Rio Grande Scenic Railroad

Take a wonderful trip, take a steam engine from Alamosa to La Veta. What a beautiful trip. When you do this, find out what days Michael Martin Murphy has concerts and take the train for his concert! Worth every penny!

This Is the scene in the fall from Fir, at the top of La Veta Pass. The only way to see this concert is by train, the only way to see these views is by train. Summers are spectacular! But Michael Martin Murphy makes it all better!

San Luis Valley of Colorado - what a beautiful place. We are here during the annual "Harvest Moon" which is always beautiful wherever you are - but last night as we were going down the Navajo Trail (Hwy 160), that beautiful moon came up and gave us the most incredible show. The lighting was so perfect, with everything clear from the cold air, and with harvest still in full swing throughout the valley.

Give Me A Break!!

John, James, John, John, William, John, John.... How could there be so many JOHN McCormick's in the world - much less in Beaver County, Pennsylvania just in the early 1800's??!! If there are any left in Ireland, it's because they moved back there from Pittsburgh!

I have been trying to get McCormick genealogy done - even though we know a large portion of it. It's been so many years since I have done anything on it - I have to re-acquaint myself with all of them again. And in 1800, they didn't use the middle names, if there was a middle name. How to tell one John from another??? And what is Pittsburgh now, was Beaver, was Ohio Township, was Hopewell, was Second Moon Townships! So knowing the name changes, is about I have to go on right now.

So again, I sleep with names, they dance around in my dreams. They all know I am looking for them, they are so very close. We have old NON-identified pictures of this family, I will get to know them all a bit better and I think I will be able to identify some of them.

The Family is planning a reunion next summer, I would like to have a good amount of genealogy put together for everyone. I will do some type of book(let) for each family. We have two members of the "older" generation left - then we will be the "oldest" generation. We have had a divorce this past year of one of our "long time" families of this generation. One of the sad things, they had been married a long time, so both would have had many memories of the McCormick's. But now one is gone by choice and along with her has went a lot of memories and stories that the young one's would want to hear in a few years. One of the losses of divorce. We have lost another member of that older generation, Tom's mom. So we continue to lose those memories. We are on a mission to preserve some of those stories now.

As much as I would love to just concentrate on genealogy, we find ourselves trying to take care of family issues again. Some things happen that are simply out of our hands, and when one person continues on a path of self-destruction, it's so very sad. Added to this is the fact that this person is not in touch with reality, and there is no convincing them of reality. It's just a terribly sad time for all of us with a lot more sadness ahead. I hope that those who know us, know that we love this person more than life itself, and would do whatever we could to help. But sometimes, others can't help. And how it hurts to see one of your children be hurt, and continue to be hurt. The tears that mom and dad can't stop, the pain we can't heal and the future we can't prevent. These are the times that I am so thankful for the plan of salvation, the knowledge that we are ALL a child of God.

Potato harvest is just around the corner, we leave this week to help out again. Because of all going on here, we really don't want to go, but are obligated to go over. We are hoping to bring back sacks like we did last year, although we may not be able to. There are not as many "taters" this year as last. And not as "cheap". Last year I filled so many sacks, each sack was filled by either Tom's cousin's wife or myself. A lot of work! And I am getting so lazy in my old age!

I hope to scan many (old) pictures while I am over there, I wanted to do that last year and never got to it! Maybe this year. . .

Until Next Time!

July 31, 2009 and summer is on the downslide. The days are getting noticeably shorter, evenings come sooner and dawn comes later. We have been so fortunate to be able to go to Albuquerque to spend a couple days with Carol and Randy – and we all left the same day. Randy being sent home and we headed back to Del Norte! We went through such incredible country going down and coming back up. Going down, we went through Chama, NM, down Hwy 84 to Hwy. 96 to Hwy.550 down to Albuquerque. The best part was Hwy 84. Coming back, wow, took 550 back up to Hwy 4 which goes past Jemez Indian Ruins, Jemez National Monument, Valles Caldera, and Bandelier National Monument. All spectacular. Worth spending two or more days going through, we went too fast!

Tom’s older sister, Peggy, had to have emergency surgery again today. She constantly seems to build up scar tissue and plugs her up. I think this is the 4^th surgery she has had because of this problem, just in the last 5-6 years. Always before, we have been with her but this came on her so fast, we just waited it out here. Our daughters were there as was Tom’s younger sister. She scares me, last surgery we came so close to losing her. About 2 days after surgery, she crashed and ended up on a ventilator in ICU for about 2 months. Her doctor said he had never had anyone so critical pull through. But because of all this, they developed a real good relationship, and he really does care about her as a person. And this time she had signed a “no ventilator” thing – which we don’t agree with! She has very weak lungs, and that is what shows problems first - usually. But she almost always has complications following surgery so hope this time will be different.

We are looking forward to going home for a bit this coming week, if only for 3 days – it will be good to see everyone. That is the worst part, not being close to our family.

