January 1, 2020

There it is---the year 2020.  Now to get adjusted to writing that new year on everything that requires a date.  Don't know about you, but that always takes me a few days/weeks to change my way of thinking.

          The Syringa Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers took a little different approach for their monthly meeting for December. Eight members assembled in Richmond, UT, at LD's Restaurant for the lunch of their choice, enjoyed a historical lesson and shared friendship time.

         We have the big cats, cougars, visiting our yards and fields, here and there throughout the community. Those large paw prints left in the snow raise our awareness of how the creatures accept our presence. It is one thing to own a house cat or two to help keep down the vole population, it is quite another when these big felines come in close. The first is a comfort, the second more of a threat.

          The coming marriage of Celina Crosland and Jesse Grosebeck, a son of David and Jennifer Groesbeck of Worland, WY, was celebrated in a reception at the Mink Creek LDS recreation hall on Dec 20. The following day her siblings and her parents, Robert and Phee Crosland, traveled to Rexburg, ID, where the couple were married in that Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Temple. That evening their family gathered at the home of another Crosland daughter, Malia and Jason Kunde in Rigby, ID, for a Christmas party.

          Wynn and Cecelie Costley hosted a Christmas Morning Breakfast, aimed at community residents who would not have family close by on this winter day. It was a potluck affair, resulting in the offering of: a potato breakfast casserole, bacon, banana bread, a french toast casserole, a pull-apart loaf, coffeecake, grapes, ham, and peach cobbler, with beverages of choice, milk, orange juice, and cocoa.

           Regardless of the chilly temperatures there are homes under construction here in Mink Creek. Hansen Hall appears finished on the exterior and the Hansen family has added an outbuilding. It is not quite a barn, neither is it just a shed, a 'storage' unit will suffice for description. Things are looking good. The progress of the Dean and Michelle Wilde home on the brow of cemetery hill is steady. The loop of Valley View drive has several houses in various levels of completion. Just across the lower boundary of Mink Creek another home is going up in the Narrows Estates of Riverdale.

           Happy New Year! One day early, but the Eve is when our minds kick into gear of what we might do with improving---whether it is something tangible, such as our homes, cars, etc. or those things within ourselves that we know could use some shaping up. Lots of people scoff at New Year resolutions because often those lofty plans are short-lived. A short life is better than none whatsoever.

Happy self-reflections to one and all.

Christmas Day, 2019

Sorry for this week late post.  Can you imagine why a woman would neglect a weekly post that came due on Christmas Day?  Well, that explains things!

        Jeannine and Johnny Iverson were happy to have a visit from their son Steven and Jessie Iverson of Dallas, TX and their children, Daniel and Christina. Another part of the package was Steven's son Michael and Julia Iverson and their four youngsters of Spanish Fork, UT. For a few hours Aaron and Tandy Iverson, plus their five children, stopped by. This last family lives in Virginia but were visiting family in Pocatello. Those southerners were happy to have some snow fall providing some winter play before their headed for home.

          Layne and Karen Erickson and Paul and Terrie McKay and son, Andy, gathered at the home of Bryan and Shannon Erickson in Wellsville, UT, for the holiday feasting. They were met there by Connie and Adam Westenskow from Woods Cross, UT, and Eli and Morgan Curtis from Logan.

         The Mink Creek community Christmas party was full of people, food and entertainment. Tables running the length of the hall were decorated for the season and the chairs were quickly filled.. Plates holding a large croissant filled with ham, cheese and lettuce and a cup of broccoli salad, plus a chocolate brownie, iced with peppermint were served by the youth. There were potato chips and apricot mayo in the center of the tables within easy reach of the diners. After tummies were satisfied all eyes turned towards the stage where an original play, written by Cecelie Costley, was about to take place. The title was “More Than a Baby In a Manger.” Local residents made up the cast, with hours spent preparing. It takes a sizey group of volunteers to manage an evening of this description. Phee Crosland, Terrie McKay, Brittnee Phillips, Trevor and April Rasmussen and the LaRon and Liese Baird family were key contributors for the production. The kitchen crew consisted of Margret Iverson, Kim and Wally Christensen, Mary Ann and Mike Jepsen, Cathy Seamons, Tammy Beardall, Sid and Lisa Whitehouse and Ben and Marie Keller.

