WEARIN' O' THE GREEN, LEPRECHAUNS & ANNIVERSARIES

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, a time when much of the western world pauses to remember the Patron Saint of Ireland, whose purported feats and accomplishments have become the stuff of legend. It has widely been accepted that - among many other things - St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. Ah, a lovely and indeed saintly feat that would have been, were it not for the wee little fact that Ireland, "dinna hoof no sneks to begin wit', laddie!"

It's also a day when we feel obligated to sport 'a wee bit o' the green', in our adornment so as not to invoke the 'tweakin' oof ar bodeily pahrts by complete strangers'. You remember of course, this rich tradition from grade school. . and no, green eyes - even if they be smilin' and Irish - dinna count.

There are assorted and sundry traditions to celebrate Celtic lore around the land that run the gamut from drinking green beer, to kissing the Blarney stone and eating corned beef and cabbage.

Let me briefly share a fun tradition that started when Tyler, Casey and Cheniel were just 'wee little shavers'. For a couple of weeks leading up to St. Patrick's Day we told the kids to keep an eye out for the leprechauns. These leprechauns were crafty and sneaky little guys who did their best to stay hidden during most of the day. Sometimes you could see them if you peered closely into and around the bushes and shrubs next to the house, but more often than not, all you would find would be their footprints and an occassional piece of green fabric that had torn off of their clothing. Of course, these scraps of clothing and the footprints were covertly and strategically placed by we, the parents. Yeah, we actually got our kids to believe in and look for real leprechauns and 'leprechaun sign'. So, sue me. We even took it a step further and told the kids that if they believed in leprechauns, the leprechauns would come visit them the night before St. Patrick's Day. If they had been good kids and fully believed in the leprechauns, there would be an abundance of candies and gifts strewn about the house. If they didn't really believe in the leprechauns - no goodies and they could expect some tricks to be played upon them by the little men in green.

Sure enough, on St. Patrick's Day when the kids arose they found Hershey's Kisses, Skittles (all the colors of a leprechaun rainbow, ya know?), sweet tarts, tootsie rolls, tootsie pop suckers and all manner of sweet confections strewn across the floors, in their beds, inside their pillow cases and in their shoes. It was great! Of course, the leprechauns managed to play a few tricks each year, no matter how good the kids had been. . .bananas in the microwave, chairs upside down on the kitchen floor, cereal in the refrigerator, shoes in the dryer, clothes turned inside-out on the hangers, school books in the dishwasher and pants hanging from the ceiling fan. Sometimes when they woke up they found themselves upside down in the beds or lying on a sleeping bag on the floor. That had to seriously mess with their heads!
I still remember Tyler coming home from school and telling us that the leprechauns didn't visit any of his friends or bring them treats. We explained to him - with deadpan, straight faces mind you - that his friends didn't get any treats because they probably didn't believe in leprechauns. I still cringe just a little bit when I think of Ty, Casey and Cheniel telling their school friends to watch for and believe in leprechauns in the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day. Their friends must have thought they were nuts. . .especially when they told them that the 'Leprechauns' had come and left goodies and played tricks on them. Cheniel, especially, got into it. So much so that she swears she saw the little dudes peeking in the windows and running down the stairway. It was a great time. A time that I often chuckle about to this day. Good times, great memories, gullible children.

Tomorrow there will be no Skittles scattered on the carpet in our home, no bananas in the microwave. There won't even be any Hershey's Kisses around the house. . .just real ones . . .as Lynne and I celebrate our anniversary. I kinda hope she forgets to wear something green. Heh, heh, heh.

THE DEARTH OF POSTS? IT'S KIM'S FAULT!