Until Next Time……

July (Again)

We are in the small town of Del Norte again, leaving the heat of Fremont County behind. Although it's been cool and rainy at home ever since the day we left! That's okay, when it's 100 over there, it will probably be about 80 here. Last night the low was 47 degrees. Good sleeping weather!

We initially left home June 21 and headed to our usual 4th of July camping with all the family. We had two daughters and families who were not able to attend this year. Boy we missed them. Carol and Randy are in Albuquerque where he is working, Emily is with them. Jamie,

Shawn and Jarred didn't have a way or didn't want to come up. I wish they would all get their own camping gear, they are adults now and needs to take charge of their own lives! But we sure missed them. Katie came up when she wasn't working, but she has her own vehicle and tent. Beth and Mark couldn't come, his mother (Alice) fell and broke her ankle and had to have surgery on it so they had to stay and take care of her. So we are hoping that all will be up there next year! Rick, James and Kip McCormick came up one day, as did John and Linda McCormick. Rick came up one other day also. It was wonderful having some of the extended family up there! Every year we take a picture, in this one of course, Katie was missing and we could have had the valley McCormick's in it too.

Every year my feelings become stronger, as the day comes for everyone to leave, we are left behind and it becomes harder every year to see them all leave. Even though we (for the most part) all live close - this annual event has become to dear to me, and the years have flown by with this being about our 15th year of doing this. I know that the next 15 years will find Tom and I much older! I also know how short these years can be, and it makes me sad. It's something I would like to spend eternity doing, all my family, together, in this small forest park, playing, eating, laughing, napping and just enjoying each other.

As we sit over here in Del Norte, I enjoy spending time with my cousin - I also was always able to spend days with my aunt, but she died this past winter. Her husband is here, and we get to see him. What a nice family they are also. I am very much at home in Del Norte, is it because this is where I was raised, my grandparents lived here, my great-grandparents homesteaded here, or is it deeper? I just feel like this is where I should be. My poor husband doesn't share these feeling of love for this community!

So until next time...

Fathers Day 2009

To my daddy on Fathers Day,

You have been gone from this life for so many years, but it only seems like such a short time ago you were here. Has it really been 22 years since you were called home? And your wife has been with you almost 16 years.

I miss you, there are times when I feel you ever so close, and the occasional dreams. I wish I could have those dreams far more often, because they are so very real.

Rather than go into all the things I wish could have been, I like to focus on the things that were and are. You left behind quite a family, for only having one boy and one girl. You have 8 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and five step great great grandchildren. Children were the light of your life, you said you had hoped you lived long enough to have great grandchildren and you did. You were able to welcome quite a few of them here! You had already gone on when you brought back your great-grandson, Chris. I took a lot of comfort knowing you were there to take care of him and love him.

I so appreciate your teaching me the values of life, how you were the richest man on earth because you had your wonderful wife, and two kids. And you really meant it when you said it. You know dad, I don’t think there are many on this earth today that “really” feel that way. So many today would trade most anything for fame and fortune. I found out the meaning of patience and long suffering from you. You had such an extreme case of arthritis in your body. Seldom did you complain – most of your complaints were due to the restrictions it put on you. You couldn’t even hold a fork to feed yourself, you fashioned a special one just for that purpose. I read in your journal now how you had so many days that you couldn’t get out and around until afternoon because of the soreness of the joints. Odd, I don’t remember that.

How I loved sitting on your lap, in the rocking chair, by that big radio, listening to Fibber McGee and Molly – or to the Friday Night Fights I think it was! And the electric storms that would come through at night and you gathering up your family and making us all go out to the car to wait it out! Wonder if that was because of the couple times we had a “lightening ball” go through the kitchen window and explode in the living room? Or maybe because you found out that lightening could and did – strike in the same place twice?!! Or was it because of the time the lightening kicked my brother in the butt and threw him off the front porch leaving him dazed?! As a young child, I just took it all in stride I guess. Not knowing that these things were not normal??! I have often wondered if that ground there had a special attraction to lightening…

I love the fact that you loved farming, that you loved the soil, and tending and taking care of the earth. You took such pride in keeping nature as it should be. You were way before your time! You probably went broke because you didn’t want to impact the earth too much, which was opposite of the thinking of that time. Now I go over to the valley and stand in amazement at the way farming is today. You would not have been at all happy with the methods of today and certainly not all the circle irrigation!

I appreciate your taking care of my mother for all those years. I never dreamed how hard it must have been at times. You know she had some type of chemical imbalance, which I was never able to find anyone who could help her. I appreciate that you loved her, adored her, and would have done most anything for her. I appreciate that you sacrificed so much for her and for me. Through the worst of times, your NOT doing all you could was not even a consideration. I remember asking you once if you ever went through a “mid-life crisis” as so many men seem to do today. You said you felt that was all a bunch of rubbish. You said you thought the men today just have too much time on their hands to worry about themselves and was nothing more than selfishness.

