and I will be eternally indebted to Him for my blessings. Every blessing, privilege and opportunity I have had is because of Him.
K. K. SUMMERS
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