Pioneer Day

I haven't even been in Utah for twelve hours and it's been the best Pioneer Day I can remember. Despite spending four hours on the tarmac in DC yesterday due to "thunderstorms" and of course missing my connection from Dallas to SLC and spending the night in the Dallas airport last night (where I found an ipod vending machine, srsly?), the day has turned out to be fantastic. I am here for Sarah's wedding, but I didn't tell my parents and surprising them has been a real treat.
I love my life in D.C., but I definitely miss Utah. It's been almost two years since I've been here in the summer and can I just say dry heat is where it's at. In these twelve hours I've managed the following and I'm really wishing I had more than four days.

• Saw the new house my parents purchased in sugar house that my brother will live in while he attends the U and helped to refinish and move furniture. I'm in love with this house and it seriously adds to the temptation to move back west.
  
• Rode a vintage schwinn bike up 21st street
• Played basketball and sharks and minnows in the pool with my family
• Ate a delicious home cooked meal
  
• Took a nap
• Rode with my dad on a motorcycle up American Fork Canyon
• Enjoyed an evening around a bonfire with my family singing songs and telling stories from our ancestors. It may sound cheesy, but I loved it.
  

And finally, I can't think of a more fitting pioneer tribute than to share a poem that my grandmother wrote about Nellie Unthank, a member of the Martin Handcart Company and one of the first pioneers to settle in Cedar City where my Corry side of the family is from.

Nellie Unthank

aged ten,
walked, starved, froze
with the Martin Company
and left her parents in shallow graves
near the Sweetwater.

The Richards on First South
hugged their children's heads to muffle
Nellie, strapped to a board, without anesthetic,
screaming, her frost-black feet
removed with a butcher knife
and a carpenter saw

After that she walked on her knees,

married in polygamy to
William Unthank (of Cedar City)
who took her home to one room with a dirt floor
She damped and scraped the floor
hard and smooth as sandstone,
washed it every day;
clean muslin curtains at the window,
on good box cupboards,

Saturday nights the hearth whitened
and Nellie made her way
knitting, crocheting, carding wool,
kneeling by the washtub set on blocks
scrubbing townspeople's clothes on the board
and trade a yeast start for
a handful of sugar sent in the jar.

Said never to another operation --
waddled on leather kneepads in her little skirt
dragging her unhealed stumps
or pushed herself on a board on wheels.

Once a year Nellie and her six children cleaned
the meeting house.
The boys fetched water.
Annie, Martha, Polly washed the windows.
Nellie scrubbed the floor.

--Iris Parker Corry

A few summer requirements achieved

I realize it's been almost a month since I updated, and this is not due to a lack of inspiration, but to the priority that I've placed on blogging. But I've committed to do a mini update tonight of what has been consuming the month of July, which includes a few requisite summer activities listed below.

1. Summer Reading
I'm obsessed with this book that I'm reading Three Cups of Tea if you've talked to me in the last few weeks chances are that I've brought it up. It's a truly inspirational story of former climber Greg Mortensen who recovers from a failed attempt at climbing K2 in a small village in Pakistan and vows to return and build a school there after he sees the longing for the children there to receive an education and the inability of the government to provide it to them. It is a story that I think anyone who has traveled to a developing country can relate to as you visit for a short period of time and I think in our most idealistic moments we all make promises or at least think to ourselves how much we would love to come back and try to do or create something for this community that has taught us so much. Greg Mortsensen is someone who did this and more. Nicholas Kristof wrote this article in the New York Times that acurately portrays what I think our approach to foreign policy and national security should focus more heavily on, building schools instead of bombs as he says.

2. Gardening
What started as an herb garden earlier this spring become much more a few weeks ago. I had a friend introduce me to the concept of square foot gardening, then we held a workshop where we had a girl who had taught square foot gardening on her mission teach us about gardening and composting. I was fascinated and the thought of becoming a little more self sufficient and watching something grow was very appealing. Setting up the garden really wasn't that much work or that expensive. And here are some pictures of my garden after three weeks. I'm hoping that it continues to grow and produces despite my late start. I am growing tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, cucumbers, beans, lettuce, carrots, basil, rosemary, squash and zuccini. If any of you have minimal time and space for a garden I strongly recommend this method. Email me or do your research on the internet, there is a lot of information available.
3. Road Trips
Definitely an essential part of any summer and this summer has been no exception. I spent this weekend in Cincinnati, and thanks to the Jensen's and their hospitality and letting us take advantage of their "all inclusive suburban resort" we had a weekend that struck just the right balance of relaxation and fun.


Amber's family didn't seem to mind that at least one of the guys that went with us was trying to mold his tastes in baseball and music. There was also second cousin uncle Dan and Andy competing with Joe to be the competing to be the new favorite.

Cooling off after a morning of tennis and preparing for the first decathlon event, a race across the pool on inflated mattresses.

First and second row seats directly behind home plate with the diamond club. That's just the way we roll. I was agog I was aghast when we walked in an they handed us a gift bag, told us there was a gourmet all you can eat buffet, followed by full service during the game. Hot dogs, slushees, peanuts, nachos, ice cream and any other ball park fare on demand and included with the ticket. Diva Dan even wanted a Red's hat and so one of the workers brought him hats of varying sizes for him to choose from. I called my parents and had them turn on the game and they were able to see us on tv, my mom said she has never been more proud of me, I don't know if that's something that I should be proud of.

The game was great, and the reds won and don't you worry as if the best seats in the house, great company and perfect weather weren't enough. They had a softball home run derby after the game followed by one of the best fireworks shows I've ever seen.

Saturday we went to King's Island, conquered the beast, ate skyline chili and had a hot dog-off. Who won is subjective and controversial, like most offs that have happened this summer. If you could the number of hot dogs that would be Joe, but if you think most food should win that would be Dan. That night we saw The Dark Night, which I'm sure everyone has or will see. It was incredible. We spent Sunday afternoon in Columbus Ohio and met up with my roommates Stephanie and Erika and our friend Kristie. Steph is from Columbus and it was definitely a treat to meet the Sonksen's and Stephanie's mom is incredibly kind and entertaining, just like her daughter.

I am recommitting myself to better document the rest of the summer and catch up on a few of the events that I didn't get to in this post.