Angels Sweep!

Yay!!!!! My Angels swept the Division Series from the Boston Red Sox yesterday! That exorcises all the Ghosts of Series Past with the Red Sox. Since 1986, when I began following major league baseball, the Angels have always failed to get by Boston in the Division Series, if both teams have been playing in it.

But, it was not this day! This day, they won!

So, for me, the redemption is sooooo sweet!

Congratulations, Angels!

Final Score

Angels 7 - Red Sox 6

Yay!!!!!

To the ALCS (American League Championship Series), the Yankees & beyond!

Angels Take Game 2

WOW! The Anaheim Angels beat the Boston Red Sox in game 2 of the ALDS to take a 2-0 lead in the division series to Boston! We watched the game last night on TV, and of course, I was thrilled when my two favorite players, the mighty Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar, drove in the go ahead runs in the 7th inning. I couldn't be happier!

Final Score

Angels 4 - Boston 1

YAY!!

Angels Take Game 1

As I mentioned in my last post, my friend invited me to the first game of the ALDS (American League Division Series) held October 8, 2009 at Angels Stadium. While the national anthem was being sung, this huge flag was unfurled and waved on the field. What an impressive, patriotic sight!

As you can tell, we are having way too much fun while the Angels were on their way to beating the Boston Red Sux (Sox) 5-0. I have NEVER been to a game where the atmosphere was more electric!

Immediately following Torii Hunter's 3 run home run and the fading boom of the celebratory fireworks, James Brown's famous, "I Feel Good", came blaring from the loudspeakers! It must have been MY night, with a home run by our team, and my favorite soul singer capturing how I was feeling, what could be better than that?

With thunder sticks in hand, we got ready to leave after the ballgame.

Oh, what a night!

Final Score

Angels 5 - Boston 0

YAY!!!!

Going to Game 1 of the ALDS!

My good friend invited me to the Angels and Red Sux (oh, did I mean, Red Sox?) opening game for the American League Division Series tonight! I am so excited! I love my Angels, and I sure hope they win tonight! I'll post a picture of us at the game tomorrow!

My Mother's Birthday

Today, September 30th, is my Mother's birthday. She would have been 97 years old! Here is a picture taken of the two of us the day after she turned 95, just about 5 months before she passed away.

She was truly a remarkable woman! I have been going through some old family keepsakes just recently, and I am amazed at this woman whom I had the privilege of calling, Mother.

She always reminded the three of us girls that her Patriarchal blessing referred to us as her "choice jewels", and yet we thought of her as"our treasure". In Proverbs 31 we read, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies....Her children arise up,and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

It is fitting that I close with this line from my Mother's Patriarchal blessing: "...and while time lasts, your name shall be remembered among your descendants as one of God's noble daughters, and the results of your work shall never end."

And so it is, and shall be! I love you, Mother.

CONGRATULATIONS ANAHEIM ANGELS!

Well, as many of you know, I am a HUGE baseball fan, and follow the Anaheim Angels exclusively! Last night they clinched their division and are now headed into post season playoffs!!!! I am ecstatic, but also a bit worried. The probable team they will face first will be the Boston Red Sox, who have owned us in post season play. Hopefully our team will play like we are capable of...and if so, then we could beat them to advance!

When I figure out how to download an image from the Internet, I'll post it here!

Way to go, Angels!

Nauvoo, Carthage & Back to Iowa

As Rachel and I finished our Nauvoo experience we went to the famous Red Brick Store where the Relief Society was organized. Here we are standing by the pot-bellied stove in the reconstructed store. The store is the property of the Community of Christ so we felt fortunate to get this photo.

We ended our trip with an endowment session at the Nauvoo Temple. It was the highlight of my trip! The temple looked so beautiful when we came out after dark! Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out too great!

Friday we drove over to Carthage to visit the Carthage Jail. This photo is of the infamous window on the top story of the Carthage Jail with the well in the foreground . . .

. . . and here I am standing by the inside counterpart.

When we arrived at the Visitor Center in Carthage we took photos of this family-famous piece of artwork, but the lighting did not cooperate with us too much. As you might be able tell, this is a "study" of the one we are familiar with, however with fewer characters. We also gave the Missionaries who were serving there copies of some information my Mother had given me in 1979 about the artist and our father who helped convert him to the Gospel.

Rachel and I couldn't help but pose in front of the artwork, poor lighting and all, just to get the family connection - 3 generations if you count my Father (in the painting) and Rachel's Grandfather!

Our fun side trip to Nauvoo and Carthage was now complete and we headed back to Iowa. Naturally, I had to go shopping for some Hawkeye T-shirts to bring home, and may I add, I had my first and only piece of macaroni and cheese pizza at a little pizza joint, called Mesa's, in Iowa City by the University! The proprietors tell us that it is their best-selling crowd favorite, and it was simply delicious! Who would have guessed?

