Month: November 2023

Today I’m grateful for peanut butter. (Sorry, Thom!) I’m not talking about just any old peanut butter– I’m talking about Adams 100% Natural Creamy Peanut Butter.

When I was a wee lad, one of my favorite places to visit was the farm Dad grew up on near Kiel, Wisconsin. As a kid, running around exploring an old farm was truly a treasure. We had so much fun climbing the corn crib, running through fields, sitting on rusted-out equipment, wandering the barn, and chasing the gazillion wild cats. Another thing I distinctly remember was Grandma’s cooking. She’d always lay out an impressive spread of food, all homemade, for lunch and dinner. And at every meal, it seemed, there was a stack of sliced homemade bread in the center of the table, along with a bowl of peanut butter.

I loved that peanut butter. Eating it on fresh homemade bread was absolutely heavenly. Occasionally we’d use Grandma’s toaster as well; that thing probably dated back to the Civil War, but somehow it always made the toast just right. Again, spreading some of her peanut butter on that crispy golden bread was amazing.

Back home, we grew up eating Skippy peanut butter. Skippy is fine. I liked it, and I ate bread and toast at home as well. Yet it wasn’t the same as Grandma’s peanut butter and bread. It was only when I was in my mid-20’s that I realized Grandma had been buying Adams 100% Natural Creamy Peanut Butter. (Or at least something so similar that I couldn’t tell the difference.) When I discovered that stuff in a store, it brought back all those fond memories. And now I’ve been buying that brand for the last thirty years.

Yesteday I polished off a jar of it, so I had to open a new one and run the mixer. Since it’s all natural, the peanut oil tends to separate over time, and it has to be stirred frequently. I always mix it when I open the jar, and then each time I dip into it.

Although it’s awesome on sourdough toast, and just as good with some cheese and crackers, I admit there are times I simply open the cupboard and dip into the jar for a couple mouthfuls of raw peanut butter. Yeah, I like it that much.

As I write this, it occurs to me that being thankful for something like peanut butter– or rather a very specific peanut butter– is kind of a strange thing. Maybe part of the magic in this particular brand is that it reminds me of the good times I had as a kid on the farm. Grandma and Grandpa are long gone, but those visits still evoke vivid memories. So perhaps in a larger sense, I’m grateful for the good things of my childhood, and the happy memories they continue to bring me all these years later.

This afternoon Pepper and I were in Kalispell for our monthly grocery trip. We typically hit Costco for the “big stuff” and then Walmart for the rest. In the Walmart checkout lane, I snapped this picture of her buying avocados.

Why is this significant?

Well, she’s holding two avocados in her hand but paying for three. The reason: about a month ago, in Utah, she bought some avocados and after returning home realized she hadn’t paid for one of them. (Ah, the joys and perils of self-checkout.) Since that day, she’s been waiting for the opportunity to return to Walmart and intentionally pay for one more avocado than she has. Because balance must be restored.

Kudos to my wife for being honest.

Today I’m grateful for sleeping in. I’m very much a night person, and rarely get to bed before midnight. Even then I’m not really tired, but I know if I’m up until one or two in the morning, I’ll pay for it the next day. Then I’m usually awake at eight. Here’s my clock this morning:

I really don’t like getting up early, although of course I can do it when needed. Six years of 5:30 alarms for early-morning seminary was rough. And four years of that was combined with working full-time (which meant many late nights), ultimate leagues, and raising kids. Most of the time I’d get around six hours of sleep each night.

I feel like our culture almost prides itself on not getting much sleep. People sort of brag about how little they’ve slept, or how hard they’ve been working, or why they’re so busy they can’t seem to find enough hours to get a proper night’s rest. And at the same time, there are countless research studies that show with little doubt that everyone absolutely needs 7-9 hours of sleep consistently, or they’re in for a world of health problems and even a shorter lifespan. Everyone knows sleep is important, but we still seem to prioritize other things.

Since finishing seminary, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in almost every day. Sure, there are some extra late nights, or those times when I toss and turn a bit before finally drifting off, but overall I’d say I’ve been pretty fortunate in getting seven or so hours of solid sleep. Hopefully I live a little longer as a result!

Today I’m grateful for Mahjongg. It was more than three years ago when I was first introduced to a few ladies in the Mahjongg Gang. It was about two years ago when they first invited me to join their game. And I’ve been playing with them more or less ever since, every Monday at lunch.

The Gang seems to shrink and grow from week to week. Sometimes there’s a visitor from out of town who moved away years ago, but was part of the group in years past. Sometimes there are only two or three of them, and other times there are a dozen (which takes up the entire upstairs room of Rosa’s Pizza). Regardless of numbers, they’re always gracious and pleasant, and we have a good time.

Today I explained to them that I was going to write a brief note about them in my November gratitude journal, and they agreed to be in a group photo. So here’s today’s Gang:

Yes, they’re all twenty years older than me and about a foot shorter, but I still feel like part of the Gang. Thanks, ladies, for welcoming me! And for not taking too many of my quarters…

“I need a photo of an angry cat”, I said to my friends Brandon and Kricket. Sure, I could find one on the internet (there are so many photos of cats on the internet) but I figured I should use a friends’ cat if possible. After all, this is for our Christmas card!

They sent me this.

