Thursday, January 24, 2008

Stephen

Possibly a few of you Ogden, Utah people saw in the paper a few days ago concerning a man who froze to death in the old Madsen Furniture store. That man was my nephew Stephen Holbrook. He is my sister Jeri’s oldest son. She died two and half years ago, which is why he was left homeless.

He wouldn't have been homeless except that he had diabetes and had a difficult time working. He also had a drug problem, and that really stopped him from working.

Jeri had a difficult time while she was dying because she just couldn’t leave Stephen. She told me she had to fix him before she died. I told her teasingly that if she had the power to fix him would she please do it right now, and while she was at it would she please fix a few other people I know who are having problems while she was at it. She laughed and realized that no matter how long she was left on the earth she was not in control of what Stephen did. If fact, she hadn’t been in control of him since he was about age 6.

It has been a terrible tragedy to our family to know that one of our loved ones lived in such circumstances. I had just seen him a week earlier. He was resting on my daughter Cari’s bed.
It was ironic. I said to Stephen’s sister and I to my sisters that Stephen’s sisters and brother won’t take him in, his aunts won’t take him in, but the poorest member of the family, Cari, takes him in.

We tried hard to help Stephen. We offered to help him get a place in the same complex where Cari lives. She lives at 3158 Lincoln in what is called senior villa, where the elderly or disabled can live almost free if they don’t have money. Cari has cystic fibrosis and other problems and as I said, Stephen had diabetes. I pay $25 a month for her rent and thank Heavenly Father for the privilege of doing it. She gets food stamps and the utilities are free. It is a wonderful blessing to know that she has a roof over her head, that she has running water, the lights are on and she is warm or cool depending on the weather. And she has food. I pay an additional $25 once a year for her health insurance and feel this is a blessing also.

Cari told Stephen to fill out an application every time a place opened up there but he wouldn’t do it. She makes the joke that people are dying to get out of there. She just lost a friend there a few months ago and cried and cried. It turned out to be her neighbor and friend.

Stephen has been going from friend to friend and to Cari’s house ever since his mother died. It’s terrible! Cari could only keep him at her place for short periods at a time because otherwise he would have been permanent occupant and that was not allowed. She told him that there is a half-way house where they take people like Stephen in. He would have a warm bed, food, diabetic supplies, and they would have helped him get off drugs, and get a job, but he didn’t do it.
He stayed at the shelter a day after he left Cari’s, and told her that he was going back to stay with his friend. She knew he was lying because his friend was in jail, and someone else was living in the house where he had been staying. She told me she knew he was living in his car and she was very worried about him. She felt guilty for asking him to leave. I told her not to feel guilty, she had told him where to get help and it was his choice to do it. I told her that I could feel even more guilty because I had an empty home 3 blocks from where he had been staying. But if I had let Stephen live there I wouldn’t have had a home at all. He would have hocked everything in it to buy drugs and would have set up a meth lab in it and possibly have blown it up.

I’m grateful that he didn’t break a window and climb in. He knew we had left for Phoenix and knew where the empty condo was since he at our home for dinner last summer. I invited him over for Christmas dinner, but he didn’t come. I think he was too far gone at that time to come over.

I'm grateful that he is with his parents and grandparents who love him. And we know he's warm and happy now.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Mizuno Golf Clubs



We feel very blessed to live in sunny Arizona where people play golf all year round. It's actually nicer to play golf here in the winter than it is in the summer. In fact, I don't know how they play golf during the summer. They must take advantage of the early morning and evening hours I'm sure.

I don't play golf anymore, but my husband would love to have a new set of Mizuno golf clubs for a Valentine/Anniversary gift. Yep. We will be celebrating our 17th. Anniversary on Valentine's Day.

It's fun to go to lunch with the guys after they've played golf and see all the sunburned and suntanned faces while eating lunch during the winter months.

In 2003, Golf Magazine's Club tested golf clubs and Mizuno's MP-30 rated the highest rated iron in the test. Since then they have had a 4-year streak, and Mizuno has taken home best iron honors.

Auto Accessories


Car and truck accessories make life so much nicer. We were even excited this past Christmas to receive a steering wheel cover as an elephant gift at our annual family Christmas party. Just think how happy we would be to receive a nice gift like a tonneau cover shown above.

This site is your one-stop shopping store for all and any car, truck, SUV, or van accessory needs or wants. Want to hitch up your recreational vehicle and go? Well, you can buy the hitch here too.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Go Mitt!

It was exciting to see Mitt win in Michigan last night! I know, he's got a long road to travel to get to the White House, and I hope he continues to do well!