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was chastising (albeit mildly and tongue-in-cheek) my adorable daughter-in-law Kim, about the lengthy absence of postings on her family blog. It seems that she had been bitten by that infamous and most vile of internet viruses. . . .FaceBook! Having succumbed to the enticings of this heinous malady, she acknowledged and admitted her complicity in failing to post information and/or photographs for an extended period of time. Kim indicated that after having fallen prey to this devious extension of Lord Vader's Evil Empire, her time had been monopolized in its grasp and she had completely neglected her blogging responsibilities. . .much to my chagrin. I informed her of the fact that I was blissfully ignorant of and above such foilables as FaceBook - or as she so casually but intimately referred to it - "FB". I cautiously reminded her that the masses were waiting to read about the exploits of 'the fam' and couldn't be expected to wait while she amused herself with this FaceBook thing. We shouldn't be expected to be kept waiting and be placated by simply, 'biding our time', until she got around to it.

OK. . .cut to the chase. Kim said I should get on FaceBook. I did. She said it would mess with my mind when it came to blogging. It did. She said my blogging would suffer. It has. She said I would see what she meant. I do. She said. ."yadda, yadda, yadda, yadda. ."

She was right. . . and in an effort to recompense my 'sin of omission', I'm writing this post. I have also had a very good friend ask why I haven't been writing and then raise a question about my health (would that be physical or mental?). From now on, I will make a concerted effort to exercise due diligence when it comes to this blog. But. . . .it's still all Kim's fault. The blame rests with her, the little sorceress.

As a sidenote, I have added a link to my FaceBook page on this blog should you feel so inclined. Lynne has a page as well. I have also added a link to my graduating class's (Bonneville High School Class of '73) FB page. If you have a burning desire to see a non-airbrushed, genuine, un-retouched, full-haired photo of me as a senior in high school, click away.

Also - when I was a sophomore (1971), President Richard Nixon visited Idaho Falls. I was a budding journalist on the 'Bonneville Buzz', the school newspaper. I had an opportunity to interview Dan Rather who at that time was a member of the White House Press Corps. A fellow BHS alum, Lyle Nelson, saved the article from that issue of the paper. He also saved a photograph he took on that day. Lyle posted them on my FaceBook page. I hadn't seen them in more than 37 years. Here they are for your reading amusement (bemusement?):

SISTER JENNI CLARKE'S WEDDING PHOTOS

We just received some wedding photos from Sister Jennifer Clarke, another one of 'our girls' who served for a time in the Elizabethtown Ward.

It's aways good to hear from the missionaries - sisters and elders - who have labored in this part of the vineyard, then transferred out or returned home.

Like so many other missionaries that we were privileged to have in our home, Jenni is one of those special personalities that captivates everyone she meets. It was a delight to know her and work with both her and her companions. We miss Jenni and look forward to seeing her again. . .perhaps on our next trip to Utah and Idaho. We'll just add her to the list that includes Jacci, Michelle, Madel (Philippines), Andrea, Natalie, etc. We are, ahem. . still waiting for wedding photos from Madel. Are you reading this girl? Those of you in the E-town Ward may or may not recognize Jenni from these photos . . . wedding gowns and heels weren't considered appropriate

missionary attire, then or now.

RED ROSES AND GUILT IN THE BLUEGRASS

It has oft times been reported - particularly in circles known to be travelled exclusively by men - that Valentine's Day is another one of those 'pseudo-holidays' invented by women (and greeting card companies) for the sole purpose of extracting as much affection, attention, gifts and prose as possible from their husbands, fiances, boyfriends and men-folk in general. The women in our lives seem to possess an uncanny ability to not only accomplish this feat while maintaining a coy, detached aloofness but they also manage to register a discernible and substantial amount of surprise when men actually come through with the requisite gifts and attention. Phrases such as, "For me?"; "Today is Valentine's Day?"; "Why, I'd forgotten all about it!"; "You didn't really need to get me anything."; "You remembered!"; "Honest, this is such a surprise!" and the ubiquitous, "Oh Honey, you really shouldn't have!" abound, resound and reverberate throughout the homes of America and in a dozen or more languages in various parts of the world.

