My Community Spanish Fork Magazine - December 2021

December

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2021

Spanish Fork How to Speak Dog | p 8 4 Sledders Buried p18

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Food Critic: Casa Salza | p22 Home DIY | p26

Meet the

Ulmers A Dream Come True!

p14

Dear residents, This past month you showed us your excitement for your new magazine and we couldn’t be more excited! Thank you for your submissions of articles, pet photos, and feedback.

Our vision is to bring the community together in a fun and meaningful way every month. In order to do that, we want YOU to be involved.

Hope to see you in the magazine!

With love,

Here are things YOU can do!

Participate in our monthly contests

Send us feedback

Introduce us to your pets

List your homebased business

Be a resident sponsor

Nominate a family to be featured

Your My Community Team Share your stories, your tips, or your expertise for one of the sections

Dann Goff Publisher / Cofounder

801-687-9303 dann@mycommunityutah.com

Dustin Grady Editor in Chief / Cofounder 801-472-3965 dustin@mycommunityutah.com

Are you interested in Advertising | Sponsorship?

Contact us at sponsors@mycommunityutah.com

Feedback | Ideas | Submissions

Have feedback, ideas, or submissions? We are always happy to hear from you. Just email us at thebox@mycommunityutah.com.

Article Submissions

articles@mycommunityutah.com

Contests Stephanie Petersen Alan Moller Production Manager / Editor Graphic Designer stephanie@mycommunityutah.com

@mycommunityutah Cover Photo by: Sarah Watson

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My Community - Spanish Fork

contests@mycommunityutah.com linktr.ee/mcusf

Deadlines

Submission deadlines for all magazine content are the 1st of each month unless otherwise specified. If the deadline falls on a weekend, please submit by the Friday before no later than 5pm.

@mycommunityutah

Table of Contents 4 4 5

Local Events Important Numbers Community Expert Panel

My Pet Community 6 7 8

Meet My Pet Pet Corner - Road Trips with Cats Pet Training - How to Speak Dog

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Expert Article - Fitness From the Inside Out Remove Their Stockings with Care

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Screen Smarter

Health & Wellness Mom’s Wisdom Kid’s Corner

12 Activity 12 Coloring Contest

Real Estate Update 13

Sold Homes Around Town

14 Feature Family - Meet the Ulmers Sports 16 17 18

Student Athlete of the Month Outdoor Recreation - The Largest Buck Motorsports - Four Sledders Buried

Acts of Service 20 Some Lessons I Acquired from Plums 20 Home-Based Business Listing 21 Volunteer at Tabitha’s Way

Food 22 24 24 25

Food Critic - Casa Salza Chef’s Secrets - Dip into Christmas Article Writing Contest Winners Recipe - Easy English Toffee

Around the Home 26 Why DIY Isn’t as Scary as You Think 26 27

Succulent Gardening Craft - Pinecone Door Hanger

Travel 28

Destination: Winter Wonderland

Around the Town 29

30 30 31 32

Senior Spotlight Why Are Sponsors Important?

December’s Porch/Yard Decorating Contest This Magazine Brought to You By My Favorite Business Contest

#mycommunityspanishfork

December 2021

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Community Calendar Nov 25th-Jan 1st Festival of Lights begins (continues through New Year’s Day)

Dec 9th Tween Book Club/Where the Wild Things Are, 6pm -at the Library

Nov 26th Winter Lights Parade on Main Street, 7pm

Dec 9th Music & Movement, 1pm -at the Library

Nov 26th-27th Christmas Gift & Craft Show, 9am-7pm Spanish Fork Fairgrounds, 475 S. Main St. Nov 29th Precision Vision Thanksgiving Charity Event, 10am-5pm FREE glasses & eye exams for those in need — appointment only (call before), cannot have participated before, must currently be at or below nat’l poverty line, must live between mapleton and santaquin, and must not have any insurance currently - 482 S Main Nov 29th-Dec 4th Open House, Summit Motorsports - 570 S Main Dec 1st-31st Christmas Pond Town in Salem

Dec 17th “The Nutcracker” by Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy, 5pm & 7:30pm at American Leadership Academy “The Nutcracker” by Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, & 7pm at American Leadership Academy

Dec 6th-7th - Dance Concert, 7pm Dec 13th - SFHS Band Winter Concert

Maple Mountain High School Dec 1st - Carols & Confections, 7pm, Auditorium Dec 7th - Combined MJHS & MMHS Orchestra Concert, 5:30pm, Auditorium Dec 8th - Band Concert, 7pm, Auditorium Dec 9th - Percussion & Jazz Concert, 7pm, Auditorium

