Yes, it has been some time since I have written in “the blog,” and thanks to some down time over the break and due to an angry right hip I have a bit more time on my hands than I have for the last few months. My most amusing observations about family life have been simple ones, ones that have caused me to think and re think some of my decisions I have made or was planning on executing.

One thing that has caused me to rethink an initial yearning that I had was coming home this Christmas. I was uber excited to leave my quaint apartment (rather nice euphemism), in Rexburg for the change to come home and see the family. I was so excited that I neglected to pack properly and and did not even have time to vacuum my apartment before I left (I plan on getting a ridiculous bill for that)... I made a twelve- thirteen hour car drive and got inside with no welcoming crew. I went to the main floor and gave my mom a hug, father sat in front of the TV said welcome home, and resumed his hypnotic staring at the Tellie. My sisters were scattered all over the place and none of them were around, so I started unpacking my things. Twenty minutes into the process the youngest- (we call her Lizzie) saw me and was rather huffy because I did not come to see her when I got home!


Some other humorous and quirky happenings are in relation to my dog. He is a “Cavalier King Charles Spaniel”, and thinks he is King Charles himself. Strange enough and eccentric enough to be Royalty, he for the most part loves to eat what we are eating and loves to do things that he should not be doing. His breed was raised to be a a lap dog for royalty and the dogs were also used for hunting; as they have superior smell and are small enough to navigate small places and thick brush.

Despite the breeding for hunting, he is utterly useless for this. The things that he should be afraid of he is not and the things that are harmless he is either completely disinterested in or absolutely afraid of. A few examples: the dog hates balls- he runs away from them at almost all costs and at all sizes, but will run up to dogs five times his size and bark and jump up on them. He loves to chase cars and large objects, but will whimper anytime he feels you grab the scruff of his neck. He likes to play around the weedwacker and will chase the plastic string and even lawnmower if allowed, but refuses to go across the prickly grass in the July and August summer months. The desire he has for the fares of the table seem a bit perplexing to me. Aside from liking the usuals such as beef fat, bacon and pretty much any type of meat, be has a great love and loathing for an assorted number of fruits and vegetables.

The list of things he loves: Iceberg Lettuce, Apples- if they are cut up within the proper specifications, Bread- any type, but it seems the sweeter the better. Mountain dew, Coca puffs, Frosted Flakes, Bacon, Eggs, Potatoes- if they are cooked to his liking. Pomegranate, Peeled Grapes- he did not like them at first, and turned his nose up at them but I snuck some in his mouth and he has liked them ever since. Cucumbers- LOVES them! Bacon, Beef scraps, Pork, Cow lactate- “milk”, gravy, Carrots- depending on the day and how much beef fat they have soaked up- he also likes them uncooked. Rice- sometimes. Ice-cream, sorbet, and LOVES to chew on plain ice. Likes strawberries, cantaloupe and watermelon. Hot dogs.

Things he hates: Dark Green leafy veggies- my guess is that they are not sweet enough. Corn.
His dog food. Oranges. Celery, oatmeal.

It is strange to see him get as excited over a piece of lettuce (iceberg of course) as he will a piece of meat. His breed is a strange one, as he loves to have attention. When the family is away during the day or for a bit of time be gets really antsy and will walk all over the main floor of the house. While he is in the kitchen he will sniff around for bits of food, and lick them up if he can find them. When we are home he gets lazy and will only go after obvious bits of food if we point them out, despite his amazing sense of smell. He loves to go out on the back porch, wander out there for a bit, bark at the neighborhood dogs for a spell and then paw on the screen or glass door when this becomes tiring to him. Usually this interests him for five minutes at the most.

My father thinks he is pretty funny, and says that he fits into our family rather well. I sure wonder why......

My parents house

These are just a few pictures of my parents home. They have been working on it for almost four years now, and our home- like our family; is a work in progress.
It was supposed to only be "two stories," tall, with a "daylight basement" but due to the high water table in the area, we have a ginormous house of three stories tall.

Walking though the house I am reminded of the many mistakes we have made on in.
The normal observer cannot tell you where the excessive gaps are in our wood flooring, nor can they tell you where the hinges are loose, or the railing is missing a bracket. But I can. I can tell you why our basement is almost a foot higher than anticipated plans, and how much work it was to help build the house.

In spite of our organized chaos, our kitchen is beautiful, is is graced with granite counter tops, a recessed sink and two ovens and a gorgeous range. It is one of my favorite places.

To the outside observer, we may appear to have a home that is whole and complete; yet we are still working on it. I think I know why I have decided to stay in school year-round for the last two years, and why I will be in classes again this spring/summer. :)

My Chacos

I got myself some new "shoes," In anticipation of my trip to Hawaii, I thought I would get the appropriate footwear. It also helps that the shoes are sanctioned by BYU Idaho (in attempts to avoid sloppy and slouchy dress, flip flops are forbidden on campus). I spent hours trying to find a sale on them, and finally found some that were marked down around 20 percent off. Even at that, they cost me 75 bones.

