I think the last time I blogged was in November...and oddly enough, I think the time before that was also a November. I really do like my blog. And I like writing. I like the perspective I get when I take the time to sit down and document what is going on. Perspective puts everything in its proper place and I am a person who needs daily doses of that. I tend to live high on the emotional roller coaster of life so finding perspective and balance and seeing the little picture in the big picture is really good for me. But I also LOVE sleep and I find that sitting in any kind of soft, padded chair these days puts me right to sleep. I believe it is a direct result of a very complex mathematical calculation involving mother's age + number of children + age of those children + number of Diet Dr. Pepper's in a day + emotional stability...or something like that. I've never been very good at math.
So here we are.
Seriously...is that not the best picture ever? I couldn't get Ava to go join her siblings in the picture and then suddenly she marched herself over and plopped herself on the curb and it made all of us laugh so hard.
We are a family of 7. We range in age from (almost) 48 years old down to 18 months. That is a big age gap. Being a mother was physically easier in my 30's. But being a "young" mother is lots of fun in my 40's. I find I am more relaxed about the little stuff...I have to be. I don't have the mental energy to get worked up the way I used to...unless it has to do with the constant state of chaos in the downstairs bathroom...deep breaths.
A couple of weeks ago my "big" kids had spring break. Because we had just spent a week in CA at the end of February, we decided to do a "staycation"...which I prefer at this stage of our lives because it keeps me from dragging main streets all over the country in the middle of the night with screaming, hysterical toddlers. We play but we sleep in our own rooms. Perfect.
On the first day, I dragged my children on an adventure to an old Utah mining town. I am a complete junkie for history. And my children are used to their mother dragging them strange places because they know there will be sweet food involved...it is how I get 5 kids excited about going to old mining towns.
We set off in the car with our Beatles music blaring and drove straight out to Saratoga Springs and decided to take the "road less traveled" around the west side of Utah Lake. It is a really fascinating area...a portion of the Pony Express trail is out there, a really interesting piece of military history can be found at Camp Floyd, and it is desolate and wild and beautiful. In the middle of our drive, we pulled off onto a dirt road because there was a random mountain that I suddenly felt the urge to hike.
It was really, really windy and really pretty. It was a huge rock outcropping overlooking the lake. But it kind of felt like standing on a cliff in Ireland...or at least what I imagine it would all look like. I have no idea where we were but as we were driving out, we saw a decapitated cow body...the head was on one side of the dirt road and the body was mostly decomposed on the other side of the road. I was suddenly the coolest, most fun mom on the planet without even trying! You never know what amazing things you will discover!
Our ultimate destination was Eureka, UT, a historic mining town located in Juab County about 25 miles from Payson. In the late 1800's, this city was the financial center for mining in the state of Utah. It made the fortunes of some of Utah's wealthiest and most illustrious citizens. It played a significant role in the economic development of the state and paved the way for Utah's financial growth and future.
Today it is home to around 800 residents and a relic of its past. My kids were dumb struck as we drove into town. Jake kept commenting on how it looked like a movie set. The main street remains with such interesting potential but with an obvious lack of resources and funds. We were stunned at what we found. We stopped at City Hall where a woman made a quick call to Lloyd's home and had him come down and open the town museum for us. Lloyd was an "old timer" who answered lots of my questions about the town and let us wander around the wonderful "homegrown" museum. We discovered so many interesting artifacts and odd tidbits. It was a total delight!
As I left the museum, I was struck by several things Lloyd had shared with me. He mentioned the significant role the town of Eureka had played not only in Utah's history but in the individual lives of so many of the state's citizens but felt that the city has been abandoned and forgotten now that it is no longer "useful". He is angry that the current state government has denied their pleas for financial help and support not only in restoring and preserving this piece of unique, wonderful history but in investing in the individuals and families that still call this town "home". I have really thought a lot about what he said and it is something I also feel strongly about. We have a tendency to invest in and use up what is useful and beneficial to us and then when we have exhausted the resource, we move on and look for the next "thing". We don't always possess the respect we should for our history...as a country, as a state, as a family, or as individuals. We build on the shoulders of great men and women, on great acts of courage and bravery and discovery...but then we forget to recognize the foundations that hold us up and make us who we are. Eureka needs to be preserved. They have a great story waiting to be told. They have earned a place in history and continue to make contributions through the families that still live and work there. I don't know what the answer is...but I know we act differently as a nation when we show gratitude and respect for our past and who we are.
See how amazing our day in Eureka was? I left with lots to think about...and grateful to have seen and learned about such an interesting place.
The neat Union Pacific railroad car on main street also provided lots of entertainment!
Porter Rockwell owned a ranch outside of Eureka and years ago his cabin was relocated into the center of town. Lloyd told us some real colorful stories about Porter...
Of course there was ice-cream on the way home.
It was a great first day to spring break...my "perfect" kind of day. I love adventures and discovering something I didn't even know existed when I got up that morning. I love the discovery of new people and places and ideas. I love that my 5 children will get in a car and go with me. I love a smashed peanut butter sandwiches for lunch in the car and a treat on the way home.
Stay tuned...maybe I'll be seized on to write more about spring break before next November....
No comments:
Post a Comment