Love Story

I was sitting in Relief society listening to a lesson we were having on Family genealogy when I heard someone make a comment on how it’s not only the research on names you do it is also learning about the lives of your ancestors.  This comment made me reflect on why I wanted to pursue a degree in History.  Sure you study the dates of important events and what caused them and how those events lead to others later, but in the long run, it is just one enormously long story.  The story part is what I find the most intriguing.  Being able to find these links of relatable events that connect you to the past through stories being told, recorded, and passed on.  Stories are what gain my attention to family history.  I’ll tell you one of my favorites.

I was sitting in the car one day with my dad, and we began to talk about relationships which led to stories of how people got together. Like my grandmother meeting my grandpa Wayne who she later converted into the LDS church, or how my dad met my mom on his mission to Guadalajara MX, and then how he met my former step mom Wendy through his divorce lawyer (not a good plan, by the way).  As he continued he began to tell me that most love stories don’t happen like they do in movies, but occasionally you will get a remarkable one like the one with my great grandparents from the Freeze side of the family.  Given my dad and I had this conversation a long time ago, so I hope I remember the right details.

My great grandpa had a rough childhood.  His mother after finding out she was pregnant out of wedlock, ran away from somewhere in Virginia all the way to Oklahoma.  The father was told to be a man by the name of Tom Freeze.  Sometime later she married another man who wasn’t too fond of my great grandpa.  After being abused and mistreated my great grandpa decided to run away.  Being homeless he was taken refuge by another older man who practically lived in a shed outside a very wealthy man’s farm.  My great grandpa eventually found work with this very wealthy man, who had gained this large amount of land during one of the Homestead Acts around the 1860s.  Through working for this wealthy man he happened his daughter on occasion and in time they fell in love.  With the obvious dilemma of my great grandpa being a very poor runaway, with no land, or means of any wealth, he decided to work extra hard to gain the approval of his love’s father.  Within time and through his hard work he did gain approval and was able to marry the rich man’s daughter (my great grandma).  He was given a portion of land and he and his wife became farmers and from what I know, lived a happy life. 

I know I didn’t give the story too much flattery and justice; I rather just summed it up short, simple and to the point.  It reminds me of the bible story of Jacob and Rachel, just without the part with Leah.  I like to think of how cool it would be to have a story like that, however it’s really not that possible since I am neither from a wealthy family by any means or have never been abused or a runaway.  But I guess the idea is cool, at least to a lot of my female peers. 

My point is, family history is great, and it comes along with a lot of great stories that you may or may not relate to.  Either way there is almost always something to learn.  My new goal for the upcoming year= family history research. 

Vanilla Coke

There is a general routine when I go to my Grandparent’s house in St. George.  We arrive, talk a bunch, go to bed, sleep extremely well, and then wake up.  After we wake up, Grandma is usually making or setting stuff out for breakfast and waiting for everyone else to get up and around.  While most of the guests go straight for the food, you may happen to notice a taller lanky man with thin white/grey hair going in every direction, heading for the garage.  When Grandpa returns from the garage, you can hear a pop and a light sigh sound that my Grandma calls on cue every time to let us all know that Grandpa is now up.  He’s got his Diet Coke. 

 Everyone in my family it seems has their drink.  My dad and brothers = Dr. Pepper, my Mom= Pepsi or Pepsi Max, Dani (s.sis) = water, water and Arizona Tea, roommate= probably milk, Grandpa = Diet Coke, and the list can go on.  I never thought I had a particular drink, but obviously guessing from the Title, I technically do.  I first noticed this when one day my Mom called and asked if I wanted a drink from the gas station on her way home, when I said yes she hung up and didn’t give me a chance to tell her what I wanted.  When she came home though, she had exactly what I wanted, a vanilla coke. 

So I guess I have a drink.  I find it interesting sometimes how a lot of us have a particular drink we need on a varying daily basis, instead of switching up the various choices between beverages.  I’ve concluded that it certainly it is a matter of preference and practicality.  Why would you spend money on something you may or may not like?  Why would you go outside of your comfort zone to get an Orange Fanta when you’re craving your daily or routinely Dr. Pepper? 

