Rancho Sierra Vista

The holidays and being away from my children is probably the hardest part of serving a mission. This year I put out a plea for someone to come visit. Jared and Emily and the girls came down the friday before Christmas, braving the bad weather and wandering animals and even the possibility of drunken indians to come see us. It was so neat to have them here. I even got Melody to come to Grammie with her dad holding her. We mostly visited and just enjoyed being together. I love to watch my children parent my grandchildren. I’m impressed with their patience and loving ability to encourage their children to make good choices. This is true pleasure for me.

Rebecca and Keith came with their two boys all the way from Mississippi to be here for Christmas. They got here on Saturday, after taking an extra three hours to check out the rez without realizing what they were doing. Its actuallya straight shot from Gallup to here, but Rebecca decided to take the straight line approach and went through Saw Mill which we haven’t even gone to or through. It is one of the coldest spots on the rez. I think they got to see lots of snow and not to good of roads. Which really means, instead of taking the main road which is paved, they took a dirt road which isn’t even graveled. But they got here. The cousins were so happy to see and play with each other, bringing much joy to their Grammie.

We drove to the south rim of the canyon to look over the side into the deep canyon. It was a cold day so we decided it wouldn’t be the best idea to hike into the canyon at this time. Keith and Reb rode with Jared and Emily and we had the three oldest cousins in our car, it was the best. To hear them laugh and talk to each other was such pleasure for me.

Saturday night was cold and no one except Dad and Rebecca and the three oldest grandchildren wanted to brave the parade. I would have gone but I was making a lemon chiffon pie for us to eat and I was sure the parade would only last ten minutes. When two hours went by and they hadn’t returned, Jared made the comment that he was sure that the indians had talked dad into being in the parade and put lights on his car. Well, it wasn’t exactly like that, but close. Dad and Rebecca were asked to judge the floats. Being outsiders, they wouldn’t be swayed. There was $1500.00 in prize money to be won and so the people organizing the parade didn’t want members of the same clans judging. They watched the parade, it was ten minutes long. They took the kids and walked around the floats, the kids about froze to death, they put the kids into the car and walked around the floats again with the women in charge and then finally made their decissions. They said they departed soon after as they didn’t want to be acosted for their choices. Jared was almost right.

Jared and Emily and the girls decided to leave on Sunday so Jared could make it to a doctors appointment without traveling Christmas eve or day. The little cousins traded Christmas presents and had fun playing with their new treasures. Before Jared and Emily left with the girls, we made a large breakfast and enjoyed just being together. While Jared packed his car and got it warm for their trip, Cadence began to feel puny and act a little puny. Jared got double wal-mart bags and put them by her car seat just in case. Jared later said that the way dad sent them home took three extra hours. He already told me he wouldn’t be coming back to the rez ever. Then to take an extra three hours to get home only added to his commitment. Cadence was sick all the way home. She ruined all her clothes, all her dads shirts and finally they had to find a store to buy her something to put on so she could make it the rest of the way home. Even if the trip was trying to the parents seeing my darling little granddaughters was heavenly for me.

We took Reb and her family to church with us, or I should say we took the Elders in our car and they followed in their car to Lukachukai. I’m sure it was an interesting event in their lives. Indians don’t always start their meetings on time and sunday was no exception. RS and Priesthood was held together because there were no teachers. After the meetings we handed out goodie bags to all the families and those that stayed for another hour heard dad read the “Real Story of Christmas” a tradition for us. I had made english triffle and served everyone. Keith chased Craig outside in the snow and Wesley slept through the whole thing.

Monday we drove to the south rim of the Canyon De Chelly and walked down to the white house ruin. We bundled up thinking it would be cold, but ended up carrying our coats, hats, gloves because it was so warm. The little boys walked the whole way without to much complaining and Craig beat his mother to the top and won a root beer float at the A & W.

We fondued on Christmas Eve and just enjoyed ourselves. The Bardo family was so beat they were all in bed by 8:00 p.m. and sawing logs. The senior missionaries, came by about nine to hear the Christmas story read by dad and I served New Mexican hot chocolate. We enjoyed their company and I enjoyed hearing the story again. Forty years of hearing it never seems to much.

We woke up later than usual, the boys were dancing around by 7:30 a.m. That’s late for us. Usually our children would be up by three or four in the morning. The trick of taking the long walk was the best. It took most of the day to open packages and eat and open some more. It was delightful to watch the boys. We had a wonderful Christmas. We spoke to most of our children and grandchildren and it was such a pleasant time for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better present than having Jared and Rebecca’s familys here. Thanks guys.