Dec 15th - SFHS Winter Orchestra Concert, 4pm

American Leadership Academy Dec 3rd - Improv Show, 7-8:30pm, Room 210 Dec 10th-11th - The Spirit of Christmas Performance, 6pm & 8pm Dec 13th - Orchestra Christmas Concert, 7-8:30pm Dec 14th - Christmas Art Show in Rotunda, 6-7:30pm

Important Phone Numbers Emergency Police Department Non-Emergency Dispatch Fire Department Ambulance

911 801-804-4700 801-794-3970 801-798-5075 801-804-4755

Get Help Food Pantry Workforce Services Substance Abuse Addiction Help

Get Help 801-709-8573 801-794-6600 801-794-2350 800-839-1686

My Community - Spanish Fork

Dec 17th “Laughing All The Way” Live Event w/ Hank Smith & John Bytheway, 6-8:30pm SF High School

Spanish Fork High School

Noteworthy School Events

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Dec 11th Storytime with Christmas Belle, 11am -1pm -at HideAway Books

Dec 18th

Dec 3rd Avalanche Awareness Seminar with Pro Snowmobiler Duncan Lee, 5pm Summit Motorsports, 570 S Main St (call 801-405-7433 before December 3rd to register!)

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Hosting an event or know of an event? Let us know by emailing events@mycommunityutah.com.

Suicide Hotline LGBTQIA+ Lifeline Crisis Hotline Opioid Addiction Domestic Violence, 24hr Hotline Rape Crisis, 24hr Hotline Alcoholics Anonymous Sexaholics Anonymous Child & Familiy Services WIC Animal Shelter

801-691-5433 800-273-8255 801-226-4433 211 801-377-5500 801-356-2511 801-375-8620 http://sautah.org 801-794-6700 877-WIC-KIDS 801-851-4080

@mycommunityutah

COMMUNITY EXPERTS Attorney - Personal Injury Ryan Schriever

Hearing Health Jessica Nelson, BC-HIC

Party Decor & Printables Debbie Messmer

Clothing Boutique Mele Miyasaki

Hospice Care Carma Karsten

Sewing

Dance Studio Nesha Woodhouse

Life Insurance Jeffrey Bartholomew

Software Development Seth Lowell

Financial Advisor Dustin Smith

Music Education Ashley Boothe Ivers

Wellness - Mindful Living Becky Moller

Schriever Law Firm 801-574-0883 ryan@schrieverlaw.com schrieverlaw.com

Mele Saki Fashion - LuLaRoe 801-946-5788 lularoemelekimi@gmail.com melesakifashion.com

Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy 801-423-7899 lifehouseacademy@gmail.com lifehouseacademy.com

Black Swan Legacy Group 801-318-7154 dinodust@gmail.com

Timpanogos Hearing & Balance 801-806-0819 thebesthearing.com

Wants and Wishes 949-690-6785 wantsandwishes@gmail.com wantsandwishesdesign.com

Maple Creek Home Health & Hospice 801-798-5333 carma@maplecreekhhh.com maplecreekhhh.com

Family First Life 303-619-3939 jeffreysbartholomew@gmail.com

Boothe Music 801-798-7650 www.boothemusic.com

Micki Taylor

Micki Sews It 801-717-5260 micki@mickisewsit.com mickisewsit.com

631-605-0954 seth.lowell@gmail.com

Lifehouse Body & Soul 801-735-4456 info@lifehousefit.com lifehousefit.com

To learn more about becoming a Community Expert, contact us at sponsors@mycommunityutah.com

Injured in a Car Accident?

Leave it to Schriever

(801) 574-0883 174 S Main St., Spanish Fork, UT 84660

www.SchrieverLaw.com

#mycommunityspanishfork

December 2021

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My Pet Community — Meet My Pet

Winston Winston is my yearling Shetland Sheep. He was bottle fed and is as friendly as a ram lamb could ever be!

Becks

— Resident Submissions

Flynn Rider

Milo

Kiba Kiba, is an Alaskan Klee Kai, has a very expressive face, and loves hikes. He is super gentle and friendly with kids and other dogs.

I’m lucky to have him!

Milo Is a squirmy little gecko who loves to eat crickets, and is the cutest ever! He is an excellent pet and I love having him.

Poe

Clementine

Becks is a 5 year old Clementine “Cleme” is a Weimaraner who loves to domestic shorthair who hunt doves and pheasants. was an underfed ‘runt of He earned two dog racing the litter.’ Now she’s as titles this year and stands spoiled as possible, and is in the top 10 fastest dogs great at water bowl tipping, for his breed. the litter toss, and underthe-door foot grabbing.

Flynn Rider is our 1-yearold White Lab. He is a goofy dog who is a hog for food and loves to chase balls and play with our four children.

