Small Town America

I've lived in Cedar City for 8 years now - 8!!! And while there may be those who argue that Cedar City is not that small, I would argue back to the contrary. In my years here and visiting even smaller towns in southern Utah, I have experienced many charming aspects of small town America. This July has led to more reflection on this subject.

The parade on July 4th - my first time attending in all my years in C-town - was a community event. It looked like every person in town was there. It was so much fun to see my nephew and so many other children really getting into the race for thrown candy.
That evening, my brother-in-law's family had their own games and fireworks show while singing patriotic songs. The neighbors came out to enjoy them from their balcony. Rori got into it too!

This past weekend I ventured north with my friends. Friday night was the Ute Stampede in Nephi.While I am not a huge fan of rodeo's it was entertaining and there were many cute cowboys that were easy on the eyes! What touched me is how patriotic small town America is. Say what you want about cowboys-hicks-the "ignorance" of small town people (the superiority complex of some big city folk), but when the flag passed by, everyone stood. When the National Anthem was sung, I COULD HEAR PEOPLE SINGING! The first 20 minutes was a tribute to service men and women. The smaller the town, the more pride there seems to be in where they come from - not connected to a sports team's success, just proud of the way of life of their family.

East Coast Trip - Wrapping It Up

I love Massachusetts. I always feel awed and inspired when I am there. I love the history and tradition - of the area and our of our nation. I love my family and their awesome accents. I love driving past old homes and cranberry bogs and donut shops. I love beaches in Massachusetts better than California because it's not a meat market and people are actually there with their children!!! I love the antique shops and museums everywhere. I love the picturesque old main streets that always look like they came straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting (like this one in Stockbridge which actually did because Norman Rockwell lived here).
And while we are at it, let me tell you how much I loved the Norman Rockwell Museum. His painting bring up emotions in me that I can't explain. I often found myself biting my lip (sometimes unsuccessfully) to keep the tears from flowing. His paintings make you feel like there is till good and innocence in a world which has become very complicated. This was the last stop on our journey home and it was the perfect conclusion to this trip.

East Coast Trip - Plymouth, MA

The last day trip my parents and I took was to Plymouth. It is a cute seaside town with lots of seafood restaurants, gift shops, and places of historical interest.
(Don't worry Claudia - they're talking about a twin lobster dinner).
I had been here a few times before but had never been on the replica of the Mayflower. It is an exact copy of the original and I have a new appreciation for the Pilgrims - especially those with children - and the journey they made. They sat it almost total darkness in the cargo deck - because they were the cargo. I found the information about their diet most fascinating. Calorie wise they needed to eat about double what we are recommended to eat, especially if working as a deck hand. They ate almost no sugar, but about three to four times the sodium of what is recommended daily. Also, to be the cook on a ship would take a lot of skill - a LOT, not only so the supply lasts and everyone eats enough, but to make sure the food doesn't spoil would take a lot of know-how to budget it out and make the most of it. I'll keep my refridgerator, thank you!

East Coast Trip - Family and Food

While there were lots of day trips made, the main reason for the visit to Massachusetts was to see family. I love watching my mom interact with her sister and mother - she giggles a lot and gets feisty, which she seems to have learned from Grandma. Also, she gets her accent back, and we all have fun trying to mimic the phraseology of the area. I got to see my cousin Richie whom I haven't seen in close to 15 years. He and his wife Sarah are adorable!


Um, I mentioned the seafood being an essential part of this trip, didn't I? I didn't???? Well, there were a few lobster rolls and orders of fried clams thrown in there. Not to mention the Dunkin' Donuts, which we did eat a few times. If you've ever been to the Pacific Northwest, you know how there is a Starbucks on every corner. Well, sometimes in Massachusetts there are Dunkin' Donuts right across the street from each other. They are literally EVERYWHERE! But the donuts are good too.

East Coast Trip - Fenway Park

The next day, after a trip to the beach, Dad and I took the subway to Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play!! Taking the subway was an adventure in itself, but we met the craziest couple on the train that made it all the more memorable for me and Dad. Also, just about everyone takes the subway to Fenway, so all you really have to do is follow the people in red and you'll make it!
I like watching sports live. I don't necessarily follow many teams, but I love going to see teams play. There is a comradely and excitement when people put on the gear of their favorite team, and seeing the Red Sox play at Fenway is like seeing the Packers play at Lambeau Field - there is a history and tradition that you can find little where else.



I really wanted to take my grandma to the game. The woman is almost 94 years old, has lived 30 miles outside of Boston her whole life, listens to/watches every Red Sox game, and has NEVER been! In fact, the Sox were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks the week we were there and when we weren't at the game we saw at least part of the rest of the games in the series at Grandma's. It is the funniest thing to watch because she was yelling at the TV and players and would bring up previous games and players as we were watching. She talked particularly about Manny Ramirez. Unfortunately for us, he didn't put on much of a show when Dad and I were there, but it was a great game and Boston beat Randy Johnson and the Diamondbacks 5-0.
It was a sold out crowd!

