Midwinter Day's Nightmare

Last Thursday night Darren and I took Adrienne and Samantha to see BYU's production of "A Midsummer Night 's Dream." We were on the very front row and the stage slanted down toward the audience and at times it seemed as if the actors would slide off the stage and into our laps. I would not have been surprised if a swarthy Athenian ended up at my feet. I may not have been too upset by it either . . .We could see every expression on their faces. I've never sat so close before. Anyway, it was amazing.

Two days later, however, it was a Midwinter Day's Nightmare. I'll just write a few clue clue words and you can piece together the picture: snow, Wyoming, stuck, snow, wind, fight, off the road, broken car, tears, anger, car parts, AAA, paying extra, no sleep. That was my weekend. Oh, yes, there was that 3-minute snowmobile ride and the 20-minute cross country ski. We musn't leave out the hour of highlights that made everything worth it (sarcasm intended).

I was born in Wyoming. In Laramie, to be exact. It was the middle of October and it was a blizzard apparently. Who ever heard of of a blizzard in October except people from Wyoming? In every picture we have of Wyoming, there is snow in it. I am always sitting on huge snowdrifts to get my picture taken. Was it NEVER summer in Wyoming? I will have to ask my Mom. I kept thinking about Wyoming's horrible weather conditions as I was driving along 1-80 last weekend, watching a genuine blizzard descend at alarming speed. I thought of all those toddler pictures of me sitting in the snow as we passed car after car that had spun off the road.

When we got home I told Darren I would never go to Wyoming again unless it was really and truly summer. Last year when we went in August it was wonderful. Everything bad that happened, happened because it was January and we were in Wyoming. OK, enough.

President Gordan B. Hinckley died Sunday. I loved that man because he made me feel like I could do it. When others might have said, "YOU SINNERS--SHAPE UP," he said, "You are wonderful. We should all try a little harder, reach a little higher, do a little better." I can handle admonitions in gentle, loving doses. He was unfailingly positive and good-natured. And he worked like a horse for 97 years.