Steven

Poe is a Dachshund who runs from his catsister, Cleme, as well as up and down the stairs (often coming up short!).

Grandma spoils him with lots of squeaky toys.

In kindergarten I got four eggs from class and named this one Steven.

She is my favorite out of all of my ten chickens. She knows me the best out of all my family members and always loves it when I hold her.

We want to meet your pet! Send a high resolution photo with a brief fun description to: meetmypet@mycommunityutah.com

Sponsor this Section!

Sponsors allow us to bring you more content that you love to see!

When you sponsor a specific section, your banner appears alongside the content every month, and we tell the community that YOU made this section possible.

Other popular sections available for sponsorship: Feature Family Local Events Home & Gardening 6

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My Community - Spanish Fork

Pet Corner Health/Wellness/Fitness Travel

Food Critic Memories Mom’s Wisdom @mycommunityutah

Sponsored by Friends of the Magazine — Pet Corner — My Pet Community

Road Trips with Cats

by Valene Gammo, 12 years old Trying to plan a roadtrip with a cat can be stressful and challenging, but it doesn’t have to be! If you can learn the basics, in no time at all, your cat can learn to be totally chill on your drives. If you’re thinking of going on a road trip, you can get your cat familiar with being in the car by going on short drives to get them acclimated with the motions and smells. In my experience this has really helped. Here are some things you’ll find handy: A small kennel, catnip, puppy training pads, a cat harness, a thin blanket, a small cat toy, and a frozen water bottle (optional).

Catnip is always helpful if you want something to calm your cat down. About ten minutes before getting into the car, spoil your feline friend! Treat ‘em to catnip.

It’ll usually just put them straight to sleep after the ten minutes. If your cat doesn’t like catnip (like

—Resident Submission mine), sneak about 1-2 teaspoons of catnip into your cat’s food. Use 2 teaspoons for a full can, and 1 teaspoon for a half a can. (Note: Catnip has no effect on cats under 6 months old.) Mix thoroughly so the cat will actually eat it. If you just let the cat smell it, he’ll get hyper and more anxious. You’ll want the cat to actually consume the catnip.

You don’t want to overfeed your cat before, or too much during the actual drive, or he could get an upset stomach.

You’ll want the puppy training pads to line the bottom of the kennel just in case your cat gets super anxious and has an accident. (Learned that the hard way… *nervous chuckle*.) Depending on how long the drive is, you’ll want to change out the pad so he isn’t sitting in that. Yuck. It’ll only have to be changed once or twice a day.

You’ll want a harness in case

you’re tempted to let the cat out of the kennel, ‘cause lemme tell ya, my cat tried to go straight for the trunk portion of our family van.

If your cat really isn’t having it, you could drape the thin blanket over the kennel to reduce stress and motion sickness.

You can put a small cat toy in with your kitty if he’s getting feisty.

One last thing you’ll want is a frozen water bottle. Set it in with your cat so he can lick the condensation off if needed. You might want to avoid hard food so your cat doesn’t get too dehydrated during the drive.

After a few drives, you’ll see how easy and fun road trips can be with cats! Just don’t forget the training pads. Good luck to you and your feline for road trips to come!

Write an article for the magazine!

See linktr.ee/mcusf for details.

Software Developer 631-605-0954 seth.lowell@gmail.com

Seth Lowell #mycommunityspanishfork

December 2021

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My Pet Community — Pet Training

How to Speak “Dog” Cornerstone Dog Training Tips

by Jason Robbins

—Resident Submission

Communicating with your dog in a positive and effective way is easier than people think. I’m here to show you how!

My name is Jason and I’ve been he’s doing something undesirable them. They begin to learn that they can training dogs for years. For me, dogs (such as chewing the table leg for ex- maintain their freedom as long as they bring so much love and friendship to ample). You want to respond by walk- don’t do the unwanted behavior. life and my passion is to help dog owning towards them — they sense you are This is the key to training a well-beers have a better relationship with their taking up their space (proximal pres- haved dog! Grant freedom as they earn furry friends. If I could save all the hurt sure). The faster you walk towards it. More freedom requires more reand heartache that comes from lack of them, the greater the “pressure.” sponsibility, so you must allow them to communication between dog owners But applying pressure is not earn it by proving that they will behave and their pets, my mission would be enough! There has to be a release! So appropriately with the current freeaccomplished! the key is, once you get their attention dom they have. In this example, that Dogs understand pressure and and they stop the bad behavior, re- freedom is physical space (and it’s a release — it’s how they communicate lease the pressure and give them their BIG one for dogs). This is especially imboundaries. There are many ways space again. portant with puppies. It is best to start that dogs use If they go out by restricting their space because pressure with right back to they are not capable of handling it yet. each other, chewing on the Too much freedom for a dog will end from growls table leg, you poorly. Far too many people give their and nips to take another puppies the world to roam around in, full-on fightstep toward and then discover that they’ve created ing. For us, them. This lets a monster. we can use a them know you But dogs can always be trained by leash (easiest don’t like what talking to them in their language. So and most they’re doing even if your dog is older and still does common), and are going unwanted behavior, don’t give up on but our dogs to assert your them! Apply pressure and release aren’t always dominance by taking up their space. principles, and be sure to look for dog on leashes.

