Petersen Pride

So I've yet to mention this little treasure I have. For my graduation present my parents gave me a bunch of antique books that my ancestors left behind. Longfellow, Tennyson, and Shelley poems, Emerson Essays etc. But the best part was a surprise (I'd found the books a while before I graduated and knew they were coming to me). The surprise was these books written by my great-great-aunt, Margaret Maw. They are fictional but not far from a first hand account of her life in Deseret, UT. She was actually born in Denmark, but after Nels and Grethe were baptized members of the Church they immigrated to UT and helped settle lovely West Millard County.

I breezed through these books. They were fun and easy to read. As I read I was nostalgic for my lovely desert home. Sucked into the love story. Enthralled by her career as a teacher in a one room school house. And in love with the closeness I felt to my great-great grandparents. I've always been fond of their stories, but this time they were being told by their very own daughter, and not a great grandchild they never met (no offense Pa, you're still a great story teller). These are a rare find and I'm grateful my father stole them from Granny B and gifted them to me. I'm willing to lend them to any siblings or cousins of mine. Us Petersen's have to keep up that family pride. I can't wait to read them to my own children one day. They will make such a great bed time story for elementary age kids.

I was curious if you could find these for sale anywhere so I looked them up on Amazon. And a signed copy, which is what I have, goes for $110. I'd suggest my pops buy them (at least the first of the series) and give them to my brothers. I really think they are worth it. Loved, loved, loved them. I'm also wondering if you could find them at your local Utah library? Since they are a first hand account of the state's pioneers.

On a totally unrelated (no pun intended) Petersen Pride note. Chelsea tagged me. Six quirky things. And I find it very strange we share the first thing on her list. To quote:

1. "I stare without realizing it." This totally freaks out my students. I've done it for as long as I can remember. I won't even notice until someone waves at me, like they are trying to wake me up.

2. If I eat cereal at lunch or dinner (which is often) I prefer it out of a coffee mug. Also a lifelong habit.

3. I hate when people rub or lightly touch the huge cancer scar on my leg. But if you poke it real hard I don't mind.

4. I always bounce my legs. Especially when I'm stressed out. The more stressed I get the harder I bounce.

5. I watch TV shows made for 13-year-olds. "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" (the Szilagyi girls are ashamed of me for this) and "What I Like About You." I also enjoy "Arthur" and "The Magic School Bus." But who doesn't?

6. I think I love Asians, Blacks, and Latinos more than I do white people. Ben's response, "That's just kind of offensive." So I'm the opposite of racist, big deal.

I tag Kim (to keep it rolling with the Petersen's) and Mel, Laura, and Ali (cause I always tag them, and they probably expect it).