Friday, April 23, 2010

caveman

we drove around downtown tonight. we didn't have anything to do. when we'd driven through it once, we turned around and did it again. milo wanted to. i rolled my window up most of the way, even thought it is HOT, because the other day when we were downtown some drunk scary man came up to my window and needed some money. i scrambled for some change with my heart beating because he was A. scary and B. drunk. anyway, not a big deal. but now my window stays up a lot. so we're driving and we're just talking about life and about our hopes for the future and about how freaking amazing the fourth of july is in utah/idaho. true. and i suddenly had this really clear recollection of a summer in salmon, idaho when i was about ten and setting off fireworks at my great-aunt's house.  you know when a memory is so nice and lovely that it hurts? that's how it felt. and then we started talking about heaven and how i hope there are still thunderstorms and good books in heaven. james has promised me that this is so.

we came home and the kids are watching scooby-dooby-do and the crickets are chirping and it is SO HOT IN OUR HOUSE and i read an article about how dugout dick just died. does anybody else remember him? he was a man who chose to live in a bunch of caves in idaho and shunned modern conveniences. we visited him a lot when i was a kid. he's another lovely memory from my childhood. i don't think i really "got" him when i was younger. why he lived like that. but i get it now. i wish the world was full of people like him.


anyway, kind of a boring friday night. but i'm wondering if in ten years i will look back and think about my life in the west indies and hurt with the loveliness of the memory? it seems kind of impossible but you never know.

43 comments:

Sarah said...

so good to have a new post from abby.

i absolutely remember dugout dick. seems like someone only our family knows. i know that's not true. but probably pretty close. sad that he died. do you think he had any family? what kind of publication were you reading that mentioned him? was it online? were you googling dugout dick?

abby said...

no it was on yahoo news! it can't be just us. jamie actually found the article.

kate said...

dugout dick? sounds like a cool guy!

we had a guy i in hurricane, ut, that my friends and i called "milwaukee man", because he'd drive with his long santa beard to get beer everyday at 3:30 on a trike bike. he made me happy every time i'd see him. {he looks a little like the guy pictured.. i knew this story was going somewhere.}

anywho..

i just know that you'll look back on your adventures with a smile/wonderful memories.

happy friday.

come back soon. :)

Emily said...

It made me so happy to see a new post from you in my Reader. And the content of the post did not disappoint.

Three things:

1. I'm kind of amazed Dugout Dick was still alive, but I'm happy for him. He seems like a friend from my childhood.

2. Is there any chance you were 13 instead of 10 for that 4th of July at Uncle Jesse's? Steve and I were there in 1997, and remember it as the best fourth of july/fireworks show of all time.

3. You are invited to our house this fourth of july. Ultra invited.

Eliza said...

i think it's fairly likely. but later, you will look back on looking back on the west indies, and that will be lovely too.

Anonymous said...

Well, that's annoying. Google makes me update my account every other day, and today it won't let me do it at all. Anyway, LOVED the post. I can't believe Jamie came across it first. I look at the Idaho Statesman once or twice a week online, but hadn't seen it this week.
What a great post, Abby! That really was a wonderful 4th of July. Magical.
And, isn't it amazing that Dugout Dick was still alive??
AG

Anonymous said...

By the way, it was at Jesse and Laurie's house. AG

Tiffany said...

I love the way you write! And I'm sure there will be thunderstorms and good books in heaven!

robin said...

i love the way you think.

and yes, i bet you will look back in ten years and remember it as a lovely memory.

Kera said...

love dugout dick. and it's so hot and sweaty here that my husband had to give me the wonderful news that i officially have b.o. so i carry deodorant in my purse now. do you still like me?

Bethany said...

What a nice post! I always said I wished we would still be able to eat in heaven, even though we wouldn't need to... I really hope so!

Tawny & Ryan said...

Wow. Your post brought back a lot of bizarre memories for me, none of which we share. How do you do that, Abby? You should add it to your ridiculously long list of talents. My mom used to pick up this old scraggly guy whenever she saw him walking along the road, which was pretty often. He lived in a shack without electricity or running water. We would bring him food and visit for a bit. I thought it was weird at the time, but I'm grateful now for a mom who taught me to knock down personal comfort zone barriers and help other people when no one else would.

Michele said...

I love your posts. Someday you will hurt with the loveliness of your memories of the West indies. sometimes I miss Europe, like when my sister mentioned the Bourne Identity, and I love that movie mostly because it feels like Europe. Awhile ago I was sitting in sacrament meeting thinking about my most favorite European memory ever- I was walking down a street on the sidewalk and all the houses are right next to the sidewalk and since there is no air conditioning (because it is bad for you)everyone opens the windows and I could hear a man yelling at someone and someone practicing piano and singing and maybe I heard a baby cry too. I couldn't understand what anyone was saying because I don't speak German and it struck me- life is beautiful, the crying, the yelling, the singing, everything just stuck me as absolutely beautiful. I wanted to go back to Europe and thought I should tell Brian as soon as sacrament meeting was over. Then as we were leaving the pew someone came over and said, "your son's shoes are on the wrong feet" I said something essentially not caring- we made it to church right? And this person was not so impressed, and said, "Well I suppose if it doesn't bother him..." Then I thought to myself, "oh yeah, that is why I never want to live in Germany again. Every time I walked out the door I was criticized for doing something incorrectly that really wasn't a big deal, a few times specifically that my kid had his shoes on the wrong feet. I would say he did it himself and actually got ready when I asked so there was no way I was going to criticize it, but no, that is a problem to Germans."
My point is I love that we lived in Germany and if I had to go back in time I would do it all again, but I don't think I'll be going again anytime soon. :)
I hope there are thunderstorms in heaven too, I love them.

jill said...

