Amusement Parks Rule

Anyone who has lived in Utah for any length of time has undoubtedly visited the states prime amusement park, Lagoon. I first visited it when I moved here in 1978, and thought it was pretty fun. I ended up working there that summer and the next summer, but two summers in a row was enough. They had started changing things, and it wasn't as fun.

I came from amusement park capitol, California. I supposed other states might have plenty, but California has it's entertainment. I grew up in the bay area, and we had Great America, which was a Warner Brothers park. It was great fun, and I went there whenever I could wrangle someone to take me.

I've also been to Knottsberry Farm, but that's not known so much for being an amusement park as it is a producers of great jams...grin...at least to people that live outside the state. When I went there, the new ride Montezuma's Revenge had just opened, and it was one of the first roller coasters that went totally upside down. It was basically just a loop, you went forward through it, then backward. It was great for those of us who had never experienced that before. Once was enough though... They also had a great ride with parachutes. They had baskets that you stood up in, and then were pulled up and dropped. It was scary! I'd like to take my hubby there because it's characters are the Peanuts characters, and he collects anything and all things Peanuts.

But when I was growing up, it was always Disneyland. I went a couple of times before moving to Utah, but as I mentioned in my last post, I really don't remember it being that big of a deal. Everyone else always seemed to have fun, but perhaps they had more money to spend...grin.

When I was in college, we did a student trip where we went on a three day weekend by bus. We spent one day at Disneyland, one day at Knotts Berry, and one day at the beach. It was fantastic, and I remember we were crazy at Disneyland. Space Mountain was a new ride, and since we'd gone in the middle of February, there was no one there. We were able to get off and run to get right back on -- something totally unheard of today. It was chilly, but we didn't care, we were college kids loose in a kids playground.

As I've grown into adulthood, I've gone through different stages of feeling about amusement parks. There is a whole cycle, you see, of liking them, appreciating them, hating them, and wishing they'd all go away because all they want is your money.

While that's what keeps them in business, and why they all went into business in the first place, I think Disneyland is one place that doesn't make it feel as if that's the only reason they exist. I honored Walt Disney in my last post, and I wanted to highlight the park today. I realize there are many Disneyland parks around the world now, and I have a neighbor that's been to almost all of them. She wants to go to the one in Paris now -- she's going to the Tokyo one in February with her daughter and hubby. Initially I figured she was just a little fanatical about things, and figured she could have her passion.

I now understand some of it a little. There is just a feeling about the park. The ambiance, the look, the way life seems to look a little brighter and things don't seem so dark. There is an art to running a successful amusement park. If it's really tacky and run down, you might still make some money but no one is going to come back. I'll best most people go to Disneyland more than once in their lifetime. It's one of those bucket lists some people have -- Visit Disneyland. Granted, it is geared toward little children, but I found a lot of grownups there without little kids.

But most of all, it was the reluctance to leave. The first day we went, we were so tired by the end, that I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel room. It was the first boring New Years we've ever participated in -- my hubby didn't even wake up to drink sparkling apple juice with me, poor man. But I knew we were going back. I knew if we missed something, we could catch it the next time.

Our second day (the last day) I knew we had to try and do everything we'd missed and wanted to do. There was a little more pressure, but we weren't as tired or burned out and were reluctant to leave. I remember walking down the main street toward the entrance as we were leaving, wishing I could take a sharp video of all the images so I could look back on them later. I took a last shot of us in front of the huge Christmas tree that my husband said would have worked in the movie, The Grinch.
It was a fun photo, but now we can't find the picture. Heartbreak. sigh.

Anyway -- there is something of magic in the feeling. The magic of Disney.

It's art in the creative imaginative form.

If you ever get the opportunity to experience it (without young children in tow or you really won't truly appreciate it...grin) take the chance. You'll never forget it.

Return to the Neighborhood.

And while you're there, subscribe to our fantastic newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, our newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world—all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Neighborhood Newsletter Subscriptions are FREE, and joining is easy.

Art in the Snow

One of my favorite things about Christmas is snow. I realize that there are many places in the world that don't have snow this time of year -- in fact, I don't know how Australia does it in the middle of summer! I guess if it's what you're used to...but BBQing for Christmas dinner just seems wrong somehow...grin. And this comes from a born and raised Californian who didn't grow up with snow...