When the puppy stops to look up at trainers who understand this as well.

This is where proximal pressure you, step back and release the pres- Patience and consistency will always comes in handy! Proximal pressure is sure. Repeat as needed. win out with a dog, no matter how stuball about space: the space around you Let’s compare this to a more typi- born they seem. and around them. What does a dog do cal scenario. An owner notices an unwhen it enters a new room? They walk wanted behavior, and they go over to Write an article for the magazine! around the entire room and check out the puppy and maybe grab them, or See linktr.ee/mcusf for details. every inch and corner! They think to pick them up and move them, or stand themselves “okay, if this is my space to there and talk at them while shaking take care of then I gotta know what’s in their finger “no, no, no! Don’t do that! here: every smell, every person - I gotta Bad!” Etc. etc. know it all!”

The owner has applied extreme In short, space matters to them. pressure (likely more than needed), To use proximal pressure and rebut even worse, has maintained the lease effectively, we need to underpressure by standing in the dog’s space, stand that dogs are a lot like teenaggrabbing it, and talking over it. The dog ers. They push back against pressure! is confused. “What’s wrong? I stopped, (Thank goodness teenagers don’t read I stopped!” he thinks. When we apply magazines…) pressure by stepping into their space, This is useful for those moments and they stop to recognize that preswhen your dog is not on a leash and sure, our backing away is a reward to

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@mycommunityutah

Expert Article — Health & Wellness Community Expert: Mindfull Living Becky Moller

Fitness From the Inside Out How would you describe your relationship with your body? With food? With life? For many people, food and body represent a lifelong struggle. Maybe you are “on” a program, then find yourself “off” again. Perhaps your weight goes up and down like a roller-coaster. Even more troubling, your anxiety and self-concept may follow suit.

But what is the solution? Programs or plans may feel unsustainable, competitive, or restrictive. I advise people to reject diet mentality and body shame. Instead, approach the whole issue of food, body, fitness, and life from the inside out.

What do I mean by “the inside out?” I mean that when we align our inner world — our hearts, minds, and intentions — our outer world naturally falls into optimal alignment. I also mean that no matter how much work we do on the outside, if our inside is still hurting, grasping, or striving to matter, we will never find that sweet spot we are looking for—our greatest powerful, self-love, and lasting peace.

What if you took the whole concept of fitness and

#mycommunityspanishfork

turned it on its head? What if “fitness” didn’t point to something you “should’’ be doing, or something you felt guilty about? What if fitness meant taking time on a daily basis to re-align yourself — body, mind, and spirit — with something Higher. What would it mean to be spiritually fit? Mentally fit? Emotionally fit? What would a well-trained mind look like to you? What would it mean to be able to respond to

your emotions in “fit” and healthy ways? What if your daily self-care routine changed from “burning calories’’ to truly challenging and connecting with every part of yourself?

How would your life change if you had a safe, supportive platform to recenter yourself in mind, body, and spirit as you started each day? This is what Daily Practice means to me.

I believe that the most powerful way to strengthen our communities, our homes, our struggling world and Continued on pg 10

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Health & Wellness

Remove Their Stockings With Care —Resident Submission

by Heidi Llwellyn Winter, with its sniffles and coughs, is fast approaching.

Did you know you can help relieve sinus pressure and drain congested lymph simply by rubbing your feet? If your children come down with a cold this winter, whip off their socks and try these tested methods of self-care. Foot rubs manipulate the nervous system to increase the body’s many functions, relieve stress and also to detox.

As a mother of two children (10 and 8 years old), I have found rubbing their feet to be especially beneficial with helping my children relax at bedtime. We like to do 20 minute foot soaks in Epsom salt and a few drops of lavender oil.

Read bedtime books while their feet soak in the fragrant warm water. The heat opens the pores on the feet (the largest pores on the body) and the magnesium and sulfates in the Epsom salts draws out toxins. After drying off, I also put a few drops of lavender oil directly on the bottom of their feet, behind their ears, and sometimes a drop on their pillows for a relaxing night’s rest.

We are also fans of the Vick’s Vapor rub trick. Get a little Vick’s Vapor rub and rub it on the bottom of the feet at bedtime (be sure to wear socks)! This can be beneficial for helping with coughs, colds, and relaxation.