In a twisted way, we do this in life all the time.  Same things see the same routine, what is wrong with mixing it up a little.  I think today I’ll walk a different way to class, well I will actually walk.  Maybe instead of doing my homework on my floor at home, well I will for one actually do my homework but maybe this time in the library.  At work instead of nailing kids for being loud and running around I will encouraged it, even though that is aimed for disaster. In my leisure time instead of napping, reading, or checking facebook, I will go for a walk and stop and talk to a friend or stranger.  And when it comes time for me to make a pit stop at a gas station or open my fridge for a beverage, instead of my usual Vanilla Coke, I’ll take an Arizona Mucho Mango (my second favorite), nothing drastic. 

Appropriate times for Christmas Music

Inspired by Eric, thank you for the idea, this really hits home. 

So, for part of my work I get to go shopping.  Sounds great, huh ladies?  Well only sometimes.  I get this tax exemption credit card from USU and for some reason it is the most complicated transaction ever, beside the point.   I walked into Wal-Mart November 1st, just as I got my new budget for the month.  Here I am checking out the granola bars, contemplating whether the kids at work are sick and freaking tired of me buying granola bars all the time, and as I am having this mental battle in my head I begin to hear a faint melody going something like "oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful...." then I start to hum "but since we've no place to go, let it.....NO!" I stopped myself just as I felt that shock of the Christmas music rush.  Now tell me Wal-Mart, was playing Christmas music there in your store in Layton really necessary?

In all honesty I think it’s pushing it playing Christmas music on the radio the day after Thanksgiving.  Which brings up another question: Is it really that fair to Thanksgiving if there is Christmas music playing before the Thanksgiving holiday even arrives?  Where is the justice in that? They already start selling Christmas decorations before Halloween arrives, what more do people want?  Music?  I love Christmas, even Christmas music.  Sometimes in the middle of July to get my younger brothers or mother’s attention I’ll sing Christmas songs out of the blue.  However, as far as the public is concerned, we should take into consideration that the Christmas holiday celebration has a time and a place, DECEMBER.  Of course, I may not have too much room to talk; I confess that after I heard the music I went and bought hot chocolate and candy canes, and then my mom and I bought a Christmas tree for my apartment the day after. 

Kiera's version of Harry Potter

Late nights watching Harry Potter documentaries, and trying to figure out what patronous you would transfigure into can lead to a lot of 2am conversations and mischief.  Due to misunderstandings of what each other was saying I came up with my roomate's version/vision of Harry Potter which may or may not make any logical sense.  Then again is Harry Potter logical?
- Professor Mcgonagal rocks, and is somehow related to Sirius Black
- Beltrix Lestrange also rocks, is Tim Burton's wife, and is also somehow related to Sirius Black.
- Kiera is from the house of Griffendor, her patronous would most likely be (according to two different quizes) somewher along the lines of a stallion or eagle (lucky).  She would also be an expert in charms. 
- Ash(myself) is from the house of Ravenclaw, although Kiera argues I may be from Slytherin, and my patronous caused me an identity crisis since (according to 3 or so quizes) my patronous went from a spider, otter, frog, and a prairie wolf... no further comment on patronous'.  My best class according to Kiera would be Defense against the dark arts, or rather dark arts. 
-Ron looks like a funny old man when he gets old
- and that's all I can remember... see facebook if I remember more. 

Here it is cont....

Oh yeah, and I think I'll just post random adventures and things that amuse me.... just because.

Here it is.

Here is an attempt to do what a journal is supposed to do, except different.  Having no reason or desire to write every personal detail about myself, intricate keys to my mind, or personal life changing events leading me to a different life course, online, I’ll just approve of writing just under that.  Considering I’ve never done a “blog” by free will before (and quite frankly don’t know what to write)I may just post comments on my popular or less popular interests, my ideologies on life in general, my frequent observations of people, and some life events or emotions linked to them, etc.   Either way, whatever I write, its purpose is to remind myself a bit of who I am. I don’t expect anyone to read, although that is a given allowance, but keep in mind, an audience is not the intent. 

Intent: Personal reminders of Ash, avoidance of boredom, sleeping in class and Facebook, and an attempt for an alternative journal