Fireworks and dogs

On Pioneer Day morning I walked around Oquirrh Lake.



It's a nice walk when I don't have time to get to the canyons.

This time, there was a non-leashed dog wandering about.  Eventually, she started following me, which I encouraged by whistling for and praising her.  I didn't know where the owners were, but figured I could either find them after my whole circuit of the lake or check the dog's collar and make the connection that way.

She was a good dog.  Eager to please, and also eager to chase ducks.  Eventually, we made it all around the lake without finding anyone who knew the dog, but plenty of people who seemed please to see her.  At least one of those people wasn't so pleased, because that person called the Daybreak rent-a-cops who sent someone along to chastise me for having an off-leash dog.

Back at the beginning, I checked Emma's collar and found out her name was Emma and that she had a phone number.  I called.  "Do you know Emma?" I asked.  Yes, she knew Emma and had been looking for her overnight.  Fireworks set off in the neighborhood the night before had scared her to the point of taking off when she was out to tinkle.  She ended up about a mile away from home and across Bangerter Highway.

It was a nice reunion when Mom showed up to get Emma, who was thrilled to see her.

Oi--society!

I just got back from the hot tub.

I discovered while I was in Cancun that one thing I appreciate in life is modesty.  No thanks on the skimpy bikinis, thanks.  I think that makes even beautiful women look cheap.

And it's worse on twelve-year-olds.  They really shouldn't wear such things.  Their parents really shouldn't buy them.  There are men that aren't me, who would find such things titillating--is that what their parents are going for?

I unfortunately could also hear these girls talking, complaining about living in "Troy's house," and quoting Troy saying to their mother, "Smack that ass."  Oh, okay.  That explains something about the outfit.

And then the girls stand there with their arms folded over their bare torsos.  The boys (who wear perfectly reasonable bathing suits, thank you) asked why girls always stood like that.  "Because we think we're fat."

First, these girls were eighty pounds with their hair soaking wet from the pool, and second, why the string bikini, then?

More family magic

I went to Idaho for the fourth of July.  My sister lives in Idaho Falls.  After a day there, it is very clear to me why the Eternal plan we're part of is a family-centered one.

There's a connection that comes with family, even extended parts of it.  The love I feel for my nieces and nephews amazes me, and I'm sure it's dwarfed by the feelings of their parents for them.

My sisters in-laws, whom I've met but am not close to, were around for the holiday.  Big family get-together at the park.  The whole group probably had close to two dozen children.

There's no reason for that group of individuals to get together except for the fact that they're family.  And I don't know, but if they're like any other family, there's baggage they overcome in order to get together and be nice.

But I think that's the point.  Family is so close and has such potential for love and joy, but is still full of imperfect, sinful people who hurt themselves and each other.  I think that hurt can be exacerbated by the fact that the pain comes when there should be such love and devotion.

But that's the lesson, I think.  Forgiving family has the greatest potential to show us the fruits of real forgiveness, because no matter the pain, the disloyalty, or the betrayal, forgiving one's family means that all the same potential for love and joy is still there.  And choosing forgiveness lets you experience that, while holding grudges means you won't.

Just like the big plan.