I heard Mike Huckabee mention the other night that they were putting in 20 hour days! Whew!!! I can't even imagine! You've got to be a little nuts to want this job, in so many ways!

Monday, January 07, 2008

The Presidential Race

I guess you are all watching this race with as much enthusiasm as we are. It really is the most interesting political race I have ever watched, and I've been glued to the TV watching political races since John F. Kennedy! I know. I'm old.

A few months ago I would have told you that our next president was Hillary. In fact, I told many people that. I felt the same way just a few weeks ago. It is looking like I was wrong. I'm glad of that, because I don't want Hillary. I want Romney. It looks like he might do better in New Hampshire than appeared a few days ago.

I couldn't believe that Romney was so attacked for his religion, although, I really did expect it. But I hoped we had put that aside 48 years ago when the religion issue came up with JFK. He's pretty much gotten past that except for the Evangelicals that have made up their minds not to vote for a Mormon no matter how good a person he is.

If you were watching the JFK race 48 years ago you would agree that if it came down to a voting for someone who was a Catholic against a black man or a woman, the religion issue would never have been an issue at all. And here we are today with the top candidates being a Mormon, a black man and a woman. Amazing!

You can have all three if you want. You can have a Mormon, a black person, and a woman, just by voting for Gladys Knight! Don't do it though. We wouldn't want to lose a vote for a real candidate.

Engraved Plaques and Trophies


Whether you are in need of a trophy, plaque, metals, or more, engraved plaques is the place for you.

The site was designed and tested by coaches and team managers who are always in need of these specialties.

When they need them, they need them quickly and they demand quality, and want good, friendly customer service as well.

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Donate Your Car



I had never heard of the idea to donate car until the last decade or so. I think this is an outstanding idea.

The first time I heard about it was when my brother John and his wife Sherri did it. This was in Gilbert Arizona, and they were happy when they saw their suburban being driven by one of her students, and knew which family it had gone to, and was happy that it went to a family of need and was a good cause.

Since then I have heard many good reports of how people have helped others by donating their car instead of selling it. There are good tax write-offs for this cause that will help with your income tax basis and give you back your money, along with helping someone else.

I remember when Utah Jazz player, Greg Ostertag donated a kidney and encouraged others to simply donate a car for the kidney foundation. I was very impressed with Greg!

I'm also very impressed with CarAngel in teaching us how to donate cars for charity!

Go Car Angel!

Wooddash Experts







As you can see - billet grilles is a great website to find hundreds of wood dash kits for your car, truck or any vehicle you have no matter what make and model it is. This company has a new line in the kit industry I know you will be interested in!

The new design is made specifically for that terrific three-dimensional look. Their flat dash kits are outstanding as well. All the dash kits on this site are backed with a lifetime warranty.

There are many finishes to choose from like: real wood veneers, real carbon fiber, aluminum, and even chrome.

You'll want to give this site a glance because there is more to it than dashboards.

Riverdale Friends Party

We had our annual Christmas Party with Pam, Joan, Heather and other friends who want to join us. This year Jean and Rachel and Tawna and Tammy who are Joan's daughters celebrated with us. I was glad that there were younger girls who are Heather's friends came. Although, Heather loves us old fogies. Cause we don't act like old fogies.

Joan gave several of us a cookbook on fruits and vegetables, and Pam gave me a beautiful book that Mike and I are really enjoying! It's titled A Christmas Treasury, by Lloyd and Karmel Newell. I haven't gotten too far into the book yet, but intend to finish it before next Christmas. So far the stories are excellent.

We had a wonderful party. I hope the others join us next year. Oh whoops! I won't be there next year. Darn! I wish I could be in two places at the same time. Well, have to have our Christmas party in October. Actually, I'm thinking of not coming to Arizona as early as we usually do this year. Anna's birthday is November 6 and she will be baptized this year. We wouldn't want to miss this important event, just to get out of the cold three weeks earlier.

Two-Week Plus Christmas Vacation

Everyone must think I've completely shut down over here. We had a busy two weeks before Christmas here in Arizona and then then left for Utah December 21, and had a two-week marathon!

There was something going on everyday, and some days there were two to three activities!

We came home Jan. 4th, exhausted!

We spent the weekend taking down our Christmas decorations and trying to get our home back to normal again. But it was hard because we are tired! I didn't realize I was that tired, but kind of dragged around for two days. I'm accomplishing more today, but it is going to take time to get my energy back.

Popup Blocker

Anyone who spends any time at all on the computer has learned to hate pop-ups! I know I do. It is the most annoying thing connected to the computer next to spam, and too many forwards sent with email.

Here is a wonderful way to prevent popups. You can download popup blocker free!


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