It should also be noted that the fairer sex has an innate ability to do these things without betraying any of the qualities that endeared them to us in the beginning. They remain - if possible - even more beautiful, thoughtful, kind, loving and considerate during this highly ritualized dance of intrigue. They even have the uncanny talent of making us feel guilty when they issue forth with such commentary as, "I don't need anything for Valentine's Day."; "Really, you don't need to get me anything."; "A simple card would be wonderful for Valentine's Day." and the REAL deal maker, "I'm really not expecting anything, honey. I'm happy. Besides, it's enough just being married to you!" OUCH. Having made such poignant (and accurate) observations, I would be remiss if I failed to add another. What is it about DeBeers, Kay Jewelers, Zales, ProFlowers and all the other Valentine's Day promoting entities that make it sound like Valentine's Day is the only day of the year when it is appropriate to give your better-half jewelry or flowers? Or cards and sweet things? What about the other 364 days of the year? Is it not okay to send your wife a dozen roses just because it's Wednesday? What about an impromptu, romantic, candlelight dinner on a cardtable in the living room on a Thursday afternoon? Do we really need a holiday to express those feelings that should be expressed each waking day? Well, no. . . not actually. . . but it is nice to have one special day when we can cast off the vestiges of cavemen and treat the ladies in the manner with which they are so deserving of being treated.

After reading these comments, it's only natural for you to wonder what the passage of Valentine's Day left in its wake in the Hutchens' household. Right? Right? Smiles. It left smiles. Smiles, hugs and . . . well, you know - a sufficient amount of suck face. In large measure because Lynne was treated to a surprise delivery of three dozen red roses followed by dinner and a movie. Hey, I may be pragmatic at times, but I'm actually a sensitive guy at heart. . . and I'm certainly not an idiot.

IT'S DEJA VU . . . ALL OVER AGAIN

Less than two weeks after a massive ice storm plunged 770,000 Kentucky utility customers into cold, inky darkness, fierce winds lashed the state with gusts approaching hurricane velocity. I kid you not. You can't make up this stuff. A line of thunderstorms came roaring through the area yesterday afternoon and into last night. Amid numerous tornado watches, possibly as many as six tornadoes were reported in four counties statewide. The rainfall alone was amazing. Almost three inches in one hour in some places.

This wind storm arrived when power had been almost completely restored to those who experienced outages in the ice storm. Now, over 120,000 customers statewide have lost power - many after just having it restored.

We didn't have any wind damage or power loss at home, but a couple of trees came down in the parking lot at work. No biggie.

From what we can tell, Elizabethtown and most of Hardin county was spared from any real wind damage. Most of the damage occurred in the Louisville areas of The Highlands and Cherokee Park, as well as Hart and Trimble counties. Straight line winds gusted to 68 mph in Jefferson county and the National Weather Service confirmed 73 mph gusts in Owensboro.

Can you believe this stuff? And I thought Idaho weather was bizarre. The day before the thunderstorms the temperature was 68. . the day of the thunderstorms it was 66. We now hear a forecast that calls for snow flurries on Sunday. Maybe we ARE in Idaho. Unpredictable? . .that would be understating. In fact, we anticipate the inevitable plague of locusts at any time now.

WELCOME TO THE YEAR 4707. . .THE YEAR OF THE OX!

The most important, anticipated and festive of the Chinese holidays continues to be celebrated across China until this Monday. . .
"CHINESE NEW YEAR."

Chinese New Year is also widely recognized and known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival particularly among the Chinese people themselves. It is also the longest celebration of the year, lasting fifteen days. Historically, the Chinese calendar years are numbered from the reign of Huangdi, who was also known as the Yellow Emperor. He was a legendary sovereign and is considered to be the father of all Han Chinese. Chinese months, in turn, are determined by the Lunar calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year's festivities start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is at its brightest. It is not uncommon for the Chinese to take weeks of time off work to prepare and celebrate.

We are in the Chinese year 4707, which began on January 26, 2009.

IT IS THE YEAR OF THE OX.

