Christmas 2023

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

I begin each new year thinking it will be an improvement over the previous year. Apparently, I am ignoring the effects of aging and the accompanying health challenges! Well, maybe not ignoring, but forgetting … which is also a consequence of getting older. And 2023 was no exception. Though I greeted the year hoping for the best, I was diagnosed with COVID bright and early on January 1. Brenda and I had contracted COVID previously. Brenda wound up in the hospital ICU (twice!) with a serious case, but I was only mildly ill for a couple of days. Having had COVID earlier and being current in vaccinations and boosters, I expected similar mild symptoms. Instead, I spent over two weeks in bed recovering! One month later I wound up in the emergency room in tremendous pain from a kidney stone. The doctor told me it was a small stone and probably would pass within a day or two. Two weeks later, it finally passed. Adding insult to injury, the next month I developed an eye infection. I was worried that this year would turn into a “flavor of the month” series of illnesses. But apparently, I got all my health problems out of the way early in the year. My doctor told me that some types of kidney stones can be prevented by drinking 1/4 cup of lemon juice twice each day. Now that I am doing this, Brenda says this shows I am an old sourpuss. I can’t argue with her.

Out of an abundance of caution and to err on the side of safety, Brenda and I attended a CPR and First Aid certification course put on by our city fire department. I thought that with this training I was prepared to handle in-home emergencies we encountered. However, Brenda experienced a series of falls, one of which resulted in a trip by ambulance to the hospital emergency room. Fortunately, Brenda experienced no serious injuries (though the bruises were very colorful!), just some damage to her pride and dignity. I told Brenda that perhaps I need to start wrapping her in bubble wrap. She didn’t think that was nearly as clever an idea as I did.

Last winter Utah enjoyed a record-breaking snowfall! This was sorely needed after more than two decades of drought conditions in the state. I’m glad that before winter weather arrived Brenda negotiated a great price for a barely used snowblower we bought from a fellow who was moving to Texas where he wouldn’t need it. Because I no longer get up and go to work each day, I have taken to clearing the driveways and sidewalks of several of my older neighbors who really should not be out shoveling heavy snow. Brenda reminds me that I am now included in the same “older” age bracket as those neighbors. Bless her heart, Brenda worries about me shoveling. I try to convince her that this is good exercise for me and that I am careful to pace myself and rest frequently. Brenda strongly encourages me to use the snowblower rather than shovel and I do so when we get enough snow. I am blessed with a great neighbor who services my snowblower. Not only does he do repairs and maintenance, but he also installed an upgrade kit of his own creation that throws the snow twice as far and keeps the machine from clogging. I’m hoping for another record-breaking snow year so that I can have plenty of opportunities to play, er, work with my souped up snowblower.

My handyman and home repair skills are rudimentary at best. When our clothes washer stopped working, we decided to replace these 25-year-old appliances with new ones. However, shortly after being installed the new washing machine started knocking during the spin cycle. Because our laundry room floor slopes to a drain in the middle, I thought perhaps there was an issue with the washer being level. But I double checked and couldn’t see a problem. Also, the knocking was intermittent rather than occurring with every load. This bothered me, but not enough to call in an expensive repair person. Finally, several months later I got so tired of the knocking that I relented and had someone come to look at it. I filled the washer with water and let it run to the spin cycle so he could hear the knocking. Lifting the lid, I asked him if he thought it could be a bearing, if the drum might be out of balance, or if the machine was installed improperly to begin with. He surprised me when he looked behind the washer rather than inside. Then turned to me with a smile and explained that the knocking was caused by the drain hose bumping into the wall when the drum started spinning. He said he could fix it with an inexpensive zip tie to secure the drain hose properly. I’ve been thinking about doing some part time work and considered simple home repairs. Brenda suggested that I not hang out my handyman shingle just yet.

Brenda and I attended a special celebration commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of missionaries from my church going to South Viet Nam to serve there. I arrived in Viet Nam in December of 1973 at age nineteen. In high school during the war years, the only thought of going to Viet Nam was that of military service. I never dreamed that I would have such an unusual opportunity to serve in this unique way. At the celebration I was able to renew my acquaintance with people I had taught and baptized nearly fifty years ago. I find it hard to believe that so much time has passed. Thankfully, serving as a missionary in Viet Nam is what led to me meeting Brenda in Arkansas in 1975 when I was helping Vietnamese refugees resettle in the US. What a life-altering experience!