          George Jensen, brother to Lael Jensen Littke, passed way the last part of November. He has been living in California not too far from Lael in Pasadena.

           Ramona Ranzenberger Crane, wife of Keith Crane died on December 15. She has been living in St.George, UT, near her daughter Lisa. Growing up in Smithfield, Ramona taught elementary school in Mink Creek for a number of years. After she and Keith moved their family of 5 children to Burley, ID, she continued teaching there. She will be buried in Mink Creek.

December 18, 2019

        Spencer Wilde and Paige Hilton were married that last part of November. There was a reception in Mink Creek on November 23. Paige is from Boonesboro, MD. Her mother, Cindy Hilton and a brother were here for the celebration. Spencer is the son of David and Judy Wilde. The couple will be living in Rigby, ID while Spencer finishes school at BYU/Idaho in Rexburg. Paige will graduate this month.

          Mary and Ron Norris travel to Herriman, UT , to spend Thanksgiving with their grandson. Now they have another grandson, Carson, visiting with them from Lone Peak,WY.

          Family members of Candy Longhurst gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving with their mother and sisters Emily and McKinley in Mink Creek. Tiffany and Spencer Wheeler and son Hudson came down from Parma, ID. Jake and Hollie Longhurst and little Alice were up from their place in Smithfield. Justin and Cynthia Longhurst are just yards away from the family headquarters.

           A family with a happy feeling about our snowy weather were Loren and Ken Nash and their son Shawn and Eliza Nash who were up from Sol Vang, CA for a two week winter holiday.

          Keenan Janke was presented his Eagle Scout award in a Court of Honor, while several members of his family were in Mink Creek for the holiday weekend.. Although he now resides in Richfield, UT, much of his scouting experiences took place here before his family moved. In addition to the family of Laural and Jody Janke visiting Bob and Claudia Erickson, there was the family of Jay and Kristin Collins of Lakeview, OR, and Carla and Mark Nielsen's family of American Fork, UT, plus Jared and Brynlee Mckague, Sage McKague and Claire Collins, students at BYU/I in Rexburg.

          We are happy that Stetson Ostler, son of Alona and Stuart, has been chosen to play at the Down Under football camp program this coming summer. Stetson's grandparents, Brent and Jody Sharp, owners of Western Dutch Oven Cooking, are having a fundraiser for him on Dec 20 with a take-out Dutch Oven dinner going for $8. They can be contacted in front of the Southfork Hardware that evening between the hours of 6 and 7 or food reserved by calling the business. Proceeds will go to Stetson to make this trip to Australia possible.

           The Relief Society celebrated the approach of Christmas with a festive dinner, complete with elegant table settings and centerpieces on each table. They were served by members of the Mink Creek Elders' Quorum. The evening's theme was “Helping to Educate Women Around the World Through the Pure Love of Christ."  Laurel Wilde and Jackie Olsen shared some of their own experiences with various sources that might be used to contribute to international charities that focus on assisting women worldwide. Brittnee Phillips favored the group with a violin solo, “What Child Is This.” This was a great start for the month of December and all that goes with the season.

           Blue skies yesterday, but not a degree of heat. No dripping from the eaves, no snow, just frigid air with animals needing winter care for the few of us who still have some measure of farming. We are happy to have a cleared highway that goes the length of the village—once we have the side roads plowed to reach that highway. Grateful for those state and county road crews that keep us on their radar in this sort of weather.

December 11. 2019

        I hope you gave a few moments of thought to Dec 7 and World War II, what that day meant to the world as a whole.  May we appreciate the sacrifices made that day.
         Pedro and Avery Gomez have returned from a trip to Chile, Pedro's home. He has been in the US for 18 years, a long time to be absent from family. He grew up in Pueblo Cisnes and was welcomed warmly. Avery's parents, Doug and Beverly Bruderer accompanied them. It was a time of family reunion, of sight-seeing, introducing his American family to his Chilean family. Just imagine the reunion after 18 years.