I haven’t written in quite some time, life is demanding on the rez! The senior sisters took me and another sister to Kismish in Window Rock. Kismish is Christmas in navajo. They use the word for their Christmas craft shows etc. We went to bazaars and pawn shops and to a museum. Had a wonderful day. Sister Klepacz has been on the rez over 18 months and seems to know where just about everything is.

To volunteer at one of the senior centers we had to get a Navajo food handlers permit. That meant, find a chapter house giving the course and sign up for it and then show up. We sat through the four hours of lecture and took the test and now have our permits. Without a permit we are not allowed to even wipe off tables. Even with the permit we still get to unload trucks and sort and put away food. Its work and its fun.

We have had two dinner appointments since we got here. Both belagona’s (white) but it was nice to be invited and the food was great.

Jack turned 67 and we celebrated our 39th anniversary attending a zone meeting. It has been fun and we have really enjoyed ourselves. Jack went to Round Rock to help Brother O’Daniel strip logs to make a hogan. Charlee went with him and came back looking like a bottle of red hair dye and been poured over him. He looked terrible. Bad dye job.

President Gill called and told us the senior couple coming to take over our place here in Chinle and teach seminary had flunked their physicals so we were to stay in this trailer and now I get to teach seminary once again. This is such a neat blessing in my life. Jack is my helper and support. He does a great job. Jack was assigned along with all the other things we have gotten ourselves into to fix things that have broken down for the FM office. Yesterday we went to Crystal to see about fixing the heater in the missionary couples trailer. Dad likes to be busy and so do I.

Monday we started seminary with eight students and today we had ten.

Today we got up early so we could walk. Mighty cold out there this morning. The wind was blowing and I bravely went out without a coat just a sweatshirt. I about froze to death, the walk back to the trailer was better, I was warmed up from the walk and the wind was at our backs. Charlee just walked fast hoping to get home sooner.

We showered and dressed and drove to Rough Rock. Wednesday is our assigned day to help out at the senior center. It was one of those days that you just know things aren’t going to go the way you planned. We got to the senior center and was told come back next week, the helpers were heading into Chinle to a dinner. I helped one of the ladies load drinks into her car and dad delivered the job listings to the chapter house.

We drove to Many Farms to just LOOK at the trailer. I got sicker just looking at it. (Think of going over the border into Mexico and you will begin to get an idea of what this trailer looks like.) We were told earlier this week we would be moving into the comdemned trailer, it gives me the chills just to think about it. I told dad to go walk around it and see what he could see. It didn’t get any better. Dad took out his tape measure as someone had built new steps up to the poarch. Not one of the steps was the same distance apart (7 1/4 8 1/2 8).

We drove out to the lake at Many Farms, it was interesting. Years ago BYU went down to that area and helped set up a watering systems, put in cement ditches, and sprinkler systems, hense the name Many Farms. Still many farms, they just don’t grow anything. The lake has water in it, but the residents are not using it at least not this time of year. We just continue to see tons of money put into the rez and no returns on it. Some one said that “someone” got the great idea to drain the lake and no one has used the irrigation water since. We came home and I made two pies, one apple and one pumpkin. Made cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries, and the family favorite yams southern style. I cooked chilie for us to eat and after we ate the chilie and I cleaned up the mess for the umteenth time I made cookies for dad. He has felt neglected of late. I did make him an apple pie earlier in the week. How neglected can one feel knowing that?

I got dad going through the pictures that I went through and organized last year and he re-organized them. It is for our album of the ranch history. Maybe tomorrow we can get them into the book. That would be a mile stone.We are to have dinner with the Missionary Senior Sisters, family and others. Don’t know what time haven’t been told yet. All is good. Turkey day means its almost time to get out the Christmas stuff. Yay!

Today, we got up and walked our two mile walk, to help us stay somewhat healthy. We dressed and headed for Granada where we picked up the job opportunities that we took to eight of the chapter houses in our area. We covered a little over 225 miles and enjoyed the scenery as well as the visits to each of the chapter houses.

I had made and decorated an 8 inch chocolate chip cookie we delivered to the Sjostroms who work out of the St. Michaels office for the Church employment. This is there last week on the rez they are heading home.

Preperation day found us, dad and I and Charlee walking the turn outs along the southern border of canyon de chelly. Dad and I walked the 600 foot drop to the canyon floor to see the “white house”. It was a fantastic walk, we enjoyed every minute of our decent as well as the climb back up.. Charlee got to go everywhere but the long walk down into the canyon. The signs said no pets, nevertheless we got to walk around a lot of horse poop and sheep poop, rez animals have a run of the place.

Charlee didn’t seem to mind to much not getting to take the walk into the canyon, he voiced his opinion I’m sure to everyone who passed our car. But he did get to walk everywhere else we went.