Tradition holds that, in very ancient times, Buddha invited all of the animals to meet and celebrate with him on the day of Chinese New Year. Twelve animals came and Buddha named a year for each of them. Those animals were the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. During Chinese New Year, people wear red clothes, decorate their doorways and homes with poems written on red paper and give children "lucky money" in red paper envelopes.

RED symbolizes not only prosperity and good fortune, but also fire, which according to legend can drive away bad luck. The firecrackers and other fireworks that feature prominently in the festivities are rooted in a similar ancient belief. Long ago, people in China lit bamboo stalks, believing that the crackling and spitting flames had the ability to drive away evil spirits. In China, this is a time of family reunion. Family members gather at each other's homes to visit and share huge meals, the most significant of which is on New Year's Eve. The Lantern festival is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the last day of Chinese New Year. This year the last day of the festival will be Monday, February 9th. Lanterns range from the simple to the extremely ornate and are hung in homes, temples and even carried in an evening parade under the light of the full moon. In many areas the highlight of the Lantern festival is the Dragon Dance. The Dragon - which might stretch a hundred feet or more in length - is typically made of silk, paper and bamboo. It symbolizes strength, protection, the embodiment of the yang (male) concept and success. In China it is taboo to desecrate the depiction of a Dragon, particularly since it also represents the embodiment of the Emperor. During the dance, the Dragon is held aloft by young men who guide and snake the beast throught the streets.

"LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR GLOBAL WARMING, AL. . ."

The past week has lent an incredibly vivid and an altogether much too realistic meaning to the phrase, "We've just been chillin' out."

I'm sure that you have heard, seen, or read about the ice storm that has gripped Kentucky and several other states in its frigid, icy grasp these past several days. This incredible storm has been amazing and paralyzing in its scope and in its tenacity, particularly in western and central Kentucky. This storm arrived just five short months after Kentucky was ravaged by the winds of Hurricane Ike.

At the height of the power outage, over 700,000 customers (primarily residential) in Kentucky were without electricity. In Metro Louisville and Jefferson County alone, there were an estimated 11,500 wire-downs reported. Utility crews from Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia and Florida have been dispatched to the Bluegrass state in an effort to get us back up and running again. In three west-central Kentucky counties alone, 600 power poles were snapped. Tens of thousands of trees across the state were flattened or shattered from the weight of the ice. Transformers were popping around town like roman candles (oddly enough resembling a lightning storm) and the nights have been eerily uneasy as we listen to tree limbs cracking and crashing to the ground. As the larger ones fall and shed their coatings of ice, they sound disturbingly like large crystal chandeliers cascading down onto polished marble floors. How's that for some descriptive imagery?

During the first two days, while much of Hardin County (Elizabethtown) was without power, we had power but no internet or television service at our house. We invited Lynne's sister Penny, Penny's husband Fernando, their son Daniel and his girlfriend Heather (couldn't get home) as well as Lynne's brother Chris to move in with us because they had no heat or power in Glendale. It was a rather cozy arrangement, to say the least.

A day and a half later, our power went off completely. Cold showers became the norm, and no. . . not for the reasons you may suspect. These were showers for purely hygienic reasons, people. Purely hygienic. Well, mostly hygienic. As a result of losing our power, our house guests returned to their own home - after first purchasing a portable generator. After having endured five days of frigidity and bleakness, our elctricity, DSL and TV were finally restored tonight (Tuesday) at about 11:00 o'clock. The pioneers were indeed hardy stock. . .we may have pegged our wimp-meter after barely a week.

Lynne spent a couple of nights in Louisville at Mike and Amber's - no loss of power - while I stayed here at night to, 'mind the store', so to speak. . . there had been several reports of burglaries and vandalism at the height of the outage.

Times like this point up the necessity of having our food storage, water and emergency supplies at the ready - which we did. On Sunday we had a very nice combined fast and testimony meeting with the Radcliff Ward. It was interesting to listen to the experiences all of the other people shared. What a week.

You can pause the following slide show to look at the individual pictures at your leisure.