Trip cancelation...

Yes, it is true; the Nauvoo tour for March 2009 has been canceled. As we have watched the weather patterns and this storm as it is moving across the United States, we would have been in the storm all the way. That would mean snow packed, icy roads across Wyoming, (we talked this evening to the two relief drivers that are already in Cheyenne and they got into two ground blizzards getting there and they were on the front end of the storm) It is expected to have snow throughout most of Missouri and at least 2" of rain in Independence and the surrounding area on Friday, and as the weather forecasters indicated it will snow all day Saturday in Nauvoo. I talked to one of the missionary couple sisters at the Nauvoo Temple this evening and they indicated that on Saturday they were expecting it to snowing all day. Not the kind of experience you want to have in Nauvoo. Also we were really concerned about the safely of our travel in such cold, snowy weather. Many of the roads we would have been on in Missouri and Illinois are small two lanes, up and down, windy roads and if snow packed we would never meet any of our deadlines (also the possibility of a slide off). Also visiting most of the sites require us to be out in the open for extended periods of time. For that reason we decided to postpone the trip until May. I hope you will be able to join us then. I'm sorry that it is canceled, but having been there a number of times and knowing the timetable we must keep and the need NOT to be hindered by weather, it made the trip practically impossible. A poor experience for you, a waste of money for you, and we would never want, but certainly aware of a possible bus accident, that would not have been fun for any of us.

I wouldn’t mind pulling a hand cart back to SLC in good weather, but I certainly do not want to experience firsthand what my Great-great grandfather, William Openshaw and family experienced in the Martin Handcart Company. Call me a wuss, but I need my microwave!!



Love

Bro. O



Richard L. Openshaw Ph.D.

Brigham Young University Idaho



My trip is canceled primarily to snow in Wyoming. Never mind that it is almost April, and snow traditionally should be gone or melting in my memory. However, it all works out for the best. No longer can my teachers penalize me for missing their classes, and I can catch up on the large projects that are due at the end of this semester. Perhaps next semesters trip is a possibility.

You done it now....

So i did it. I was not planning on it, “it,” was a spur of the moment thing. So far I don't regret it though. I was skimming through my daily university email with all the usual stuff like : the Polynesian cultural association welcomes all people(even if you are not from the Islands), or come to the pre-law society so you can have a resume builder, or join the academic society for their weekly meeting while they talk about the theory of relativity.

Anywho, I saw an add for a trip sponsored by the continuing education department of BYU Idaho for a 4 day trip to historical LDS church sites including: Nauvoo, Liberty, Independence, Martins Cove with a few other stops along the way.

I saw a nice little notice that said there were only forty seats for the whole trip. On a whim, I decided that I would give myself a little more motivation to work all my scheduled hours for my campus job, and shelled out the 330 dollars for the trip.

In five minutes I was signing up- filling out the health insurance verification, waiver of liability and and giving my billing information. Ten minutes into the process I was getting a confirmation email thanking me for my registration.

I am rather excited for this trip. it is taking place on the 26th through the 30th of march. The itinerary is rather busy, and I am stoked. I have never been to the relative “midwest,” and it should prove to be a good time. One of my favorite religion teachers will be heading up the trip, and it should prove to be a stellar time.

My next few tasks will include the use of my diplomatic skills as I tell some professors that I will be missing two of their classes, and.... “how can I make up for time before I am gone?”

It should prove to be fun. If I have learned anything at college, it is that the world is for those who choose to act, and sometimes it is not what you know, but who you know. If I am correct, I should be able to make some arrangements and not miss too much.

My reasoning behind the whole idea, is that as a single student with no familial responsibilities, besides calling home weekly, and making sure my sister has a chance to stay current with social work theories by helping me with my homework when I get stuck (weekly) I should be able to have a great experience that I can use to positively impact the lives of others in the future. I have found that it is one thing to say: “yes, I have read about that many times” as opposed to saying: “I knew a man that went there- that man was me.”

I hope to prepare properly, so as to store up grand memories so that when I am old and broken, I can remember the the amazing road trip I made to the LDS Church sites, and tell faith promoting stories of what I saw and felt and came to be because of my experiences there. I especially like the quote by James M. Barrie: “God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.” It has been enriching moments like these to come, that have kept me in remembrance of God's love for me, and the amazing beauty that surrounds us all.

An Abundant Life

I find myself up at 12:30 at night writing this note, knowing that tomorrow I will be in class (hopefully wide awake) at 7:45 in the morning talking about group counseling theories and methods. I have so much to be grateful for.

As a college student it is so easy to get caught up in the combined lives of others, and see the many “things” that they seem to have, and you lack. I have noticed this in my life, as I have watched those from fortunate circumstances, and less fortunate circumstances all combine into one gathering place to learn and grow. I find myself almost without fail, muttering about the unfairness of someone else's intellect, whit, charm or copious amounts of time. Usually, if I take the time to really study it out, I find that not all is as I think it seems.