           Kent and ReNae Egley went to Las Vegas, NV, the last part of November to cheer their racing son, Matt. He was competing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Both his family and his crew were geared up for this event in the weeks prior.The results were that Matt placed fourteenth, has done a great job this past season and improves each year as he learns the ropes of his dream. Now Matt and the crew will start making plans, repairing, for the season to come.

          Our community has experienced another funeral, the third within a few weeks. LaDawn Hampton Jensen passed away, after struggling with poor health for a long time. Her husband, Richard (Dick) passed away not long ago. The Jensens lived in Mink Creek all their married life, Dick was raised here and LaDawn came from Franklin, high school sweethearts. They are the parents of Sherrie Ogden, Sid Jensen, Shelley Bell, Shawn Jensen(deceased) and Shirley Ahrens.

           Devlyn Nathaneal Currie was ordained a deacon in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is the son of Wendy and Clayton Currie.

           Jeff and Julie Workmen of Stansbury Park, UT, spent several days at their Mink Creek home with their children and grandchildren. It is the perfect place for holiday celebrations, with snowy hillsides for atmosphere. Included in this celebration were Julie's parents.

           The parade of harvested Christmas trees has been going down our highways. Pickups, trailers, trees tied atop cars, whatever would carry the greenery. Over the holiday weekend it was a nearly constant stream. There had to be some slogging through snow to obtain the desired tree with the storms that descended at that time, where just the week before it had been nearly dry.

          We have happy people in the snowmobile set with the recent snowfall making it possible to make their first ride of the season. The big parking lots in our canyons: Birch Creek, Strawberry Summit, Copenhagen, etc. tend to fill up pretty early in the day over the weekends once we have an enduring layer of snow.

           December nights are beautiful when we have a full moon lighting up out snow covered slopes. It is even prettier to see the outdoor Christmas lights on our homes as a person drives through the community.

December 4, 2019

Only a day late, sorry, readers.  I have been submerged in research.

         This was the month for a favorite program in the LDS Ward when the Primary organization presents thoughts of what they have learned in the past year. The theme this year was Come Follow Me. The children sang and spoke of messages of Jesus Christ and God. The Primary presidency is Mary Ann, Jepsen, with counselors Jody Rasmussen and Jasmine Erickson, secretary Ramona Hatchett. Jackie Olsen is the chorister, ReNae Egley the pianist. Members of the Preston North Stake Primary Board were in attendance.

           This event brings out-of-town grandparent fans. Kelly and Teresa Rasmussen and daughter Kjerstin of Preston and Erick and Rexanne Nielsen of Lewiston, UT, were in town to witness the performances of Emma, Kate and Annie Rasmussen. Sharon Keller of Riverdale and Venice Buttars , both grandmothers, had their eyes on Morgan and Danny Keller.

          Vickie and Richard Free are excited to report that Heather Hodge, their daughter-in-law, has gon through the auditioning experience and will be performing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Heather is the wife of Brandon Hodge, with their home in Bountiful, UT. She has total family support for this coming chapter of their lives.

           As in other places around the nation, Mink Creek residents are preparing for visitors coming home to enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend following. The gloomy weather forecast may alter a few plans, but the gathering will commence, perhaps with more indoor activities than originally anticipated.

             We have retained the snow that was greeted us one morning this week. Nothing much of depth, but it whitens the landscape. It will add a bit of adventure to those many, many people who are harvesting their yearly Christmas tree from the canyons between us and Montpelier. It is often a family tradition on this holiday weekend. We understand that 2000 tree permits have been sold. Cold, clear skies make us aware that winter is here. We are hopeful that the box elder bugs get that same message.

            Those who waited until the past weekend to get their trees had an extra challenge. Snow arrived for the Thanksgiving holiday, several inches, sufficient to provide sledding and snowmobile activities for our weekend guests. For some this is a once-a-year recreation, coming from California, Texas, even southern Utah. Snow has some rather magical qualities about it in reality, not just on the movie screen of Frozen.