Pretty good, right? Brandon remarked “Oska isn’t really an angry cat” but somehow they made him look downright mean. Perfect. The card is coming together…

Pepper bought a new sweater the other day, and wore it today with her new skirt. She added her fish earrings and necklace from Hawai’i.

But the crowning moment was when she realized she had a teal water bottle in the cupboard. She added that to the ensemble (she always has a water bottle with her) and completed the set.

Heck, even her eyes go with the outfit!

Today I’m grateful for church. And I’m referring to the church organization, not the gospel itself. The church is the structure and the people who help me to learn about, and live, the gospel. In my twenty-odd years in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I’ve met some of the most amazing people and had some pretty amazing experiences.

One thing I love about the church is that it’s a volunteer organization. From top to bottom, everyone does their part and does it without pay or reward. It’s awesome to see how well-run our little ward is here in Bigfork: a few hundred people work together, often without formal training, and keep things humming along. Services happen every Sunday without fail. Classes are taught. Activities are organized. People in need are helped. Year after year, even as the leaders of organizations come and go, as people move in and out of the area, we continue to support one another. We embrace new members, and welcome back those who have left for a time.

In addition to the “lay ministry” we have, we offer opportunities for people to speak publicly, share their beliefs, and teach lessons. Since today is the first Sunday of the month, we had a “testimony meeting” where anyone could come up to the front of the chapel and share a brief experience or a story about their faith or how the gospel has impacted their life. It’s so cool to see random folks do that, and I’m always impressed by the courage it takes– not everyone enjoys speaking in front of a few hundred people!

Church is also a place where I can feel included in a community of like-minded people, all working hard to choose the right and live their best lives. We’re not perfect– not by a long shot– but we’re doing our best. And we’re supporting one another, especially through the hard times. My friend Glenn passed away a few days ago, and it’s been neat to see people flocking to help his widow as she enters this new stage of her life. In the past month I’ve visited people who are sick and can’t leave their homes; I’ve chopped and stacked firewood for a kind older couple who can’t do it themselves; I’ve announced the winners of our annual chili contest at the Halloween party; I’ve organized some upcoming lessons; I’ve given blessings to several people who have been struggling; I’ve helped to clean the building; I’ve worked on the planning for our upcoming Christmas activity; I’ve studied the scriptures and shared some insights with the class; I’ve led a discussion about charity and service; I’ve even had a long, thoughtful, respectful discussion with a preacher from another faith about some of our common beliefs. There’s much to be done, and we all do our share and somehow it all works. It’s magical.

Unfortunately I don’t have many pictures of church (because who walks around Sunday services snapping pictures?) but it just so happens that Pepper invited our friends Andy and Lisa to join us for a photo today. They’re moving down to Arizona for the winter, so we won’t see them for about six months.

And the best thing about the church is the people in it. That’s what makes a church, after all, and the community of friends I have there is incredible.

Today I’m grateful for memes. Oh, I know, memes have been around for years and they’re really just a way to waste time on the internet, and they have no real redeeming quality in the advancement of the human race. But come on, they’re funny!

We have an ongoing “family group chat” consisting of me, Pepper, and the kids (including Kaitlyn). It’s a great place for us to coordinate on trips and visits, or share news, or occasionally talk about some completely random topic. And for some reason it’s also become a great place to share memes. In fact, I don’t think I’d be too far off if I said fully half of our “conversations” in the group chat are just trading hilarious memes back and forth.

Sometimes, though, it gets ugly.

For example, I sent this the other day.

To which Kyra responded:

I couldn’t let that go, so I whipped up a visual response:

I thought that would be the end of it. You can’t beat a giant flying wrestler, right? Well, Alex fired a salvo:

Ouch, that hurt. And by “that hurt” I mean “that made me actually bust up laughing”. These kids are pretty clever. My response to Alex was this:

And then Kaitlyn took up the torch:

And on and on it goes. Although I know in my heart that I spend far too much time cranking out these little visual jokes, it’s sure a blast to trade barbs with the kids.

Now I have to go amend my will…

Today I’m grateful for my hot tub. I consider this one of the “finer things” in my life… something I absolutely don’t need, but sure enjoy having. I never would’ve considered spending the kind of money a good hot tub requires. But hey, our house came with one, so it would be silly not to take advantage of it, right?

Granted, it was kind of janky and needed some repairs, but once Kyra and I got it running, it’s been a champ. It’s pretty magical on cold days, it’s fun at night, and as long as we don’t let it freeze, it serves us well throughout the year. Now that the weather is turning cold, it’s especially nice to sneak in a nice soak on a chilly evening.

Over the years, I think I’ve become a bit spoiled. If this janky 22-year-old tub finally gives out, I might have to consider replacing it. The finer things have a funny way of becoming a little more “necessary” than you’d think…

About a month ago, Pepper and I took a tour of Bigfork’s new Harrell Forest Trail. We rode our bikes a few miles and enjoyed the crisp fall weather and the changing colors. Well, today we went back but this time we walked the trail. Our friends Bob and Nancy joined us.

To my surprise, the larch were still quite yellow. Given the thick blanket of needles on the ground, you’d think they would’ve dropped everything, but the fall colors still had a little life in them.

Walking was quite a bit easier than biking, and we covered the same six miles. It’s nice to get out on a trail, especially one that’s less than an hour away…