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Show Volume II, Issue XV THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 5 1 August 2000 Enjoying the Process By Janet Hoffmann I wanted to report on the progress I made regarding the challenge I made to myself in my last article about conscientiously enjoying the processes of life instead of rushing around mindlessly checking off chores or tasks on an endless list of things to do. In case you don’t remember, I wanted to see if I could more fully enjoy the journey, the process of whatever I’m doing, and wondered if, by doing so, I could slow down the clock. Will time pass less quickly if we slow down and enjoy the process? I took my own challenge. In the last two weeks I have tried to enjoy the process of living more than I have in the past. By doing so, I realized two things. First, I noticed that when I sat back and really enjoyed what I was doing, for me, time did go by slower as I relished each moment. Others didn’t always appreciate my new pace and appreciation for simple things. For instance, one day my three-year-old granddaughter and I were in the car singing along with her favorite song on tape. We enjoyed it so much we rewound it and listened to it again. My teenage daughter, who was also in the car, didn’t appreciate it. The third time we rewound it my daughter not only didn’t appreciate it, she was very unhappy. It’s good she wasn’t in the car long, because we ended up rewinding it several times! Second, I noticed that when I was in a hurry to just get something done, I didn’t pay much attention to what pain and agony I may have been putting my body through. For instance, our family has been working on a flower garden in our front yard. Now this isn’t just any flower garden, it is a special garden. I have taken flowers that we, or one of my deceased son Cody’s loved ones, have put on his grave. When the flowers begin to droop a bit, we take them off of the grave and plant them in this garden. We have been moving rocks to make rock retaining walls to hold the soil in place. The other night as I was moving rocks and wishing the job were complete, I remembered to enjoy the process—not wish it away. After slowing down enough to consider my actions, I realized that my aging body was actually aching. If I were to relax and really enjoy this process, I would have to move slower and more carefully. When I started enjoying the process, I was more careful about how I lifted the rocks and I moved a little more slowly but, in the end, my body hurt less. I was actually able to work longer, and the job was much more enjoyable. Normally I would have ignored the pain and just kept moving as fast as I could in order to get the job done, working until I dropped. The old process was not very fun, and actually had the potential to cause physical damage. Looking out at our memorial garden has always been enjoyable, but now even working on it is enjoyable. However, our teenage girls still haven’t caught the vision. A friend related that when she works with others, she has decided that it is the relationship that is the most important thing—not the project itself. It’s the feelings we have for each other when the project is done. I think her idea is wonderful. (Keep in mind that letting others abuse you isn’t helpful to any relationship). I think this goes along with enjoying the process. When you are working with others, if you can enjoy the process, what an enjoyable thing work becomes. Take it one step further—enjoy the process of raising your teenagers. When they argue over everything you say, enjoy the fact that you get to help enlighten their minds. If they won’t listen to your wisdom, just enjoy coming up with a different way to solve the problem. Now there’s a challenge. Tomorrow when you need someone’s help, or you are trying to teach a child, remember what my friend said and keep in mind that it is relationships that are most important. It’s all part of enjoying the process. MASTER MUFFLER & BRAKE 2017 Washington Blvd. Ogden, UT 84401 Your Fast & Friendly Service Center for: Emissions Testing Oil Changes Brake Repair Suspension & Steering Custom Performance Exhaust Emissions Failure Repair Foreign or Domestic NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY 399-3788 Weekdays 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturdays 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Bring this ad and receive an additonal 5% off of our already low prices - on any purchase! Heritage of Utah Cooking Sampling Delectable Recipes at Rainbow Gardens Food Tasting Event By Astrid Boggi-Otto On Saturday, July 15, Rainbow Gardens, along its Promenade and in its refreshing Utah Book Nooks, hosted a convivial literary look at the “what’s old and new” for summer dining and Ogden Pioneer Days celebration cookouts The Heritage of Utah Cooking food tasting event was a successful, unique and tasty ensemble of the best summer dishes our State has to offer. The Junior League of Ogden presented its savory “The Utah Dining Car Cookbook” and offered a mound of samples from various recipes featured in this splendid publication. Dutch oven cooking by Red Rock Ranch & Outfitters of Huntsville was a smashing success, with samples of the ranch’s famous chicken and beans in BBQ sauce. Red Rock is one of Utah’s few working ranches, and this summer no one should miss a Dutch oven cookout on the ranch’s patio, perhaps preceded by either a hay wagon or horseback ride! Fruity Holleeberry’s Jammin’ in Utah jams were the perfect sweet touch to the event, and everyone enjoyed the Greenery Restaurant’s famous Mormon Muffins and a sip or two of Perfect Wedding Punch—both recipes featured in the fun, noted Utah cook book. If you wish to know more about this event and the books and recipes that were featured on this special occasion, please visit the Utah Book Nooks at Rainbow Gardens. And make sure not to miss Rainbow’s zestiest food event of the year, the Halloween Harvest Food Fest, coming soon on October 21. Rainbow Gardens V.P. Robert P. King samples delicious Dutch oven cooking from Marian Hemingway and Janice Yoak of Red Rock Ranch Outfitters. Linda Flint, Natalie Yellis-Kraus and April Boyer of the Junior League of Ogden. |