Brenda and I returned to Iowa as a surprise to attend a retirement celebration for my most recent manager. Having not had a vacation since moving to Utah, we decided to drive to Iowa and spend a few days there. (I guess our idea of an enjoyable vacation is driving clear across Nebraska – twice!) While there we picked up most of the remaining items we had stored there because there was not enough room on the moving truck to bring them with. We drove home with two (empty) 55-gallon water barrels tied to the top of the van. It’s not clear if or when we will return to the beautiful state of Iowa. However, I still have my grandmother’s rocking chair stored there and may need to make one more trip out … around the time the Iowa State Fair is held, of course. 😊

We enjoy living the small-town life in Payson. There are annual celebrations held here that are a lot of fun, including a Scottish Festival, Golden Onion Days, and a Salmon Supper to name a few. Where else besides the Scottish Festival would I get the opportunity to don chain link mail and wield a broadsword? When the weather is not too hot, Brenda attends these celebrations with me. It’s a great opportunity for her to be out and about in our community. In addition now that we live close to most of our grandchildren (and all nine of our grandchildren) we are able to spend much more time with them. We hold a family gathering the third Sunday of each month where we enjoy a potluck meal, fun, and one another’s company. Also, we are able to participate in outdoor summer gatherings when the weather cooperates for Brenda. This is something that we missed when living in Iowa. Now Brenda and I are making up for the lost time and opportunities every chance we get.

We are grateful not only to live close to family but also to have the beautiful Wasatch Mountains nearby. This fall Brenda and I drove through several nearby canyons to view the turning of the leaves. The mountain scenery is soul-stirring. It takes us a long time to drive through the canyons because Brenda loves to take literally hundreds of photographs. Despite her health challenges and physical limitations, this is an activity that Brenda continues to enjoy.

In addition, we are blessed to live a few blocks away from the chapel and only one block away from the temple where we worship. Both are so much closer and so much more convenient now that we live here. We miss Iowa, where we lived for 29 years, but we appreciate the blessings that living in Utah affords us.

Wishing all those we care about and love a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year! If you are ever out our way, feel free to stop in to visit. And if your travel does not bring you to Utah, we hope you will call or send an email or text message to stay in touch.

Dee Oviatt                                                              Brenda Oviatt
515-480-6331, Dee.Oviatt@gmail.com                  515-306-9514, BrendaLOviattt@msn.com

Christmas 2022

 Hello Family and Friends,

Each year seems stranger than the last and 2022 was no exception. The year began with the unexpected passing of my mother at age 87. Melba Oviatt lived a long, full life and mercifully was healthy and always able to live independently in her own house. So her death was a surprise. I was already beginning to make plans for a ninetieth birthday celebration. For years, I called Mom every weekend from Iowa. I miss those calls where we discussed her yard work and quilting, and where we solved many of the world’s problems. Now I must be content driving to Salt Lake occasionally to decorate her grave. This Christmas won’t be the same without Mom’s peanut brittle, date bread, and Christmas village display. More importantly, it won’t be the same without her.

Brenda and I left Iowa in 2020, not knowing if or when we would return to visit (I don’t want to make that drive again unless I must!). But in January my former employer graciously flew me back to Iowa to surprise a dear colleague at a gathering to celebrate her retirement. Brenda was envious that I got to go. I told her I might stay until August so I could take in the Iowa State Fair again, but for some reason Brenda didn’t think that was a good idea. I still have a few items in storage in Iowa and keep hoping to find someone coming to Utah with enough room in their vehicle to ferry my remaining things here. If not, I must come up with a way to convince Brenda that I really need to make this trip. Brenda says she will come with me. I explained that if we bring her mobility scooter and oxygen concentrator, there will be no room in our van for the things I want to retrieve. Brenda is trying to figure out a way around the space limitation.