On Saturday we drove a few miles to an apple orchard to handpick some of the best tasting apples I've ever had! And, the apple pie we made later that day was THE BEST I have ever made!

At the end of the apple picking, Nathan and Rachel picked out this cute little pumpkin for their home.

The trees had begun their annual changing of colors, not too many, but just a few. These trees were on the campus of ACT, the college-test, business center.

All too soon, it was time to say "goodbye" to Iowa, Nathan and Rachel and their cat, Kronk. I enjoyed my trip to Iowa and look forward to another!

Til we meet again!

From Iowa...to Nauvoo & Carthage...and Back Again!

On Tuesday, September 8th, while Rachel was working, and deciding to take advantage of the day to myself, I went very early in the morning to visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch, Iowa, just a few miles down a local highway from where Rachel and Nathan live. I devoted the little time I had that morning to touring the Library displays. My time was limited because I had a lunch date with Jeanna, Angela's sister, so I only stayed an hour at the Presidential Library.

Jeanna lives in a suburb of Cedar Rapids. We went to lunch with her sweet baby in tote, to The Irish Democrat, a delicious little Irish pub-like restaurant. We enjoyed our time together and I was able to see Jeanna's beautiful new home. Much to my disbelief after driving back to Iowa City, I realized that neither of us had taken one photo! So I am sorry to say, I have no photo to share with you all!

On my way back to Iowa City, I recognized that I had several hours before Nathan or Rachel would be home, so I drove back out to Herbert Hoover's library and spent two hours visiting the grounds. I thought the view of the grounds from the grave markers was simply beautiful, peaceful and so restful. It is a proper resting place for a former President of the United States of America.

I also saw the home he was born in, a Quaker meeting house where he and his family worshipped, the blacksmith shop where his father practiced shoeing horses, and other interesting buildings of the period.

Wednesday morning, Rachel and I left for our trip down to Nauvoo, Illinois, where the Mormon Saints built a beautiful city prior to the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith. On the way there we stopped at Old Fort Madison, IA, where we saw this riverboat moored. I guess it is a place where people go to gamble.

The Old Fort was built in 1808 and is a reconstructed outpost on frontier America. We enjoyed spending some time walking about seeing the enlisted men's quarters, trading post, having a chit-chat with the cite manager including a musket firing demonstration.

Once on our way again, we were only a few miles from Nauvoo. Imagine how thrilled I was to see the beautifully reconstructed Nauvoo Temple! I have not been there since I was a young girl. It was indeed impressive, and I found myself silently thanking President Gordon B. Hinckley for his foresight!

One of the first things Rachel and I did was to go to the Land and Records Office where we researched those of my lineage who lived and died in Nauvoo. We were able to create a CD and I will make copies of it as soon as I get back home for anyone who wants one! After we researched where many relatives had lands, we drove around with a map trying to locate as near as possible where some of them had lived. This is a very interesting placard on one of the cabins we saw.

And this is a picture of the cabin.

Knowing that some of our relatives were buried in Nauvoo, Rachel and I drove out to the old Nauvoo Cemetery; this place is VERY hidden from view. Unfortunately, not all of the old graves are marked, and some that are, the inscriptions are illegible. The cemetery is like a sacred grove, very still, peaceful, and I feel, very sacred. I am glad the saints in this cemetery finally found rest to their weary bodies and souls.

We also visited the grave sites of Joseph Smith, his wife, Emma, and his brother Hyrum. On the tour conducted by the Community of Christ Church (because they own the property) we were told the story of how the bodies of the brothers had been located and moved to the present location. Also buried in the same cemetery are Joseph's parents.


One of the best stops Rachel and I had was at the 70's Hall! It is a grand old reconstructed building, and we were fortunate to have our picture taken standing behind the pulpit.


On Thursday, we drove down the Trail of Hope to the place the saints crossed the mighty Mississippi as they began the exodus from Nauvoo. I was moved by sadness as I stood overlooking the broad river realizing what the saints must have felt as they turned to say "Goodbye" to the beautiful city they had built and especially the temple. It was a somber time to reflect on how grateful I am for their selfless sacrifice.

The journey continues, but I must wait until another time to continue to post the remainder of our trip to Carthage Jail.

"If You Build It...WE will come!"

I am here in Iowa ("and no...this is not Heaven") visiting Nathan and Rachel for ten days. On Labor Day we decided drive up to Dyersville, Iowa to visit the farm where "Field of Dreams" was filmed in 1989. Here we are, walking out of the cornfields, just like the ghosts of the former baseball players do in the movie.

We packed a picnic lunch to eat under the shade trees...

we took plenty of pictures...

and being the huge baseball fan that I am, I just had to run the bases! Here I am rounding third base, heading down the home stretch! Watch out, Mike Scioscia, I just might try out for the Angels next spring!

At the end of our trip, we had surely enjoyed a fun time and had a great day!