Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a delicious Thanksgiving.

Here are some shots of decorations around my house.

The one below has a very significant story:

On December 10, 1999, I went to a Christmas bazaar at the Indian Walk-in Center in downtown Salt Lake. I was thrilled to find that one booth was selling Kachina dolls--something I had always wanted but could never afford when I was living in Tucson. The Native American lady who was selling the Kachinas was anxious to get back to her home in New Mexico before it snowed, so she was selling two dolls for the price of one.

Her price was too good to pass up. Unfortunately, she had about 8 different dolls, making it very difficult for me to decide which ones I wanted. Kachina dolls are considered to be sacred by the Pueblo Indians and each doll represents a different ancestral spirit who will bless one's life in various ways. The Hopi believe that the Kachina is a bridge between the spiritual world and mortals.

"Which one is your favorite?" I asked the woman who had made them. 

I was surprised when she pointed to the ugliest doll on the table and said, "I like Morning Singer because if you have him, you will hear the voice of God. We believe that God speaks to man in the morning."

"Now isn't this interesting," I replied.  "A prophet in my church has said the very same thing. President Harold B. Lee said that we should 'go to bed early and get up early.  If you do, your body and mind will become rested and then in the quiet of those early morning hours, you will receive more flashes of insight and inspiration than at any other time of day.' Isn't that great?  Truth is truth. Your religion and my religion teach the same thing." ( I was thinking that Morning Singer could be symbolic of this great principle that President Lee had taught.)

"I need to hear the voice of God, but what does his costume represent?" I asked.

"The Peregrine Falcon," she answered.

Although I really felt like I needed to hear the voice of God, I really didn't like the doll because he only had one or two scrawny feathers on his head and an unrecognizable bird's beak, so I moved on, spying an interesting doll that looked like he had a drum for his face. He had a round flat skin stretched in front of his face and there was a yellow and brown design painted on it.  

"I quite like this one," I said. "What is his name and how would he bless my life?"

"Oh, that is Sun Face, and if you have him, he will bless your family."

"My daughter and the rest of my family certainly need to be blessed," I replied. I had almost decided to get Sun Face, but then another doll really caught my eye. It had an amazing headdress that had a very unique design. On each side, it had something that looked like 3 stairsteps going up. 

"This one is beautiful; who is he?" I asked hopefully.

"Oh, that is Rain Dancer."

"Utah's dry, so obviously, he would help us get more rain. . . . but I really need to hear the voice of God and have my family blessed," I reasoned, but I was in quandary. "Meaning--beauty, meaning or beauty? Which should I get?" I moaned  aloud.

Then I saw the most magnificent doll of all. He was totally covered with a white animal skin.  His whole headdress was also entirely covered with white fur and two small horns were  on each side of his head.

"Now THIS one is my favorite," I said picking him up.

"Oh, that's Buffalo Hunter and if you buy him, you will be successful in the hunt."

I silently thought about one part of my Patriarchal blessing where it said that if I kept the commandments, the necessities of life would always be provided. Thinking that this doll could be symbolic of that promise, I inquired, "So since I don't hunt, would this mean that I would somehow always have food on my table?"

"Oh, it could mean that, but if you are hunting for a man, you will be successful in your hunt," she smiled.

"That's it! I am buying Buffalo Hunter and Rain Dancer." I couldn't believe the words that came out of my mouth.  

I had given up on men.  When I first got divorced, I had gone out with over 30 different guys up in  Montana.  Most of them were very nice, but only a few were Mormons.  I got my heart broken a few times. Then, after I moved to Salt Lake, I decided that there wasn't a normal single guy in my age bracket in the Salt Lake valley. When I went to the Singles' dances, I had to excuse myself and then hide out in the bathroom to get away from all the creeps.  I finally just refused to go out with any guys for several years.  Just one week earlier, I had announced to all of my neighbors, that I most certainly was NEVER going to get remarried, and if God wanted me to do so, He would have to drop the guy out of a helicopter on my front lawn.

 . . . and that is just about what Rich Holdaway arranged--except Randy arrived in a blue Chevy truck instead of a helicopter.  

My first date with Randy was just 8 days after I bought the two Kachina dolls pictured above. 

December 18, 1999, was the day I first dated, Randy Sorenson, whom I affectionately called my "dream-come-true" guy, and we were married on July 15, 2000.

* * * * * * * * * *

(Randy gave me the statue with the 3 turkeys, which is by the two Kachinas, for the second Christmas we were married.)

 

I hope we are thankful for all the bounties of life

 that we have.

All of  you are the greatest blessings

 I have in my life. 

This Mayflower is very special to me because

it is one of the last things that

Randy gave to me last year.

I have to take time to thank God

for blessing my life

by bringing 

Randy and me together

even though the time was so terribly brief.

Randy, you are always in my heart.

This turkey is made out of cornhusks.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving treat?

Mine are fresh cranberry relish and pumpkin pie--

(not eaten together, though, just one at a time)

As you all know, I have a bird feeder 

and part of  Thanksgiving

 is making sure the outdoor birds have plenty to eat.

There were over 50 birds eating under the catalpa tree 

all at one time today.

I hope you all ate plenty of turkey and pumpkin pie.