Last year I had an expensive driving lesson when in the dark I accidentally backed into the garage door. Unfortunately, the door is old enough that replacement panels are no longer made. The new garage door installed this year looks quite nice, but I would rather have the money in the bank account and the perfectly good older garage door back in place. Hopefully, I will be a much more careful driver in the future. Some lessons come at a dear cost!

Brenda was happy that I built raised flower beds for her in the back yard so she could plant some of the flower seeds she harvested in Iowa each year. I reminded Brenda that the climate in Utah is much drier and that we are in severe drought conditions here. I didn’t want her to be disappointed if her flowers didn’t grow. However, Brenda was certain that her green thumb would prevail, and that her flowers would do just as well here as in Iowa. As usual, Brenda was right. However, the seeds for zinnias that Brenda planted turned out to be sunflowers that grew 9-10 feet tall! I guess I should have examined the seeds before Brenda planted them. We wound up having to take out the sunflowers because they were blocking the sunlight to all the other flowers she planted. Brenda really does enjoy the chance to be outdoors tending to her flowers and plants.

Late in the year I placed sod in several places where the grass was struggling or had died out altogether. I also built another raised flower bed for Brenda because, hey, roses! I guess that in Brenda’s mind there is never too much space for flowers. In addition, I have been removing some grass and replacing it with decorative stone. Xeriscaping is a thing in this desert climate. The decorative stone looks nice and certainly is easier and less expensive to maintain than grass. As I make these changes, I am reconfiguring our lawn sprinkler system so that I am not watering rocks. So far, I have been able to move sprinkler heads and even add a few new ones without messing up the system. I surprised (and may even have impressed) Brenda by finally installing the flagpole we brought from Iowa. To see the stars and stripes flying at the end of the driveway with the nearby Payson Temple spire in the background is an impressive and patriotic sight (God and country!).

I continue to be amazed at how well my garden does here. We are fortunate to have secondary irrigation water during the summer months to mitigate against the effects of the ongoing drought. Again, I am learning lessons from my mistakes. For example, I planted a couple of butternut squash plants along with my tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, corn, and carrots. The squash plants absolutely took over the garden, even climbing the branches of the two fruit trees. Next year I will get any squash I need from the farmers’ market.

I’m all ready for snow this season with the snowblower I picked up last year. December is off to a promising start with several impressive snowstorms. Currently, we are at 150% of normal snowpack. If this keeps up, we could break the drought that has plagued Utah for more than twenty years! I enjoy clearing snow early in the morning before everyone is up and driving over the snow in our cul-de-sac’s shared driveway, compacting it to ice. Just for giggles, I also clear snow from some of my neighbors’ drives and sidewalks because they really shouldn’t be out trying to do this themselves. Brenda frets because she says I am no longer young and that I need to be careful so I don’t hurt myself. I think the exercise I get from clearing snow is what keeps me young(ish).

It wouldn’t be a normal year for us without multiple medical appointments and treatments. Usually this is mostly about Brenda, but as I age it is increasingly about me as well. Brenda has suffered a number of falls in our house throughout the year. Fortunately, the damage has primarily been limited to bumps and bruises (as well as to her pride) – no broken bones. I would like to say that Brenda is an upright individual but sometimes she doesn’t remain as upright as either of us would like. Also, recently Brenda was hospitalized briefly with another bout of pneumonia. Fortunately, this episode wasn’t nearly as serious as the COVID-induced pneumonia last year that landed her in the ICU twice, and she was released to come home after a brief stay. I underwent a scoping procedure to view some of my insides, followed by intermittent physical therapy. The idea is that I may be able to avoid surgery if the physical therapy is effective. I’m all for that!

My church callings are building cleaning coordinator and Family History Consultant. As the cleaning coordinator, I work with church members I otherwise wouldn’t meet and get to know. This is a good thing for me because I’m not all that social. Our Family History Center moved to a new location this year and I got to help with the open house. My role was to arrange for a bounce house! My only regret is that I couldn’t get Brenda to give it a try. In addition to these callings, I substitute teach for classes on occasion and also sing in the choir. Needless to say, church keeps us busy and out of trouble.

