In Loving Memory...

Charles Ammon Merrell

1934-2011

“Chuck”

Charles Ammon Merrell (Chuck) left this world April 29, 2011 after an astounding three year battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Throughout this experience, he exhibited great courage and a never-failing sense of humor. He has been the rock and foundation of his family for decades. Using his keen vision for the truly important matters of life as well as the knack for humor that characterized his life, he displayed a remarkable ability to calm a crisis with his sunny attitude. Living with Chuck and associating with him was a joy to all who knew him.

Chuck was born Jan. 18, 1934, the eighth child and fifth son of Ernest Leroy Merrell and Verna May Moffett, in Virden, New Mexico. They moved across the Gila River to Duncan, Arizona when he was only a few months old, and he was raised there. He joined the Navy in 1952 and served a four year term of enlistment, serving on the aircraft carrier, USS Midway, as a radioman when she took her world cruise in 1954 and in 1955 when she was part of the 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific. He met Patricia Lee Porter in San Diego, California, and they were married in the Arizona, Mesa Temple, June 4, 1957. They raised their four children, Kathleen Louise (Dave) Boyer, Judith Lynne (Hal) Fitzgerald, Steven Charles (Jeanne) Merrell, and Kent David (Elizabeth) Merrell in Oceanside, California.

Chuck was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He honorably fulfilled many callings in the church, including temple worker in the Bountiful and San Diego Temples, and as Bishop of the Cave Junction, Oregon Ward. He loved to help others. You could always count on him to be there whenever and wherever there was a need. He was released from his last calling only a few days ago when it became apparent that he could no longer serve.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia, his four children, 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and two brothers, Evan (June) and David, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He will be sorely missed here, but we know he gave a great report on his life and family when he arrived on the other side of the veil. Undoubtedly there was a wonderful family reunion as he re-joined his parents and other family members. We are comforted to know that we will all be re-united at a later date.

We appreciate all those who have been involved with caring for our husband and Dad. We wish to thank Dr. David Horsley, Dr. Jonathan Whisenant and Dr. Jane MacPherson for the loving care they have given Chuck during his illness. We also want to thank Debbie and the other aides of the Utah Hospice Specialists for their concern and the great service they gave.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, May 5, 2011 in the Bountiful 16th Ward Chapel, 720 E. 550 N. Friends may visit Wed. from 6-8 p.m. at Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary, 727 N. 400 E. and Thurs. from 9:45-10:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. Interment Lakeview Memorial Park, Bountiful.

The Taming of the Screw

I feel kind of like this egg.

It seems kind of ridiculous that I should feel this way.

I'm sure many people who may be observing me from "the outside" feel I am being ridiculous.

But, the feelings are real. The demands at work are like that screw tightening down against the egg. I am mentally and physically drained. I need to find an effective (and legal!) way to relieve the pressure.

If not I fear I will truly Go Cuckoo!! :)

Any ideas?

My Wanderlust

image: http://foreignpolicydesign.com wanderlust (ˈwɒndəˌlʌst)
— n
	a great desire to travel and rove about

It started innocently enough.

My husband and I were planning a weekend away, nothing extravagant, somewhere within driving distance from our home. But, everywhere we considered did not work out for one reason or another. This, combined with a seed of hope regarding a long dreamed of trip to Italy in a couple of years, germinated into a case of wanderlust of monumental proportions!

Google became my accomplice. We spent countless hours together planning and dreaming of fabulous places across the globe just waiting to be explored. Money & Time, while an integral part of my plans, began to seem like much smaller obstacles under the influence of my wanderlust. Nothing seemed insurmountable in my quest to get anywhere besides “here”.

And then today, almost as quickly as it came, my wanderlust had subsided. I woke to the sun poking its head through the clouds; the birds singing their happy songs and the creek rushing down its path outside my bedroom window. Honestly, I’m certain the wanderlust is still there, temporarily satisfied by a good nights sleep and a beautiful spring day, but for now at least, I am content with my little spot on this big planet called earth.

From the Rooftops

I have an incredible urge to scream from a rooftop,

"I HATE WINTER!"

Do you think anyone would hear me? Do you think anyone would care?

I say I would like to do that, but in reality, I really would not want to because...

1. rooftops are high - I hate heights

2. rooftops in the winter are icy and I would be afraid of sliding off the roof

3. its probably cold on the roof

So, I am screaming (from the warmth of my living room) into cyberspace for the whole world to "hear"..

I HATE WINTER. I HATE THE COLD. I HATE THE ICE. I HATE THE SNOW. I HATE THE DREARY LIGHT. I HATE DRIVING IN THE SNOW AND ICE.

I NEED WARM SUNSHINE, please....

I WOULD BE A LOT MORE PLEASANT TO BE AROUND WITH A LITTLE WARMTH AND SUNSHINE!

On Leaving Facebook

Why does my decision to simplify my life and leave Facebook (sort of) make me feel like I am dying.