When nasal congestion makes life miserable for your young ones (or yourself), try sliding a thumbnail or spoon in a downward motion on the inside of the big toe and the corresponding sides of the first two small toes to help with sinus drainage. This can be repeated as often as necessary on both feet until sinus pressure is relieved or the passages are draining adequately.

Rubbing our children’s or other loved ones’ feet can be a means of connecting with them on a calmer emotional level. It shows them we love them, we care about their well-being, and we enjoy spending time with them. Keep rubbing those tiny (and big) feet that run around your house to keep everyone happy and healthy this winter!

Continued from pg 9 divided nation, is to come home to our own Highest Selves on a daily basis, to learn how to navigate life in a way that honors our own hearts, and compassionately hold space for the hopes and hurts of others.

This unfolding and awakening is available to each one of us, and pays endless dividends in every aspect of our lives. Our greatest power resides within our very own souls.

But it takes time, commitment, and openness to find that Light within ourselves. I believe there is no greater work.

There is no greater purpose or mission. There is no greater Love.

If you have been struggling with body image, chronic anxiety and depression, the diet roller-coaster, relational trauma, or any type of life crisis, consider how working from the inside out can begin to change everything for you.

Learn how to love and live your fullest and most empowered life — with every part of yourself: mind, body, and spirit.

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@mycommunityutah

Mom’s Wisdom

Screen Smarter

by Sarah Workman

—Resident Submission

Managing screen time is a topic we all can relate to, especially as parents. As our children grow, we don’t want to look back one day and regret being more interested in our screens than in what was going on with our children.

How do we avoid having our families become another screen-aholic statistic?

First, as parents, we must evaluate our own screen time.

We need to make sure we aren’t being hypocritical by limiting our children’s screen time, but not our own. I believe that phones are our biggest distraction. On average, a person checks their phone every 12 minutes. That’s about 80 times a day. What is so interesting on our phones that keeps us from being present with our family?

Second, evaluate our children’s screen time. Children mostly use screens for TV, YouTube, or games on the iPad. Today, children begin interacting with digital media at 4 months of age. As parents and caregivers, what can we do to change this?

Change is not easy, especially when screens are so addictive. A great way to start this change is by creating

Ideas to Limit our Screen Time

• Use the Screen Time tools on our iphone.

• Move the social media apps on our iphone so we don’t fall into muscle memory.

• Place our phone in a specific spot during the day so we don’t have it constantly on us.

• Limit our screen time to when our children are taking a nap.

• Turn off notifications for items that are not urgent.

• When we use our phones, inform our children about what we’re doing: (“I’m checking today’s weather.”)

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Write an article for the magazine!

See linktr.ee/mcusf for details.

a family media plan. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a template to create your family’s media plan: http://tiny.cc/mcu-family-media-plan.

When creating your media plan, the World Health Organization’s guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior in children under five is something to consider: http://tiny.cc/ mcu-who-guidelines

In college, I studied the effects of screen time. This subject has become a passion of mine because I’ve noticed just how much screens can negatively impact our mind, body and soul if we aren’t conscious about how we use them. I now have an Instagram account dedicated to helping families screen smarter when choosing entertainment.

Ideas to Limit our Children’s Screen Time

• Replace screens with books, books on tape, podcasts, or playing music.

• Create a checklist before children can use a screen (Brush teeth, Make the bed, etc).

• Create a routine of when screens are allowed in the home.

• Create a Boredom Cure Box. • To reduce the 1:1 time children have with screens, watch a movie together.

• Monitor what our children are doing on their screens.

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Kid’s Corner

This page needs a sponsor! Tell us which business you’d love to see here, and email sponsors@mycommunityutah.com.

For more copies and activities: linktr.ee/mcusf Or scan the QR code

My Community Coloring Contest Our Coloring Contest provides parents with a fun activity to do with their kids! Color one of this month’s pictures (see link below) and email it back to us or post to social media and tag us and use our hashtag (@mycommunityutah, #mycommunityspanishfork) for a chance to have it featured in our magazine! We will November Winners post the winning entry of each category in our next issue. linktr.ee/mcusf

Emery Moss –age 8 12

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Jane Billington @mycommunityutah