The first time it snowed after I moved to Utah, I was thrilled. I sat in our front room and gazed out the large windows, watching each flake fall in fascination. It was totally amazing to me, seeing each frozen flake of water and knowing that apparently none of them were the same.

Some while ago, I came across a site that showed actual photographed snowflakes taken by Wilson Bentley. He was obsessed with taking pictures of snowflakes, taking the first photographs of snowflakes in 1885. I love the quote on his site:
"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind."

I feel like snowflakes are a gift of beauty.

I like to go outside while it's snowing and let the flakes land on my coat so that I can try and see their intricate designs.


Some of the snowflakes I've used in this blog come from SnowCrystals.com which generously allows me to share them with you as long as I mention them...so I've mentioned them! grin. They have a wonderful selection of photographs of snowflakes, and galleries to view.

As children we were always making snowflakes out of paper. I think everyone knows how to fold the paper and cut intricate designs, opening it up to hang the flakes on the windows. If you still like to make snowflakes, there's a site that allows you to do it on the computer. It's called Snowdays, and it's created by PopularFront.

While I realize not everyone likes snow or is fascinated by snow flakes, perhaps you can have some fun with them.

I think snow is Heavenly Father's way of cleaning the world for just a little while...bringing us some purity and making the world sparkle with beauty for all to see. Since today we got the first snow of the Christmas season, I hope you enjoy it! I sure have.


Return to the Neighborhood.

Pageantry, Custom and Art

The whole world is focused on one location, right now. The Olympic games in Bejing, China. Normally, any attention focused on China would not necessarily be a good thing. Many of us have issues with their communist rule.

However, the Olympics have given them an opportunity to show the world they aren’t so bad, and give them a glimpse of the proud past they have known.

The opening ceremonies were a mixture of modern technology with ancient culture and arts. It was amazing watching a painting being created from people doing modern dance. Many of the costumes being worn by the participants were gorgeous and an art form in and of themselves.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that the ancient oriental arts are beautiful. I heard one of the announcers say that the Chinese felt there was no exact art to painting, the artist painted from his soul – so the strokes might not be perfect, or the painting exact, but it would be a representation of his inner self, and therefore; beautiful.

I find that most of the work done in the oriental style is soothing and flowing. My daughter bought a kit that shows how to paint in that way, using the bambo brushes, and I can’t wait to look into it. But I'm getting sidetracked again...

What was fun to see was the rich colors and the carvings, the artwork inherent in just the buildings. The enormous pageantry of the opening ceremonies was enough to astound and take ones breath away.

Take this scene where they have a woman dancing a traditional dance on top of a mat being carried! It's amazing.

There was another scene where they were depicting the ancient boats and how China ruled the seas. They had large oars that were painted and when held in place, was a painting so large it filled the floor of the stadium. Then they moved them in rhythm and synchronized movements that were worthy of professional dancers. It was one more piece of art to the gallery they were presenting.
The technical aspects were mind blowing as well. They had probably the worlds largest LED screen on the floor of the stadium, that they used for various stages of the ceremonies, but was at one point a large unrolled scroll. They used the top edges of the stadium itself to present the lighting of the torch, having a man run along the edges as if he was actually running -- but was being flown by cables -- toward the torch. The torch itself appeared out of nowhere in the last 30 minutes before they were ready to light it. Makes me wonder if it's going to stay there or if it will be dismantled with part of the stadium after the Olympics are over.

There were many dancers and floating lit people filling the air at different times. This shot is hard to see, but it's a woman who was floating through the air with lights.
I've been an avid Olympic fan since they were held in Los Angeles. That was when I was old enough to truly watch and appreciate them. Since that time, I've watched every single minute I could of them, both winter and summer games. It drives my family a little nuts sometimes, but my hubby puts up with it with mostly good humor.

I was able to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2002 Olympics as a volunteer, and as a result I got to actually attend the closing. It was one of the highlights of my life!

I feel strongly that the Olympics could be such a growing and meaningful thing for our planet, should we grasp the reality of them instead of the commercialism. Too much of it is lost in the costs, and the urgency of winning. I think they should be free, personally, especially to the host nation. It's one thing to be able to watch it on TV, but there's nothing that replaces actually being there and feeling that amazing Olympic spirit.

