Attitudes of Gratitude

       It is "Black Friday" and since we live across the street from the Queens Mall you can try to imagine the new sights and sounds we are experiencing; not exactly the quiet neighborhood of Cedar Hills, Utah.  Stan and I are presently snug in our comfortable little fourth floor apartment enjoying Christmas music and working on our individual projects at a pace much more enjoyable than the people down on the street are experiencing.  The CD player is randomly playing through the five different Cd's and every so often we hear the CD Aubrey's junior high choir made back in 1996 with Mrs. Jolley as the choir director.  One might think the Mountain Ridge Junior SSA Choir would not hold up to the famous individuals commonly listened to at Christmas time, but the her choir music not only sounds great it brings back enjoyable memories of years gone by.  We were so blessed to have lived 25 years in Utah County.  What a beautiful place filled with faithful people and wonderful opportunities; a great formula for raising a family.
       After spending four years in northern California we arrived in Cedar Hills in early June of 1985.  We had Don, David, Aubrey, and I was four months pregnant with our fourth child, Lindsey.  Earlier in May of that year Stan and I had gone on a "house hunting mission" to Utah with the express request from the children that we "get a place with a big pack yard."  The home we found in Cedar Hills was the perfect place for us.  Not only did it naturally have a large back yard but there were hardly any fences marking yard boundaries.  Thus, "our" back yard, in our children's minds, consisted of the Hall's, the Shepherd's, and our yard.  If we said, "stay in the yard," this "yard"was where we could expect to find a child.  Besides being a larger home for us and having a big yard we had a view of Utah Valley, Utah Lake, the mountains, and eventually Mt. Timpanogos Temple; all of this for $2,000 less than we sold our California home. With our home facing west we learned to feast on the countless beautiful sunsets before our eyes most nights of the year.  "Come and see the beautiful sunrise!" became a common summons from one family member to another.
       However, there was one thing we were not able to offer our children while living in Utah; cultural diversity.  The home we left in California was a pre WWII era, flat-roofed, two bedroom, converted carport extra room home.  It was our first home, and we were grateful to have it.  It was located in West Pittsburgh (now known as Bay Point) which was the bottom of the housing market in Contra Costa County and unfortunately in a rough neighborhood.  One of our neighbors was a known drug dealer, but he and his siblings liked Stan and were nice to us because Stan had given them a new piece of Armstrong flooring (the company Stan worked for before going into the Church Education System) for their street break dancing.  Although the neighborhood was culturally diverse, we felt it was too rough to raise our children and were grateful for Stan's transfer to Utah.
       Now, without children at home, Stan and I are living in a three-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a 50-year-old flat-roofed building in a culturally diverse neighborhood.  We are enjoying the experience.  Queens, New York is known for its diversity and is the  home to people of numerous nationalities.  Sometimes, as I am walking down the street, I become aware that I am the only native born, English speaking "pink" person (as Stan call us) in sight and I ask myself.  "Do I feel safe and accepted?" and gratefully, the answer has always been, "Yes."  Despite the challenge of living so far away from those we love we are grateful for this opportunity to live here and make new friends.  We hope our children and friends will come and visit us and experience a taste of the cultural diversity we are enjoying.
       Oh, how we wish we could speak a foreign language or two.  It sure would be helpful.  Maybe the "Can Do" attitude is all we really need to have to get over our fears of trying.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtYg1roxkoI

Our sunset from our 4th floor apartment in Elmhurst, NY.

Our sunset from our home in Cedar Hills, Utah.