Thunderstorms during the summer monsoons in Arizona were the best things. I miss them so much. The smell of creosote and the flash floods and running from window to window in the house trying to find the best view of the lighting and waiting for the thunder after you see the lighting strike. I miss arizona.

my mudda' calls me jack said...

of course you will remember it with loveliness. now choose what you want to remember as lovely... and do it!

Brooke said...

I've never heard of the dugout dude, but I feel sort of like retreating to the mountains or PEI or Somewhere in nowhere A LOT. It sounds so refreshing. Life could be so simple...

Lisa Strupp said...

When we left St. Kitts, our friends said that I would miss it. I vowed that I would never miss that place! But....(you knew that was coming) now that we are back in the wonderful USA, I do miss that little island. Mainly being nice and lazy and going to the beach and pool everyday! Every year around the 4th of July though my husband and I would get so depressed! We love the fourth especially in IDAHO haha!! Just keep yourself busy, go to De Lime, they have ok fireworks. I feel your pain though and remember it is all worth it in the end! haha

Emz said...

Every Friday night needs a "drunk scary man" .... seriously, what's a night without him?

Loving that you know the Slider's by the way, totally cracked me up.

A Sunday Kind Of Love said...

i think you will remember it with loveliness, but if your house ever stops being a sauna, i think you will remember it with *more* loveliness :)
(and to think my friends and i were just complaining how unbelievably HOT switzerland is getting! i'm sure you would laugh if you came here!!)

kate said...

dude.

we're GOING to meet/cross path's one of these days/years.

we're kindred spirits.

it's meant to be. :)

{how about somewhere in europe? you guys should move there and so should we. work on your husband. doctors are needed everywhere.}

Veronica said...

I don't remember Dugout Dick, but I remember Beaver Dick because we used to go to a park named after him.

Ashley Seil Smith said...

I get him, I really do. We miss you guys, like always. Memories hurt for me often these days, and I'm really trying to learn to live in and enjoy the moment. My mom says it will come, but we'll see.

Anonymous said...

I read this on Yahoo, interesting. But I don't ever think I could live like that, ever. Glad people do and want to... but so happy it's not mandatory!

Wendy said...

How are you guys? I miss hearing from you and hope you will update the blog more often.

angela hardison said...

i just loved this and had to come back to comment (a couple weeks late). can't we all relate to hurting with the loveliness of a memory...

Vagabond Mother said...

You are brilliant.

jenfra said...

Hey Abby-
I was thinking about your suns comments and steve nash and saw your blog site. AMAZING. Take heart in the fact that I too am stranded in the middle of nowhere and seem to find most days slowly painfully go by (negativist at heart unfortunately). At least you have the sun and at least I have a way to leave. Hope med school is going well and your kids are adorable.

-Jenny "Robison"

Wendy said...

MIssing you guys and hoping for a blog update ...

cara. said...

michel gondry==for realz happened.

also, i sent you some mail. but i don't know if it got stolen from the mailbox or not. so let me know if you get it. (:

<3

J & J said...

i'm pretty sure i just put a photo of pearl's pigtail curl on my blog. hope that's okay.

sorry to hear about dugout dick.

hope all is well abby. do you think we'll ever meet one day and drink herbal tea? that sounds lovely.

remi said...

Abby,

I couldn't help but notice that you didn't ask to be invited to my blog.

I am hoping that this is because you are so busy on those tropical islands of yours that you haven't been blog-hopping as you should.

If you ever return to the land of blog, and if you would like to see my adorable little man, please email me your email address at remilundeen@gmail.com.

besos!

Eliza said...

Great post. Especially love the last paragraph. I am so there with you! I think yes, you will hurt with the loveliness of the memory. Life is so good, even when it seems bad.

Kera said...

hey! I miss you! i hope you are doing well. xx

MyKelle J said...

abby, i miss you!

Chelsea said...

Yes, I miss you too. Is everything okay my fellow island friend?

xo

sarah marie. said...

i hope you get this comment because i can't leave you one on the post above and don't have your email address. i have thought about you a few times since you last blogged and hoped you were doing ok. i'm so glad you got an answer to your prayers and are home. i actually hope you are back in the ward so we can finally be friends..

Wendy said...

I love you guys and am glad you are home. ;-)

Calico Sky said...

Abby I couldn't figure out how to comment on the post above, but I wanted to tell you I've been praying for you (Wendy may have passed on that news as I mentioned it on her blog!).

You know, I think there is incredible wisdom in knowing when to close a door, or get off the never ending treadmill. I'm sure it was a very very tough time but it speaks volumes of your character that you can see the blessings! Welcome Home!!!

Sarah said...

glad you are home ab! you're fabulous.

pepper said...

I was just talking to Emily the other day about you. I was worried but she assured me you were doing well. I am glad to hear you are happy being back home.

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love the new photos! Keep 'em coming. AG

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