The scoreboard on the "Green Monstah" is still changed by hand.
Manny Ramirez - just for you, Grandma!

East Coast Trip - Concord, MA

Concord, MA is a worthwhile visit for many reasons. If you are a history buff, this is the place for you. If you are a literary buff, this is also the place for you. If you like looking at old homes, this is the place for you. Dad and I took the drive to do a little of it all. We stopped at Louisa May Alcott's home. Her childhood stories here were the inspiration for Little Women, which since it's original publication has never been out of print.
Many of the other author's homes were closed until the weekend. To see any part of them, we had to go to the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetary, where we saw the gravesites of Louisa May (she is a vet of the Civil War - did you know that?), Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, And Nathanial Hawthorn. After seeing these national treasures, Dad and I walked around looking at many other headstones. This is a very old cemetary, and there are a lot of other interesting characters here including the inventor of the concord grape and the first man to manufacture pencils!
Our last stop was the Minute Man National Park where the first battle of the Revolutionary War took place. In this picture, the lift side (where the obolisque monument stands) is where the British troops advanced. The Minute Man monument (the right side) is where the colonists advanced. The monument, interestingly enough, was done by the same man who did the Lincoln Monument in Washington D.C., and cooincidentally was first taught by May Alcott, Louisa May's little sister (Amy in Little Women).


Below is the inscription on the monument on the British side of the battle. We did hear quite a few British accents while visiting here (and a few British flags and other offerings left behind off to the left at a small memorial stone). Apparently the Minute Man Monument is a result of people being upset that there was no monument on the American side of the battle. Isn't history fascinating!

East Coast Trip - Cape Cod, MA

After 2 1/2 days of driving, we finally made it to Massachusetts. We visited with family right away - I couldn't believe how much my "little" cousins had grown! On our first full day there, we drove to various spots on Cape Cod. One of our main objectives was to find Captain Frosty's, a seafood shack that our family frequented one summer when we stayed in a house across the street from it. On my mind? A lobster roll and a chocolate frappe. Mom and Dad went for clams. Yummm!

We also had to stop at the Pierpoint glass shop in Sandwich, MA, another family favorite. My mother has collected their handblown colored glassworks for as long as I can remember.

A stroll through an antique shop and a visit to the beach at Orleans completed this outing.

East Coast Trip - Palmyra, NY

A few hours drive from Niagara Falls is Palmyra, NY where Joseph Smith and his family lived and where Joseph Smith had the first vision which led to the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It had been many years since I was here, so it almost felt like my first time visiting the Sacred Grove, the Smith farm, and Hill Cummorah. There is a beautiful winding trail through the sacred grove with many benches scattered throughout to sit and ponder. While the exact spot of the first vision is unknown, we do know that this is where it took place. There is a peace there which is hard to expalin.
The Smith's were an amazing family! The farmland only became farmland after an extensive amount of work to make it cleared fields. After clearing the trees and removing stones and stumps, it was ready for crops, animals, and an orchard. They used the stones to make a fence around their property. Remnants of the original fence are still there, and the way the trees have grown back one can imagine what it looked like when the Smith's first got there.
The Smith farmhouse.
The Palmyra Temple can be seen from the Smith's farm fields.
The monument at the top of the Hill Cummorah where the gold plates, which would eventually be translated into the Book of Mormon, were burried...
and the view.

As we would continue on this trip, my dad and I eventually go to Concord, MA to see sights of the Revolutionary War and Plymouth where the Pilgrims landed. I would like to add, after my personal reflections this Independence Day, that I am grateful for this great nation which was established on the principles of the freedom to worship, among many other ideals new to the world at that time, which would eventually allow for the fullness of the gospel and Christ's church to be restored to the earth. I am grateful for the sacrifices of the many people, including Joseph Smith, who gave up their own physical comforts and often their lives so I could both live in a nation of freedom and where I am allowed to believe and openly practice my beliefs.

East Coast Trip- Niagara Falls, New York

I haven't seen my grandma, soon to be 94, in eight years. I can't believe how time has flown. So my parents and I planned a trip out to see her. I flew to Wisconsin and then drove out with them to Massachusetts, making some stops on the way. Our first stop was Niagara Falls. I hadn't been since I was a kid and there was little of it that I remembered, but it was so fun!
There are actually three parts to the falls - here you can see American Falls and Horseshoe Falls (the one in Canada).
This is the river rushing up to, and eventually over, the American Falls.
My parents and I went to the Cave of the Winds where you can walk under Bridal Veil Falls, the smallest of the three waterfalls of Niagara. The yellow poncho's and cool sandals are standard issue. Oh, and I mostly wore the hood because of the seagulls... the thousands and THOUSANDS of seagulls. One man next to me wasn't so smart and went without his hood...he wasn't lucky either.


Only 1% of the water going over Niagara Falls goes over Bridal Veil falls. Standing under it, it doesn't feel like only 1%!
This is the Hurricane Deck from below, where you can experience some of the falls firsthand...

and me and Dad firsthanding it! The water was actually pretty warm!