Real Estate Update

Sold Homes Around Town Address

Year Built

Bed Bath

Sq. Ft

Lot Size(Acres) Sold Price

238 E 100 S 1912 2 2 1040 0.14 $310,000 430 E 400 N 1910 3 1 1494 0.16 $345,000 150 N 600 E 1950 3 2 1660 0.27 $370,000 75 N 800 E 1954 5 2 1980 0.15 $372,000 165 N 200 W 1939 4 2 1962 0.28 $405,000 498 W 200 S 1999 3 3 1692 0.14 $430,000 369 S 1340 W 2008 3 3 2342 0.14 $450,000 342 S 900 E 1957 5 2 2208 0.31 $460,000 220 S 1150 E 1993 5 4 2666 0.30 $496,000 624 S Birch Dr 1978 4 3 2610 0.20 $525,000 452 S 1170 W 2006 5 3 3100 0.21 $530,000 340 N 300 W 1964 5 3 3750 0.23 $535,000 2172 E Rio Grande Dr 2010 4 3 3081 0.19 $539,900 6465 S 2400 W 1980 5 3 2466 1.00 $650,000 1595 E 100 S 2013 5 4 3344 0.25 $650,000 1656 E 1510 S 2004 5 4 3405 0.31 $651,000 1138 N Ponderosa Ln 2019 3 3 3948 0.45 $700,000 324 N 2700 E 2017 7 4 4304 0.22 $795,000 17342 Alta Dr 2007 8 5 4886 11.30 $1,200,000

Are you going to list your home for sale?

List your home with us and !!!

We will help you get your home ready to sell by providing house and carpet cleaning at no charge to you.

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Feature Family

Meet the

Ulmers A Dream Come True!

S

unny California is a big place, known for its palm trees, beaches, and the notoriety of multiple bustling cities. But, it was a tiny, obscure farming town with only one grocery store and a K-mart for a shopping “mall” that brought Steven and Ashley together.

Almost from the very beginning, destiny was at work, strategically sowing seeds: They were born exactly three weeks apart in the very same hospital.

They were classmates in the same Kindergarten class. Middle School interlaced their paths daily through the school’s hallways into the same classrooms. High School did as well. There was never a time when Ashley and Steven didn’t know each other. They grew up as budding friends.

Things took on a rosier hue during their Junior year, when Steven donned some shining armor and joined Ashley’s family at a medieval reenactment event. With their shared enthusiasm for history, they both immensely enjoyed several days of mock sword fighting and other medieval festivities.

Perhaps an observant wizard cast a spell, because after that, their friendship began to blossom into something more. Just a few months later, they were dating. Within a short time, Ashley says “we both knew it was forever.”

After graduating high school, not to be separated, the young dating couple both moved to Utah for college. Steven had always wanted to attend and play football at BYU, and Ashley wanted to stay nearby, of course. So she attended UVSC (now UVU). Steven pursued a degree in mechanical engineering

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My Community - Spanish Fork

Photo by: Sarah Watson

while Ashley worked on a degree in teaching. She completed her schooling first, while Steven went overseas to Bulgaria to serve a religious mission for two years. Ashley wrote to him every single day and also planned their wedding, which occurred several weeks after his return home.

Thus, Tinyville, CA may not be on the map for most people, but it’s where two hearts started blooming into one and cast seeds far into their future. You see, in Tinyville, all residents were either farmers, or worked at the prison.

Steven’s family worked thousands of acres of land. Ashley’s family had a three-acre hobby farm. All glam aside, their California childhood consisted of dirty hands from many happy hours spent outside in gardens and livestock pens.

So, when their own family began to branch out with four children, Steven and Ashley began searching for a place outside of the “big” cities of Provo and Orem for a similar upbringing for their little ones. Spanish Fork, the biggest small town in Utah, was full of that potential. So, they bought a house and put in a small garden. But, even so, something was missing.

One winter day, a For Sale sign at the edge of a property flagged Steven down on his way home from work. Ashley got a phone call. Did she want to go see what was behind that For Sale sign? It was just mere curiosity. Ashley was promised they were “just looking.”

But, all their self-placation fell away the moment they set foot on the property - a fruit farm. It was

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Feature Family like stepping into Home. Everything about the place rushed to fill the missing piece inside them: the orchard, the layout, the house, the stewardship and care that had cultivated all of it. Though the crops were different, it felt like they had stepped back in time and were standing on the “homebase” of their childhood.

It was love at first sight. They knew they were home again.

A few months and a million prayers later, the dream became a reality when they moved their family onto the fruit farm. It was baptism by fire during their first season: producing fruit, vegetables, eggs, and meat through a pandemic and a drought.

Ashley poetically relays how the reality of life on their small dream farm leaves the body drained of energy, yet the soul filled with joy at the end of the day. It leaves you with dirty hands, yet also a clean conscience, because you know you did your duty with care, and will rightfully reap the rewards.

For these heart shifting experiences, the Ulmers are ever so thankful. Ashley sums it up by saying, “This tiny farm in the middle of this amazing town is our

#mycommunityspanishfork

dream come true.” Raising their children here is the most rewarding thing of all.