Scanning my list of "friends" I selected a few to send notes of "Please don't forget me...", dumping all my contact information into the note, hoping to remain friends without our beloved Facebook connection! Some dear friends, lost once and found again through Facebook, I don't want to lose again and so the idea of severing our Facebook relationship is troubling.

But, really, does merely being listed in my friend registry on Facebook mean we are friends, in the real sense of the word? In some ways we fool ourselves into thinking we are being friends, connected by status updates. Sure, it's nice to have found our long-lost friends, but what do we do with them once we find them; store them neatly in our friend list, and then what?

I have thought about making the break for a long time, but the idea of losing that thread of contact has kept me logging on - even though many of the people I am most worried about losing track of seldom even update their Facebook profiles, much less communicate with me!

I'm ready to start living once again in the real world. I will still have my Facebook account, so if you just can't communicate with me any other way, please send me a friend request and explain your plight - just be sure to include your email address too!

It is almost like I'm dying, and I guess in the magical realm of cyberdom I am. But, I'm counting on a life after death, we'll see how it goes!

Help Wanted ~ Seriously, people!

I am a 52 year old, happily married female (and mother of six awesome young adult children) looking for help in the following areas:

1. Fashion - I am looking to re-define my fashion style now that I am getting more seasoned and mature! Can someone help me learn how to use modern trends in subtle ways to keep me up-to-date? I don't want to be left behind, but I also do NOT want to look trendy/trashy (which is what frequently happens when a woman my age tries to adopt modern trends!) I want to look classy, not trashy or frumpy! I need help with color, styles and accessories (jewelry, shoes, etc).

2. Interior Decorating - I want to find relatively simple techniques to add flair to my surroundings. I can't do any major remodeling, but I want to learn about details I can add to a room to make it "pop"! I want to learn about color, design, patterns, texture, furniture, art and clever accessories I can use to update my home.

I have learned about all of this in the past, but I feel like I am in serious need of an update!
If you know of any blogs or websites that can help me in these areas, please leave me a message with the url.

Thank you!

Something Yummy Looking

I have a day off, thanks to MLK day. I studied the life of MLK once, and while I really don't respect the choices he made in his personal life, he did do a lot for human rights - plus, he provided me with a day off of work! Thank you MLK.

Today, in honor of MLK I am celebrating the human spirit and exploring blogs! My kids would say I'm stalking, but I figure if these people didn't want others to read their blogs they 1) would not write them or 2) they would make them private. Anyway.. I am constantly amazed at how creative and gifted so many people are and I'm happy they share their talents with others like me.
One blog I stumbled upon this morning is Bubsies Boutique. It features "handmade gifts for your little one" which I don't have, but the reason I'm sharing the blog is for this delicious sounding recipe she recently posted.

Maybe it's because I'm hungry, but this looks Yummy!

Time with My Man!

Yesterday I spent the day with my best friend.

Dave and I spent the night of our anniversary at the same hotel we stayed in 28 years ago.

We had dinner in the same restaurant (sans the wedge salad we had that first night as Mr. & Mrs.)

It was fun to reflect on the past 28 years and the many blessings we have received. Our six children are at the top of the list. In fact, most of our favorite memories included them.

We had breakfast the next morning at Lamb's Grill Cafe. They serve a great breakfast. I had a vegetable omelet and hash browns. If you're ever looking for a satisfying breakfast, try Lamb's Cafe on Main St., Salt Lake City.

We headed up to Park City after breakfast. It was great to get out of the depressing inversion that has settled into the Salt Lake Valley. I was glad the weather was relatively mild - I only needed a polar fleece parka as we wandered through the outlet mall in Park City.

After our day in Park City we headed back home. We decided to stop by our favorite Indian restaurant for an early dinner. The restaurant wasn't opened yet, so I popped into the women's clothing store next door to see what I could find.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a dress for the upcoming wedding of Justin & Cait!! This is a major breakthrough - I have been searching for a dress for weeks. I actually bought two of the same dress. It's a two-piece ensemble (skirt & jacket). They only had it in Petite sizes. The one size fits on top, the other size fits on bottom! Both dresses were on sale and together totaled less than anything else I have found (less than $100). One dress also cost less than a tailor would charge me to alter the larger piece. Everyone thinks I'm crazy, but it's very logical in my mind! I have an acceptable dress to wear to my son's wedding, and that's all that matters!

We then enjoyed a bowl of nice warm soup and some chicken curry at the Indian restaurant next door.

We ended the evening at home, comfortable in our own bed, watching An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant.

It was a wonderful time with me and my man of 28 years. I feel so blessed.

Me & My Man!

28 years ago tomorrow (January 14, 1983) I was sealed for time and all eternity (married) to my best friend in the Salt Lake Temple. It was a beautiful day, that first day of Mr. & Mrs. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and it wasn't even that cold!

Where has the time gone? Looking back we can see so far. Looking ahead we can see forever! I love you, Dave. Thanks for loving me all these years.

Forever will be so much better having you by my side.