My friend with “too much time” may not take his or her studies seriously, or works extremely hard while not enrolled in school, or is just very gifted in school work. Whatever the reason, they too have challenges that are manifest in different ways than my own.

To those who have charisma charm and great social aptitudes, I also look up to. I marvel at their ability to greet and make all people in the room welcome and comfortable, and find at times myself groveling and coveting (unnecessarily) their gift(s).
It is at these times that I wish I had the same gifts, and while I get lost in wishing; I find myself in thanking; that I have a great group of friends that do very much to support and assist me.

Gratitude always brings me back to my senses, and puts a clear focus on my true blessings.

I really have an abundant life. I may grumble about the diet that I subsist on as a student, or the papers, chapters, or concepts that try my patience and mind; yet I do not feel that I have too much to complain about. Let me list a few practical reasons why life is so abundant:

I Usually Get Adequate Sleep Every Night.
If I do not, it is usually due to poor planning on my part, or the fact that I have such great company to keep me up.

My Employer is Amazing.
I remember one day working in an afternoon that was a bit slow and monotonous, and I found myself fascinated with an ant infestation that we were experiencing. I laid on the ground and had some of my coworkers sprinkle food crumbs all over my coveralls. Soon I had a swarm of ants crawling all over my stomach, eating the food that was on me. About thirty minutes into the event, I heard the door of our shop open and close, and I was soon facing my boss in a vertical position- staring up into his eyes. What do you think he did? What would your employer do?
Well my boss laughed, or rather shook his head and told me he did not know what to do with me and my cohorts (which are ten and twenty plus years older than me). I know he was laughing inside, because he was trying to hide his smile.
My Family Loves Me.
While in grade school I heard from time to time exclamations of frustration at mistakes made in the preparation of my peers' lunches. I once heard the statement: “I hate my mom”- all over an inconsequential item of food in a brown lunch sack.
I struggled to hear those words spoken, for they hurt me down to the core. I knew the love that my mother possessed for me, and I wondered how something so small as the “wrong sandwich,” could spur such hateful and spiteful words in the part of my classmates.

My Parents Honor the Divine Institution of Marriage.
I have been blessed to have constants in my life- two parents that have been faithful the each other, and the divine institution of marriage and family. My siblings have all grown up with proper instruction concerning love, service, and sacrifice. My father is the provider to my four younger sisters, all of which have vibrant and living personalities. Seven children would not be easy to take care of, but my parents do it in a way that shows they care for each and everyone of us- independently, and collectively.

My Professors Pray for Me, and Students Pray in Class.
I study in an institution where secular and spiritual truths are taught in their proper place- side by side, intertwined and connected into one great whole. The truth being that there is a God in heaven who in intelligent, all wise, and all knowing.
This man is our Father, and as such we have a divine destiny and purpose. We recognize the means of obtaining truth as being many and varied; including revelation as well as the concepts underlined and taught in what we know as the “scientific method.” In our theology, we see both forms of work being necessary to gain true understanding about the heavens, earth, and nature of man- in all environments and settings.

I Have a Health Code.
I have a code of living that teaches me how to care for my body and spirit. This is not based off the initial empirical study of man, but rather through the words of Prophets- men called to represent God; Himself. It goes with out saying that such a code has been supported time and time again by the studies of man, but I repeat it did not originate through such findings. One can only safely deduct that such guidance came from God- the Father of us all.

I Live a Strict Moral Law.
By not partaking of any damaging substances to my body, I have been protected from the fatal harm that can follow such abuse. By reserving sexual expression for my future wife, to whom I will be wedded to, I have been protected from the spiritual and emotional harm that follows those who partake prematurely of God's given procreative power.

I Can Change
I sleep well at night knowing that generally, I am in good standing with my Maker. And when I cannot I have a refuge of hope, a crisis hot-line open to me at all times. If I could give this service a motto it would be something like this: “Creator of the universe- no appointments needed.” When I do need relief of conscious, I have a listening ear that patiently hears about the unkind words that I spoke to others, or the selfish acts I performed during the day; and even more miraculous, a speaking mouth that whispers back to me the changes that I need to make in my life, such as the need to forgive and ask of others forgiveness.



With all these said blessings, I would challenge you to also see how you are blessed. Make a list; share a list; make it public; make the personal and meaningful blessings private; however you do it, keep in remembrance the need to have gratitude. For, Gratitude is the manifestation of truly developed and mature individuals.



I believe that life can always be happier. The day can always be sunnier. The water always warmer, the birds always brighter and more fair. The diet can always be more appealing, and lifestyle more attractive, yet I know that we have much to be happy for, if we choose to be. It is just a matter of remembering to choose, and choosing to see the good.

Lazzzzzy!

If you don't like the fact that I have no blogged- call me and complain.


Happy blogging.