Brenda and I are so blessed to live in Utah. We miss Iowa and our wonderful friends there, but we enjoy living near all nine of our grandchildren (and their parents, I guess). Now we can see family often, and we don’t have to drive halfway across the country to do so. We also enjoy living near three of our four children and being able to help them with various projects. We also enjoy living near the mountains again. While Brenda and I can no longer hike or camp together, we enjoy driving the Mt. Nebo Scenic Loop several times each year. Brenda takes countless photos and also searches for fossils. Finally, we are thrilled to live so close to the beautiful Payson Temple, where we worship frequently. To borrow a phrase, “Is this heaven?” “No, it’s Iowa Utah.”

Wishing all those we care about and love a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year! If you are ever out our way, feel free to stop in to visit. And if your travel does not bring you to Utah, we hope you will call or send an email or text message to stay in touch.

Dee Oviatt - (515) 480-6331, Dee.Oviatt@gmail.com              

Brenda Oviatt - (515) 306-9514, BrendaLOviatt@msn.com

Some photos for your enjoyment:

The Payson Temple located a block away from our house

Family Events

The flag at our house; the Devil's Kitchen along the Mt. Nebo Scenic Loop

Christmas 2021

Hello Family and Friends,

Another Christmas is upon us, and I thought this year I would let you listen in on some of the conversations that take place around here.

Brenda: It’s getting pretty close to Christmas. Are you going to send out cards this year?

Me: No, I don’t think I will.

Brenda: Really? Usually you send out cards and a letter. Why aren’t you keeping up the tradition?

Me: I didn’t send out cards last year because we had just moved into this house, and everything was so chaotic. I wasn’t sure which box had our Christmas cards, or even if we brought them with us from Iowa. Instead, I posted online a letter with photos, and many people seemed to prefer this to a card. So I’m starting a new tradition.

Brenda: That’s kind of sad. It’s like losing a little bit of Christmas spirit.

Me: Bah, humbug!

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This year the coronavirus was a big deal for us. Despite all the precautions we took with wearing masks, cancelling family gatherings, maintaining distance, avoiding crowds, and being vaccinated early on, Brenda and I both contracted COVID-19. My best guess is that I was infected by someone at the grocery store or at church (in both places there were so many people who did not wear masks or maintain distance). I developed a deep cough and wondered if I might be infected, but a nasal swab test came back negative. However, three days later Brenda was hospitalized with COVID and COVID-induced pneumonia. The emergency room doctor suggested that I be retested with the more accurate saliva test, and this result was positive. This is one time Brenda really wishes I had not shared with her.

Brenda: I don’t remember ever being so sick as I was with COVID.

Me: No kidding. You were hospitalized in the ICU twice, once for three days and a second time for eight days. It was a miracle that you survived. Your doctor said he was flabbergasted at how well and how quickly you recovered with all your underlying conditions.

Brenda: I’m so glad I didn’t have to be placed on a ventilator! I think all the powerful medication they gave me and being placed on the high flow oxygen machine at more than ten times the level of oxygen I use at home is probably what made the difference.

Me: You are forgetting one thing that might have been the biggest factor of all.

Brenda: What is that?

Me: You hated the hospital food.

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Brenda wasn’t the only one to experience medical issues this year. Last year I labored to ready our house in Iowa to sell, and also worked hard to load up our belongings and relocate to Utah. We placed most of what we owned in storage while we searched for a house, then loaded and unloaded everything a second time when we moved to our residence. The entire time I was blessed not to experience any physical problems, even with moving heavy furniture and so many boxes. Then this year, when my only labor was puttering around the house and yard, I somehow managed to develop a hernia that needed to be repaired surgically using some kind of fancy robotic equipment (it seemed almost as though the surgeon was playing a video game when he operated on me!). Fortunately, the procedure went well.

Brenda: I’m worried about you. You try to do too much. I’m sure that’s why you developed a hernia.

Me: I didn’t do anything strenuous. The hernia came out of nowhere. The doctor said this type of thing tends to happen more as we age.

Brenda: I just wish you would take better care of yourself. I don’t want you to be sick or injured.

Me: Every day I walk for 30 minutes to get exercise. I think I am making a reasonable effort to take care of myself, and I have lost some weight. What else would you like me to do?

Brenda: Well, you could not climb up on the roof to put up Christmas lights. I’m afraid you will fall.