I appreciate that even at the age of 41, you wanted to adopt a child and again at the age of 45. I know if you would have been in your 20’s, I would have had you many more years, but I also know that wasn’t the plan. In January of 1949, one of your neighbors had to make a trip to Denver and asked if you, your wife and your son would like to go along. You did, and while up there stopped by the Home for Dependent Children to see how far down on the list you were. When you stopped in, you then found out that as of that day, there was a girl you could take home with you if you wanted! This baby had just returned from Children’s Hospital because of “failure to thrive” problems. This must have been the early part of January, because my biological mother signed away her rights on YOUR birthday, Jan.7^th! You know you always encouraged us to try to find our biological mothers, you always wanted to tell them thank you. You know I found mine, and was able to relay that message to her from you! Now as time goes on, she also has passed and I have tried to repay her by having her work done in the temple of our Lord. She wanted that. She asked me one time why I had contact with her, she had nothing to give me – I told her she had already given me the greatest gift one person could give another. She looked at me and said what?? I said to her “Life”. I don’t think she really understood that!! Perhaps now she does.

I am so thankful that back in 1955 and 1956, you listened to Elder and Sister Chard from Utah. I thank you for building your testimony of the Lords Gospel, of living his gospel. I thank you for that example for so many. I thank you for being patient with me, I don’t understand how you could have been so patient, but I thank you! I always knew the gospel meant a lot to me, but not until I actually faced death and stepped over that threshold did I really understand what it’s all for. I thank you for all the work you continue to do – I know you are very busy where you are now. I hope when my time comes to meet you, you can take a few days off to spend just with me!!

So daddy, as this year passes, I still miss you as much now as ever. I miss your wisdom and your stead-fastness. I miss your chewing on whole cloves before church every Sunday!! I miss cutting your hair every month or so. I miss our quiet times on those special Saturday mornings! You and I, before my family woke up and you, before my mom woke up! You would sneak out of the house and come over to my house where we would sit and talk for as long as you dared be gone! I thank you for that special gift of coming over one Saturday morning and saying if I was going to interview you on tape, we probably should get it done. Did you know that almost 3-months to the day – you would be gone?

Oh, this particular print is for you dad, you had such beautiful handwriting and took pride in good penmanship. The hours I spent in practice!! Now my computer does it all for me, and I can type so much faster than I ever wrote!

Until then. . .

Love Where You're At

A thought has been running through my head of late - how much I "think" I hate living where I do. It's small, ugly, cactus growing, barren, hick place of a town. . . So we start thinking of selling, moving to somewhere that the cactus don't grow so proflific, somewhere that we have at least a store (we do have a post office although no postal delivery), a place that is green with grass and flowers and more than a thousand people.


So we looked, we looked in Florence where we lived for so many years. I realized you really can't see the sky from there, and how I love my view! I have become really good friends with Pikes Peak, she shimmers in the morning sun, I know what time of year she is at her most beautiful from my vantage point. I know how she can glow bright pink during the winter sunsets! Right at this very moment, she is snow capped (a lot of snow too!) and the sun is shining brightly on her top, and shadows are crossing over her from some large clouds that are forming. There are dark clouds behind her that just accents her beautiful brilliant white top!


Then there are the foggy mornings, when the "river valley" is socked in with fog, there was a

morning this last week like that. Fog so thick and we could see the tops of the fog, and the sun was shining brightly here! What a beautiful sight! Or the fog laying over the Federal Prison - with the lights just poking out of the fog which gives the prison a look of floating. Not that a prison is a pretty sight anytime, but watching it float on a cloud is a unique sight!

And January 1 - midnight - watching the fireworks out my kitchen window or on my front porch. Sit up the spotting scope - what a treat! And if the currents are right, we can even hear the booms from the fireworks. I suppose the 4th of July would be good also - but we head to the mountains to beat the heat!


How about the days when the deer are feeding right out the door, or the coyote that walks by - not at all bothered by a human taking pictures of him.




My daughter comes out and marvels at the peace and quiet and the views. The grandkids come out and go 4-wheeling, all on our property. (I encourage them to take the path that will knock down the smaller cactus!) And I think to myself - this really is not so bad!








So there is much to be said for living where we do - and the choice to not leave this, is a good choice. For us.

I will always miss a larger city - I love the size of Pueblo, and would live there (I think??) but could I leave the peace, the quiet, the views and most of all, could I leave America's Mountain? I was raised in the San Luis Valley where we were surrounded by mountains, the Sangre's on the east or East Range as we called them. Like Pikes Peak, always different, always beautiful.

So no matter where I live, I have loved it for one thing or another, (well that might be stretching it when I remember the Philippine Islands!) but for the most part, every part of the world we have called home has been delightful in some way. Home truly is where the heart is.

Until then. . .