Jordan (11), is a hardworking, thoughtful girl who can learn anything.

She is always creating something. She loves school (especially since homeschool lets her wear

her pj’s). Her favorite subjects are history and science, although she loves acting, dancing, and crafts too.

Raiden (9) is fiercely protective of his sisters and

Continued on pg19

December 2021

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Sports — Student Athlete of the Month — Sponsored by Tim Dahle Ford

Nominate a HS student! Email studentathlete@mycommunityutah.com

Meline Robarge Meet your Tim Dahle Ford Student Athlete of the Month: Meline Robarge. Meline (pronounced Meh-LEE-nay) recently received a Division 1 full ride scholarship to play volleyball for Idaho State University. She’s a killer outside hitter (pun intended), and brings the unique skill set of hitting left-handed. This makes for a deadly (there it is again!) right side attack which sets her, and her team, apart from the competition. Interestingly, Meline is right-handed, but she conscientiously trained herself at a young age to be a left-handed hitter, and soon learned that the skill was particularly marketable to make her stand out for colleges.

Meline started playing competitive club volleyball at the age of 11, but had already been playing volleyball more casually even before then.

The sport runs through her veins - you can catch her playing (or coaching) at any time during the year, including just in the backyard with the family. Her dedication to the sport earned her a starting spot on the varsity team as a freshman, was voted as the Most Valuable Player as a sophomore, and has been named All-State Honorable

Mention every year of her high school career.

As a student, Meline carries a 4.0 GPA and is every bit a math jock as she is for volleyball. Her hobbies include painting, baking, watching movies, and more than anything, spending time with family. Not to be left out is Meline’s second great passion - fishing. She loves to get out with her dad, uncles, and cousins as much as possible, and frequently fishes Salem Pond.

Congratulations Meline on your achievement on and off the court! Tim Dahle Ford would like to recognize your hard work with a $100 gift card — please visit the dealership for redemption at 2534 N 200 E, Spanish Fork.

WWW.TIMDAHLEFORD.COM

HOME OF THE FOREVER WARRANTY

2534 N 200 E, SPANISH FORK 16

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My Community - Spanish Fork

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—Resident Submission

The Largest Buck I Ever Shot

by David Tanner

It was 1987 - my most bittersweet hunting season ever. Back then, Wolf’s Sporting Goods held the Big Buck Contest every year, and it was always wildly popular. You would go in before the hunt opened and register to enter, and then anyone who shot a noteworthy buck could take it in to have them measure it according to Boone & Crockett standards. The top five largest bucks would win huge prizes; first place prize was a brand new Jeep — so it was a big deal!

That year, my Dad, brother, and I settled on Provo Peak for our big hunting trip. We had been hiking up around there to scout out places and saw some good size bucks up that way (which was usually the case back then). Well for me, I had a late work shift the night before the hunt, so my Dad and brother planned to hike up to our spot and set up camp. Then I

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Sponsored by Zagg — Outdoor Recreation — Sports would later after work.

As luck would have it, my shift ended later than planned. Fearing that I would have to hike to camp in the dark, I left in a hurry, and forgot to stop by Wolf’s to register for the Big Buck Contest. This would turn out to be the only year I didn’t enter.

The morning dawned and we all split up. I went to an area where I had a good hunch because I’d seen some does milling about on our scouting trips. Soon enough, some does emerged, and then some small bucks.

Suddenly, a big ol’ boy came wandering out and stood broadside only 150 yards away. Just at the sight of him, my heart started pumping. This was it! I was so excited that I had to take several deep, deliberate breaths. Focus.

Focus. Boom! He only ran a little ways before dropping straight down. Clean shot. I sat there bewildered.

When I came back, my friend who worked for Wolf’s measured the buck for me. Had I actually entered the Big Buck Contest that year, I would have had the 3rd largest buck in the state!

The prize? A brand new 7mm magazine rifle with a 3-9 variable scope on it. Back then, those were worth about $1,000. And I didn’t get it!

Of course, that’s the way it goes; the only year I didn’t enter the contest, I shot the 3rd largest buck in the state, and the biggest buck I ever shot.

December 2021

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Sports — Motorsports — Sponsored by Summit Motorsports

Four Sledders Buried In February this year, eight people were buried in two separate avalanches on the same day, right here in Utah’s backcountry — half of them were snowmobilers. Those numbers represent the average: snowmobilers consistently account for as many avalanche victims as all other groups combined (skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, mountaineering, etc.).

Fortunately, these 4 snowmobilers made it out alive.

Nate Carlon and his five friends took their snowmobiles to a place they all knew, near Oakley, Summit County. Everyone had the right equipment for an emergency: radios, beacons, and avalanche backpacks.