I would highly recommend this hike to everyone. Hope the weather holds out so we can get in the north rim lookouts. To go into the canyon other than the hike we took you have to pay a navajo guide. Permits and guides are the only ones allowed into the floor of the canyon, except for the families that still live there.

Sunday we, dad and I and the Elders from Many Farms, drove up to Lukachukai for sacrament meeting and then on to the chapter house to give moral support to their proposed idea of building a meeting house. Presently they meet in the auditorium at the Dine’ college. This proposal has been taken before the Navajo Elders seven times in the past twenty years and rejected. Go figure.

We arrived at the chapter house a little after ten and didn’t get on the docket until after 2:30 p.m. We listened to a lot of Navajo gibberish before Bishop Deswood was allowed to come forward and give his speel. He did good. He gave the floor to an old navajo woman she spoke for the church and one old man spoke against it or at least wanted to see just what the community was getting if they let two acres of grazing land go the the Church. Trying to follow what was being said was pretty hard, except when Bishop Deswood smiled I knew it was good. He is the type of person who smiles a lot. When the counsel found out that if the Church disolves and gives up the land, buildings etc. it would go back to the family giving them permission to use it. And the people wanted to know how much they charged for funerals, weddings, and other uses. When they found out it was nothing the vote became very positive. The boy scouts, from mini type cub to giant size all in uniform served the turkey dinner provided for those in attendance everyone was very impressed. One of the counselman was very positive about the scouts and what they could do for the community. After all was said and done and more time spent on the debate it was put to a vote and it was passed.

Now I wonder how long it will take to get a building?

I told dad I wasn’t going to another chapter meeting as long as I lived. He reminded me that with that said I would probably find myself at another one very shortly. My lifes story, I make bold statements then I get to eat them.

Today was busy from the get go. We got up early, put on walking clothes and took off on our two mile walk to the post office. No mail. Wanted to stop at Bashsa’s for a donut or something, but told dad only once a week. Actually I would stop everyday if I had dad’s metabolism, but since I don’t and since Sister Klepacz turned me on to them they are pretty hard to resist. The smell early in the morning is a killer. They make them fresh every day and they are gooooood.

Back to life. We showered and got on missionary clothes and took off for Rough Rock. We wanted to find out when they wanted us to come help out and we agreed on Wednesday each week. We encouraged the members that work at the center to come to the church for the dinner tonight and we left.

We got home in time to finish washingup the turkey and getting him ready for the oven. I was trying to remember how to do whatever needed to be done. I knew I had the directions I had written while watching Grandmother Hattaway fix her turkey. She would not give out recipes so if you wanted one you just sat and watched and took notes. Anyway I didn’t have that note. And I haven’t cook turkey dinner since we left Texas. I got the buzzard into the oven and had the stock pot going with the neck and onion and celery junk. I cut and cooked the gizzards, heart, and liver and did the other things necessary to fix dad dressing like his mother use to make. It is a long process. We went to the store for sage and ended up buying root beer, shoe polish and mayo. Got home and was messaging Reb and she said “oh by the way there are some recipes I didn’t give back and I asked is the dressing was one of them. I hadn’t called her because she would never take the time and effort to cut up and cook all the little goodies that Grandmother use to do. Just thinking about her doing it is impossible. Now to be fair when we went to her house for Thanksgiving dinner she did make the dressing just the way Grandmother use to because she loves her dad and knew it would make him happy. She had it, surprise! I had her email it to me and realized we were lacking another spice. So I asked dad if he wanted to go to the store again and he was happy to go. This time coming out of the store, with poultry seasoning and more rootbeer, we met up with a member of the Many Farms ward. She asked us if we were serving there and we got her address and an invite to come see her. We asked her to come to dinner to night at the church, but she said she had other plans. This tells us the bush telagraph is working.

We got to the car and there was an old old navajo grandmother with papoose back boards. I checked them out and checked out the baby strapped in one. I told them I was sold on what I saw and asked how much. I told dad we needed this as I have always wanted a board.

Now for the question of the day, who would like to be the first to lend a grandchild to be the first to try out the papoose board. Don’t all yell at once for this opportunity of a lifetime. It’s pretty neat don’t you think.

Going to the store a zillion times netted us with a contact and me a papoose back board, what more could you ask for?

By the way, tons of good food, plenty of people, and all in all a good time. We picked up Brother Mitchell, a disabled navajo, and enjoyed his company to and from and helped him get enought food inside of him to feed a small army.

Another good day on the rez.

Time on the rez is either fast or slow. We either get lots done or sometimes we seem to get nothing worthwhile done. Driving to Farmington to pick up an order at the bishop’s storehouse was a full day and we enjoyed all aspects of it. We tried a navajo road out that cut off a lot of stop and go driving and we got to help pull and pack the food for seven families that Bishop Deswood needed to help with.

