Wars and Rumors of Wars

The "separatists" in Ukraine, those who are pro-Russia and want to be part of Russia and who are being supplied weapons, including anti-aircraft missiles by Russia, used one of those radar directed missiles to shoot down a Malaysian airliner yesterday. 

It was five miles up, flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. It exploded in the air and fell, spreading its parts and body parts of passengers and crew over many miles on the ground. All  298 aboard killed. And what do we do about it? Nothing so far. I am against doing nothing, although I don't know what we ought to do.

I suppose there is still a tiny bit of doubt about whether or not they did it, used Russian-supplied missiles. From what I've heard and read, seems clear to me they did it.

Then there's Israel and the Gaza Strip conflict, which is a euphemism for war.

Not to mention Iraq and Afghanistan. Supposedly, the elections in Afghanistan indicate a stable government/country. Suicide bomber there yesterday killed 40.

As I said, wars and rumors of wars.

Utah Power & Light

My mother owned Utah Power & Light stock. When she died that stock came to us, her five children. I was happy to get it, except for the circumstances, and when the dividends came each quarter, I was grateful. We could use the money.

I don't remember how much money it was, more than $100, I think. We needed whatever it was.

I believe all my siblings sold their stock, but I still have mine. It isn't Utah Power & Light, or Bonneville Power, who bought the company. It isn't PacificCorp, who bought Bonneville Power or Scottish Power, who bought PacificCorp. It is Iberdrola, a company in Spain, who bought Scottish Power.

Each change brought a decrease in the amount of the dividend, and now, because the company is based in Spain, I pay foreign tax. I don't like paying taxes to my own government. How do you think I feel about paying Spain?

And here's the thing, it's good that I don't still have the kind of need for the money that we used to have. Yesterday the second quarter dividend came. I cashed the check today, $7.73.

The bank teller said, "Well, it will buy you lunch."
I said, "Maybe."

So my 60 shares are just about worthless, but I keep it because it was Mama's. And I will keep it until the day comes when I have to pay Iberdrola.

I wonder if that could happen.

A Reminder

We had chickens.There is no egg better than those eggs.
We had goats, which meant most of our children knew how to milk a goat. We drank the milk and made cheese and wonderful ice cream with it.
We raised our own beef a time or three.
We had a big garden. We knew about growing peas and Swiss chard and corn and tomatoes and peppers and melons, and we ate well.
We had fruit trees and a raspberry patch. Homemade jams and syrups.
We had two wood-burning stoves, and my boys know how to chop wood because of it.

These were adventures in living on our own. Yes, it was in the city, but we had a 1/2 acre of land. And that land got used, all right.

Our children can thank their dad for it. And their mom. I hope they never forget it.

Family Tradition

Every 4th of July all the Schiesses in Southern California met at Uncle Joe's in the San Fernando Valley. It was a tradition long before I knew Wayne, but after we began dating, I went, too. Joe and Margaret had a pool, which was a big drawing card. Their house was small, but it sat on a lot of land. They had no children--and there's a story behind that. Maybe next time I'll tell it.

Those celebrations were fun. We played in the pool and ate and talked. Maybe somebody played ball. I don't remember. I think there was mostly a lot of sitting. I do remember one 4th that Wayne's good friend Phil Cardon came and brought Ruth Taylor. They later married.

I met Schiess people. Uncle George and Aunt Evelyn and Aunt Katie. Wayne's cousin Ron and his kids. I already knew Orville and Dorothy, because Orville Schiess was my dad's ward clerk. Their kids Pete and Lyle. Bud and Winnie I also knew already and their son John.

After Wayne and I were married we went over. At least once. I was responsible for potato salad for all. I had never made it before, but I had watched my mother make it, so I figured I could do it. I did, but it sure took a long time. I felt a lot of pressure for it to be good. All those women were good cooks.

David DeCorsi

Such a beautiful young man. Wayne was his seminary teacher, and I was his voice teacher for a while. David lived in Kuna, but now he doesn't live in Idaho. He is in his late fifties by now.

I see his mother most Wednesday mornings in the temple. She is 80-something. I have spoken to her a few times about David, but she doesn't remember that or me. Today I asked her about him, where he lives. She told me and then said, "He called last night. He just found out he has cancer. Again." I felt very bad and told her so.

I inquired about it. The cancer is in his kidneys. I do not know what the prognosis is, but she didn't look or sound very hopeful.

She turned to take a drink from the fountain, and I said, "David is such a beautiful boy."

"How do you know him?" she asked. I told her again that Wayne was his seminary teacher. She looked at my name tag and said, "Oh, yes."

My thought all afternoon was this: I wonder if Wayne knows. He would be sad.

I do not know if he can know, and I do not know if he would be sad, given where he is at this time, seeing a larger picture than I am seeing.