Me: It’s worth the risk so that Santa can find our house more easily.

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While we miss Iowa and the wonderful friends that we made during the 29 years we lived there, we do enjoy being in Utah because we are near all nine of our grandchildren, and also because we are so close to the mountains. We have been accustomed to seeing our grandchildren only once or twice each year; now we are with them frequently and have been able to take part in activities such as ball games, church events, and celebrating holidays. And I have enjoyed helping our children with projects they have undertaken, such as a major remodeling effort and excavating a large swing set to relocate to their yard (Ben and Emily), and digging up a deeply buried leaking sprinkler valve and putting up outside Christmas lights at a newly purchased house (Lindsey and Dustin). I also enjoy visiting with my mother, and occasionally with old friends from high school. And I have been helping my sister-in-law with some of the chores that her husband, my brother Wane, did while he was still living. Brenda and I take advantage of the nearby mountains to get away from time to time. We can no longer camp or hike as we once did, but just driving the beautiful Mount Nebo Scenic Byway located only minutes from our house (where Brenda takes hundreds of photos!) is very relaxing and enjoyable.

Brenda: Let’s go for a drive today.

Me: Okay. Do you want to go to the mountains, drive out in the country, or go around the lake?

Brenda: I’d like to get some pictures of the leaves changing in the mountains.

Me: We can do that, but you can’t keep asking me to stop in the middle of the road when there is not a place to pull off. I can’t block traffic on a narrow two-lane road.

Brenda: Oh, it takes only a minute to get a photo. I’m sure people don’t really mind.

Me: Well, it’s not you they are pointing at when they are behind us. And they aren’t using their pointer finger!

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It’s not clear that I will be employed again, but I manage to stay busy with church callings, yard work, gardening, and working in the Payson Temple each week. I built some raised beds for Brenda to plant more flowers (including seeds that she brought from Iowa). One day I might even finish unpacking from our move; I’m still trying to find some things I’m sure we brought with us but that I haven’t managed to locate yet.

Brenda and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, prosperous New Year. We pray that the pandemic will be eased so that we all can resume the normal activities that make life so meaningful. Please stay in touch; we welcome your phone calls, text messages, and emails. Look us up the next time you are in Utah!

Love to all,

Dee and Brenda

P.S. - Some photos:

Our house in Payson

Our grandchildren at Thanksgiving

The nearby Payson Temple at sunset

... and after a recent snowfall

Mount Nebo Scenic Byway in the fall

... and after the first snow of the season

Christmas 2020

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Oviatts in Iowa UTAH!

Hello Family and Friends,

In this strangest of years you are not receiving a Christmas card from us. This isn’t because I am too cheap to purchase cards or stamps, because I am despondent over the coronavirus pandemic that has made this year unlike any other I have experienced, or that I am the Grinch personified. It is because we moved from Iowa to Utah this year and many of our things are still waiting to be unpacked. I am not sure where our Christmas cards are or even if I brought them with us to Utah (not everything would fit on the moving truck). Thus, this blog post instead of a card.

After our basement flooded last year, we were looking forward to a more enjoyable and rewarding year in 2020. We had planned that I would retire in the latter part of the year, after which we would sell our house, visit Utah to find a place to live, and then move our belongings from one house directly to the other. This seemed like a sensible plan that should happen without much trouble. But perhaps you have heard the saying, “Man plans, God laughs!” Our plan seemed to be a good one … and then the coronavirus pandemic happened.

I was laid off in April due to the virus, well before I had planned to retire. At that point it made no sense to look for another job for two reasons: 1) as unemployment skyrocketed, no one was hiring, and 2) everyone who knew me was aware that I planned to retire and move to Utah later in the year. So Brenda and I revised our plan dramatically and decided to move to Utah before selling our house in Iowa and without a place to live in Utah (placing our things in storage). While I was extremely uneasy with the uncertainty of this plan and the prospect of moving in the middle of a pandemic (what were we thinking?), we decided to take a “leap of faith” and trust that things would work out.