We delivered job opportunities to seven chapter houses talked with people and found out we can help out in one of the senior centers out in Rough Rock. We just need to get our food handlers cards. Has to be navajo nation taught. We signed up for that and will take it the first week in December out past Ganado. In the meantime we will help with the meals on wheels and clean up, or whatever else they need. We have decided to do it once a week.

We drove an old gentleman (Navajo) to Rough Rock and bought gas for a young mother (Navajo) in Rock Point. We checked our mail in Chinle and bought dinner for a man (Navajo) before returning home.

Because we needed to check out where the class is to be held we drove towards Gallup and found where we needed to go and ended up in Gallup. Dad took back car parts he had purchased for the mexican nationalists that they ended up not needing. We picked up a few items and headed back to Chinle.

Being senior missionaries is not all teaching we have found out.

Tuesday we traveled to Lukachukia to deliver job opportunities to the chapter house. Then we traveled up over Buffalo Pass, which was one of the tightest switch backs that I have ever been on up over the mountains. It was a beautiful drive, we loved every minute of it. Anyone with a weak stomach would not make it over this pass without tossing their cookies.

We were on our way to Farmington to do our shopping that we had missed doing on Monday due to helping the mexican boys. We drove over a part of the desert we had not gone over before and saw “shiprock” from a totally new point of view. It was breathtaking beautiful. What we haven’t seen in the forty years of going through the four corners is the rock edge from the shiprock through the desert. It kinda reminded me of a dinosaurs back, it was wonderful.

Wednesday began normal, but went down hill fast. On our walk to the post office I fell flat on my face without using my hands to help break the fall. I had been given the cell phone to talk to James and I had Charlee’s lease in the other hand. The sidewalks on the rez is questionable at best anyway I tripped and fell flat. I could see it happening in slow motion and could do nothing to change fate. I landed on my nose and I thought I had broken it. The pain was terrible. I ruined my glasses and I was covered in blood. I was a bit dizzy when dad helped me up and several natives stopped to render help. We walked slowly home and I carefully washed off the blood from around my eyes and off my nose and face. I spent several hours in bed trying to get my head straight. The pain is dull in a way but also feels like a bee stinging me. Go figure.

Today though I look really bad and I’m waiting for my eyes to go black and blue, my head is a little better and Sister Kelpetz told me to take it a bit easy today. So dad delivered the job listings to six of our chapter houses and met with the Elders in Many Farms for a bit. Charlee and I went along only we stayed in the car. No foot races for me today. I will have to get new glasses, and my nose is to sore to even wear them except for a few minutes to see something. Dad says it will take a few days. My right hand has a huge chunk of skin ripped off the small finger that dad cut the rest of the way off and it is sore. There must be a lesson here somewhere. I’ll let you know when I decide what it is. Maybe its the fact that with both knees skinned up I won’t have to wear panty hose for a few days, Erin can identify with that.

Sunday began with the Elders from Many Farms coming over to go to church with us in Lukachukia.  We had a pleasant day and came back here for dinner.  We were creative as none of us had thought about the eating part of the day.  Food was not scarce it was the choices of what to fix in a hurry, as we  didn’t make it to the store last week on our p-day.

After eating, dad got involved with a car load of mexicans that had broken down in Many Farms.  The Rasmussens from Thatcher were on their way home from Monticello, Utah and spotted these men in trouble.  They were coming from Idaho and heading south to Mexico, none of them spoke english.  Brother Rasmussen called several of the bishops in the area looking for help for these men and none would give it.  Enter dad.

We drove out to Many Farms and dad looked at the mini van.  Brother Rasmussen called his son in Denver and the son interpreted for us.  The water  pump was history.  Dad and Brother Rasmussen tried to get them to go to a motel in Chinle, but they would not leave the car or their things as they thought they would loose them.

The Rasmussens headed towards their home and we came home to go to bed.  Dad got up this morning and went to the only auto repair shop in the whole area.  They could not get to the van before Wednesday and they had no parts.  Dad rented a u-haul car carrier and went and picked up the men and brought them to Chinle to our place. 

I called around Gallup (two hours one way) to find a water pump.  Dad took one of the men and headed for Gallup.  We are now waiting for them to come back. 

I took out lunch to the three men who are waiting here for them, dad and the fourth man, to get back.  I hadn’t gotten back into the house before a tall good looking Indian came to the door looking for lunch, no ride, just lunch.  When I got that part straight I told him to go sit in the shade, as its hot out today, and Iwould be happy to make lunch, that I could do.  So I made him lunch he said thanks and took off walking for Pinon.

Got up did the wash and other stuff hoping to have a day of shopping and fun.  I guess I just got the fun.  There is always munyana.