I remember when I was at the closing games and it was time to extinguish the torch. It was an emotional thing -- none of us wanted it to end. If only it didn't have to in our hearts. If only the feelings and meaning of the Olympics could live in the hearts of the world over -- perhaps we would find peace.

Until then, I will still enjoy the beauty and wonder of each country and glory in their triumphs, feel sad for their losses, and feel in a small way -- part of each of them.

That is the feeling of the Olympics. We are brothers and sisters the world over.

We are one.

Click here for more info!

Return to the Neighborhood

Beauty of the Night

For the weekend of the 4th, my family went camping with a couple of my hubbies siblings and their families. We went to Stillwater, UT, which is a part of the Wasatch - Cache National Forest. It was gorgeous. I haven't been camping in a long time (it's not one of my favorite pastimes -- I like a real bed and running water, thank you) and so it was a good outing for us. We had to leave one daughter behind, as she works fast food, and no one gets the 4th off...grin.

The camp site was nice and roomy, there were lots of tables, and even a fire pit so we could have a fire. It was also at least 10 degrees cooler than home, so I was very happy. Nighttime was even better, it was cold enough to snuggle under the sleeping bag, and once we got past the first night and figured out which way to put the stupid sleeping bag so we were both covered, the second night was bliss. (As long as you ignored the dang bird that woke us up every morning at 5:30 shrieking at the top of it's lungs, the loud river going by less than a mile from us, and the early birds of our own campsite -- and did I mention the mosquitoes? UGH This photo is from Yellowstone and Old Faithful.)

Almost as fun as Yellowstone. The fun we had at Yellowstone though, was the Prairie Dogs -- but that's worth another blog on it's own.

What I found most amazing, however, was the night sky. I've been in the mountains camping before and seen stars, but this was the most outstanding sky I can recall ever seeing. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good enough camera to take pictures of it, so you'll have to see the ones I got off the NASA Picture of the Day website (which are amazing, you should check it out).

The only thing that compared, was when I was flying home from Hawaii last fall. It was a red eye flight so it was the middle of the night. I opened my window shade and the sky was full of stars. It felt like we were in the middle of them and it seemed surreal. I'll never forget that experience. It was the closest I'd ever been to them, and it really felt like you could reach out and touch them.

The sky we saw while camping this time though, was just more of an overload. It was as if someone had dumped all of the stars out of a bag and scattered them through the sky. There were so many constellations that I couldn't tell them apart (though, how people get some of the shapes out of things, I have NO idea -- just looks like a bunch of bright dots most of the time to me). I could have laid on my back and gazed at the sky until my eyes closed -- it was better than anything I could imagine.

I was amazed by the creative power of our Lord. The beauty He has given us, both on earth and in the heavens. Nothing is left to chance, nothing is plain -- all that we see was created by a loving and powerful hand to help us grow, learn and enjoy.

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to go on a cruise to Alaska. Previous to this outing, I would have thought Alaska boring. Green along the coast, perhaps, but cold, barren and uninviting. I wondered why anyone lived there (and we have two families in our ward that were raised there)and what attraction it could possibly have.



What an eye opener this trip was. Alaska was gorgeous! The small towns along the coast were quaint and rustic, exactly what one would expect from gold rush eras. It was mild weather, and much of what we saw was VERY green. I was totally floored. Let alone the flowers! I was captivated and took tons of photos of the flowers.

What I didn't get to see was the night sky. I had sooo hoped we would get a glimpse of the Auroras Borialis. But that didn't happen, since it didn't get dark until well past 10 pm, and we never stayed up late enough.

This past weekend reminded me of the various times in my life when I've seen the stars and been awed. I wanted to share that, and suggest that if you haven't had a chance to see the stars lately, perhaps you could take a late night drive up the mountains or away from town and get a real good look. There's nothing like the Lord's handiwork in full glow.



Join the Neighborhood Newsletter . . . Subscriptions are free and joining is easy. Just by signing up and maintaining your subscription to receive the yourLDSneighborhood.com newsletter, you become eligible for our "Thank You" prizes. Our dozens of giveaways range from a trip for two to China, to iPods® (each with a $50 gift certificate for LDS music), cruises, and more. Learn about our amazing monthly, quarterly, and annual giveaways by clicking here.

Return to the Neighborhood