Miracles started happening. Members of our church volunteered their time to help Brenda sort through items she had collected throughout our 29 years of living in Iowa, deciding what to keep and what to take to the consignment shop or donate to thrift stores (a truly gargantuan task she could not have accomplished herself). Others helped with needed repairs to our house. Friends from the West, two couples I have known for decades, called out of the blue and asked if they could come to help Brenda and me pack and get our house ready to sell. They spent several days with us finishing tasks I simply would not have had time to do. Family members came to Iowa to help load the moving truck and drive it to Utah. Three couples in Utah offered to let Brenda and me stay with them while we looked for housing (we took up all three on their generous invitations). A group of former co-workers organized and videotaped a farewell parade up and down the street in front of our house to wish us well and send us off in style. And after leaving Iowa in July, our house sold the same day it was listed. We were blessed indeed!

Once we arrived in Utah, challenges arose. The real estate market in Utah is greatly inflated and hyper-competitive. I thought I would go with a realtor to look at properties, then take Brenda later to see the best options (this in light of Brenda’s health challenges and to preserve her strength). However, I was stunned to discover that when seeing a property you had to decide immediately whether to make an offer because frequently houses went under contract the same day they were listed – and for significantly more than the asking price! If you took a day or two to “think about it” you would usually miss out. I do not know from where Brenda got the strength, but she went with me every time we looked at properties. I began to think we would not find anything we could afford to buy and started looking at rental houses. But rentals were even more expensive than purchasing, so we kept searching.

We saw dozens of houses and made half a dozen offers without success. We had heard horror stories of people who spent years trying to buy a house in this area and I became quite discouraged and anxious. But Brenda’s faith prevailed, and another miracle happened when we made an offer on a house that I thought there was no chance we could get. Unbelievably (at least to me), our offer was accepted! We found a house with the features we needed for our unique needs at a price we could afford in an area that is away from the worst of the traffic congestion and poor air quality here, but still relatively close to where our children and grandchildren live. We are situated on a cozy cul-de-sac next to a walking trail, a small creek, and a park. Our back yard includes a fire pit and an in-ground trampoline (perfect for family gatherings), along with a fenced garden with two fruit trees. We arrived in Utah on July 10 and moved into our place on September 15. After living out of suitcases for two months with nearly all of our things in storage, we were so grateful to be back in a place of our own.

We are now living in the small and still fairly rural town of Payson, located an hour south of Salt Lake City. We are between 20-35 minutes from our son and two daughters, and all nine of our grandchildren, who live here (we have one son who lives in California). In ten minutes we can be driving through the mountains along the beautiful Mt. Nebo Scenic Loop. And we live two blocks from the church we attend and the temple where we worship, literally within walking distance. (Here is a picture of the temple near us, the spire of which we can see from our driveway. Our house is located two blocks towards the mountain behind the temple. The church we attend is just out of the photo to the right.)

It has long been a dream of ours to live again near the mountains (we both grew up in the West and have mountains in our blood) and close to family. While we are near our children and grandchildren, we have chosen to cancel family gatherings – a pumpkin carving event for Halloween, Thanksgiving dinner, and getting together for Christmas – out of an abundance of caution due to the virus surging to record numbers of infections and hospitalizations in Utah. (I’m amazed at how many people here do not wear masks.) We have not been able to see our children and grandchildren as much as we would like, but still have enjoyed being with them more than we were able to do while living in Iowa.

For now, I remain unemployed and the question of finding work remains up in the air. Eventually I will officially retire, and we plan to remain in this house as long as we are able to care for ourselves. When the pandemic runs its course, we will make up for lost time visiting family and participating in activities we have missed because we were living so far away. Our memories of living in Iowa for 29 years and forming wonderful relationships with dear friends and colleagues there are precious, and we will always cherish our time and the people there. Now we look forward to the next – and perhaps final – chapter of our life.

We hope we can stay connected with you. Please feel free to call us to talk, or contact us by text message or email. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and hope that the New Year brings great blessings to all!

Dee and Brenda Oviatt
1489 S 910 W
Payson, UT 84651-3166
Dee.Oviatt@gmail.com, 515-480-6331
BrendaLOviatt@msn.com, 515-306-9514

Christmas in a box

Because of Brenda's current health issues, we will not be able to travel for the holidays. We have tried to visit in Utah for Christmas as often as possible so we can enjoy celebrating with our grandchildren (oh, yes, and our children). But this year that will not be possible. So we are thinking about gifts that our grandchildren will enjoy and that are reasonable to send through the mail.

