Lesson from the Wave

 
It was a sign such as this that greeted us as we got to the beach in Oregon. I took one look at the high water and the rocks below the overlook and told Janene and Devennie that there was no way we were going down to the beach in these conditions. I could see occasional waves come all the way to the rocks at the edge. But Devennie said "We had a cabin over there, I've been coming here for 32 years now and we have never had a problem"

Thus pacified,  Janene and I followed her out to the beach. It was thrilling to wait for the perfect moment to challenge the incoming surf and run around a rock outcropping before the next wave pounded it again.

Once we got past it, we could look back where we had been and see that our tracks had been obliterated by the next wave. We could also see that the beach opened up and we now had a peaceful view of an open beach with sand dunes and lots to explore. Devennie had been right. Everything was going to be OK.

After an hour of discovery, Janene and I were taking pictures far from the water up near the sand dunes. Suddenly, without warning, a huge wave came all the way up the beach and totally buried Janene and Devennie. At the last moment, I had jumped to the top of this dune, and found myself in only knee deep water. My safety was short-lived however, as I was soon back in the water trying to save my wife from being dragged out to sea. Devennie was nowhere to be seen. In the end, we survived, and were not lost, but only just barely. I now knew and understood why the sand dunes had been so intriguing to me. They had been formed by wave action - not the wind, as I had supposed.

We often hear talks at church or in General Conference warning us of dangers in our lives. I find that I have a tendency to say "Oh, if only the Smith family could have heard this" or "Tom could sure benefit from this lesson". My own tendency is to be like Devennie was. "I've been here before, I know how to deal with this. This doesn't really apply to me". The truth is that wise counsel applies to all of us. If we are complacent and careless, the danger of which we were warned will be upon us when we least expect, with no time to save ourselves.

I remember hearing a prophet of God say "Get out of Debt - take control of your finances" At the time, I had just listened to a so-called "financial planner" tell me that I should mortgage my home and invest the money in the stock market. His logic of "If you have enough money in investments that you could pay off your house, are you really in debt?" was a strong temptation. A cunning and crafty one, indeed. For once, I listened to a prophet's voice and paid down all of our debts, including the mortgage on our home. As the ensuing financial crisis swirled around us, we were on safe ground with nothing to fear. Even if I were to lose my job, our home would be safe. I need not go through the agony and turmoil that could have been my lot with a hefty mortgage and loss of investments at the same time.

I have now learned to listen to wise counsel. Especially when I think it doesn't apply to me.

Kewpie Dolls on Parade

This is Tyler. Also known as Tyler Mark. His dad and his uncles all have two names. Why not him?

No matter what I did, I could not get him to smile. He is not afraid of the camera, but I could not even get a giggle out of him.

Once he was in the jumper the smiles and giggles were everywhere. Meanwhile, his sister Lily was sneaking chocolate while making Valentines treats.

Starry Moonlit Night

Yesterday, as I was driving home from work, the moon came up in Emigration Canyon at exactly the same time that the sun went down. Here was this enormous moon bracketed between snow covered peaks tinted red by the evening sun. Where was my camera? I had the tripod, but alas, no camera. Tonight I had my camera, but the moon came up later, and was nowhere near as large. While I was taking this picture, it seemed like every photographer in Bountiful had been summoned to the same spot. Suddenly, I found myself discussing ISO speeds, aperature and exposure with people that know a lot more about photography than I do. I am very used to being the only one around with a camera, so this was a little unnerving to have someone looking over my shoulder. I hope to be better prepared the next time the moon is in a dramatic position.

A Fortunate Valentine Night

With Steve home from the set of Spiderman (3D) on the weekend before Valentines' Day, Brooke wanted to make Valentine treats out of fortune cookies at our house. Initially, we thought "Oh, isn't that sweet! - our married daughter who seldom has her hubby at home chose to spend this precious time with us". And, it was a lot of fun, but we suspect that they may have wanted to mess up some house other than their own.

We had Lily and Michael helping, so some cookies ended up with lots of chocolate - and sparkles! especially sparkles. It made for really yummy fortune cookies, even if they were a little gaudy.

We found that if Brooke takes a picture at the same time that I do, you can get some interesting effects in the background.

The finished product was ready to be put into bags and delivered to friends and family. We all had a great time together. I realized that long after the memory of what it was that we made fades, the memory of the fun time we had with our beloved grandkids and our children (yes - even if they are about thirty years old) will always remain. This year, Janene and I celebrate our 42nd Valentine's Day together. We have another year to treasure.