It is increasingly a challenge to select gifts as our grandchildren get older. When they were toddlers, almost any gift would do ... and the grandkids were as likely to enjoy the wrapping and box as the actual gift. I adopted a personal rule several years ago that I do not give the grandchildren gifts that make noise or that require batteries. This is out of consideration for the parents! For the most part I have abided by that rule, though there have been rare exceptions. For example, one year I came across a (used) electronic toy that would "speak" the letters of the alphabet or the names of animals depending on which button was pushed. Normally I wouldn't have given this gift consideration, but when I pushed the button with a picture of an older man the toy said, "Grandpa!" That was not unusual, except that the voice sounded exactly like me! It was so uncanny that I just had to give this gift.

We have not yet decided what to give this year. I think we will visit the Learning Post to see if we can find something that is both fun and educational. I know in the past we have gotten somewhat carried away with Christmas. After one year when we admittedly went overboard a limit was imposed on our gift giving -- one book and one toy to each child. That makes sense. So now I have to pick out the PERFECT book and a MARVELOUS toy! This will be our "Christmas in a box" year to celebrate long distance with our grandchildren.

Do the Zoo

Brenda and I have a membership to the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. We usually go several times during the year because the zoo gives Brenda an opportunity to take photos of interesting animals. Today the weather was quite nice and I wanted to get Brenda out of the house, so we decided to "Do the Zoo" and experience Iowa's wildest adventure.

An impressive new entrance was recently added to the zoo. This is what greets visitors now as they drive into the parking area.

Today's excursion was interesting for two reasons. First, Brenda did NOT bring her camera. That really is unusual for her, though once in awhile she will leave her camera at home so I don't spend a great deal of time waiting for her to take photos. Thanks, Brenda! Second, I did not push Brenda in her wheelchair because she used her scooter.

We did have an enjoyable day and Brenda certainly enjoys being able to get around more freely. And the basket on the front is just the right size to bring home one of those cute red pandas that were recently added to the zoo.

Beggars' Night

Urbandale is unique compared to other places I have lived in that children here don't "Trick or Treat" on Halloween. Instead, they do so the day before Halloween on Beggars' Night. The way this is SUPPOSED to work is that the kids come in their costumes to beg for candy, but are supposed to tell a joke in order to get the treat.

This tradition started because Halloween pranks had gotten out of hand, resulting in hundreds of calls to the police department and a number of arrests for vandalism. In 1938 some 550 calls to report vandalism were made to the police. In an effort to address the problem, October 30 was designated as Beggars' Night and the emphasis was on harmless "tricks" such as a song or poem or stunt or musical number ... which has evolved into jokes.

In recent years the number of kids visiting our house has dropped off, but most of the ones that came did have jokes to share. Tonight I was very much surprised that hardly any of  those visiting us had jokes to tell. "Do you have a joke?", I asked one little boy dressed up as one of the modern super heroes I don't recognize. "No," he said. "I just want candy."

Another little boy, also without a joke, wasn't content to have me hand out candy. He reached up and grabbed the large bowl I was holding and barked, "I want to get my own candy!" I informed him that I would be handing out the candy ... and somehow managed to avoid him tipping out the contents of the bowl.

Some typical examples of Beggars' Night jokes from previous years:

• Why didn't the skeleton cross the street? Because he didn't have any guts.
• What do skeletons say before they begin dining? Bone appetit!
• Where do baby ghosts go during the day? Day-scare centers.
• What is a ghost's favorite syrup flavor? Boo-berry.

Actually, I finally did hear a few jokes tonight, including these:

• What is a mummy's favorite type of music? Rap music.
• Why do witches wear name tags? Because they can't tell which witch is which.
• How do you light up a soccer stadium? With a soccer match. (Not a Halloween joke, I know, but better than nothing.)
• And -- the most questionable joke of the evening -- Have you seen the movie "Constipated" yet? Of course not; it hasn't come out yet!

Happy Halloween, er, Beggars' Night!