The snow was perfect! Freshly fallen from a storm, the powder beckoned new tracks. After coming to a bowl, two of them took off into the trees and the

rest carved up the flats. Carlon took out his phone to get a video of everyone, and as he pressed “record,” the screen showed a furious snow cloud barreling towards them.

An avalanche had broken just above them, and only 2 of the 6 sledders could escape. Carlon caught it all on video, including himself getting trampled by the giant snow wave. Thankfully, everyone was able to dig themselves out — one member was buried for about 3 minutes, but had an air pocket and was able to reach his hand out into the open air to indicate his location.

Until recently, there haven’t been as many avalanche training resources available for snowmobilers. Duncan Lee, pro-snowmobiler, avalanche survivor, and avalanche safety instructor, has made it part of his mission to get snowmobilers the education they need to safely enjoy the backcountry slopes.

Summit Motorsports is excited to host a free seminar, featuring Duncan, on Dec. 3, @ 5 pm. Be sure to call before the 3rd to get registered, and come out to meet him! His advice could save your life.

—The recorded video can be seen at tiny.cc/ avalanchevid

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You must call to pre-register.

Summit Motorsports | 801-405-7433 | 570 S Main St, Spanish Fork | www.SummitMotorsports.us 18

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My Community - Spanish Fork

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Feature Family

Continued from pg15 loves to make others laugh. He can take apart and rebuild almost anything you give him. He is good at both video games and working outside, especially on projects for his chickens. He is good at almost every sport and aims to be a firefighter someday.

Kyla Jo, their third child, made a brief, extremely premature visit to her family, passing away the same day. Her tombstone is located in the Provo cemetery.

Maggie (5) is a sweet, tough little cookie that had a rough start in the NICU, with brain surgery at only 5 weeks old. Today, she surprises all her doctors with how well she is doing. She can out-argue nearly anyone with her quick, 5-year-old wit, and loves to chat, color, dress up, have tea parties, and play with her dolls.

Ashley is a busy Mom who is happiest planting her garden with bare hands and bare feet. She utilizes her teaching degree by homeschooling her children and actively raising them on the tasks involved with livestock and gardening. She makes jams, syrups and general yumminess with the ample fruit from their orchard. You’ll see her at Spanish Fork’s Farmer’s Market selling their beautiful produce.

Steven is one impressive guy. Aside from the fruit farm, he also works as the Manufacturing Manager at Dymicron, making spinal disk implants. In addition,

Steven also successfully runs his own machine shop in Spanish Fork - Ulmer Engineering. He is known for making nearly impossible parts faster than many of his competitors, ranging from medical devices to firearm parts. Spare time is rare, but when he gets it, he spends it shooting guns, playing sports, and he still enjoys medieval reenactment. (‘Twas where he found his damsel.)

Spanish Fork is happy the Ulmers found their dream fruit farm too!

Photo by: Sarah Watson

Nominate a family to feature in our magazine! sffamily@mycommunityutah.com

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December 2021

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Acts of Service

Some Lessons I Acquired from Plums

by Kevin Jennings

—Resident Submission

Every year was the same. As summer was ending and school was just around the corner, I knew what was about to take place. “Kevin! Please go ask Mrs. John if she would like us to pick the plums from her tree.” It was almost always just after lunch on a Saturday. Mrs. John was an elderly neighbor two houses south of Grandma. Her husband was in a wheelchair and neither of them could pick those plums even if they wanted to.

“You tell your Grandma she is welcome to every plum out there” was usually the response I received on their front porch. My little red wagon would be commandeered and loaded with wooden bushel baskets to make the haul easier. I was the designated plum tree climber as Grandma would sort through the lower hanging fruit. The bugs would insult me as I climbed and picked. I still remember the whitewash film covering hues of blue, purple, red, yellow, and green ripened fruit.

As we headed back home with our sweet-smelling harvest, Grandma’s pace would quicken with excitement as we neared the back door of her canning kitchen. Soon the plums were cooked into a translucent, mouthwatering jelly placed into recycled baby-food jars and other glass containers.

As soon as the first batch was cool, we delivered a full box to Mr. and Mrs. John. They always acted in surprised, genuine appreciation that someone would think to do a kind deed. All through the year, we delighted in the delicious, sweet, gleaming, purple plum jelly and thought this little ongoing arrangement was more than pleasing.

I have since reflected on the many lessons I learned from this annual ritual. I learned that neighbors help neighbors, and the elderly benefit from acts of kindness, as do those providing the acts. I learned teamwork makes the job easier for everyone. I also learned hard work is temporary compared to the benefits which last much longer. More than fifty years later, I am still enjoying those plum harvests.

Write an article for the magazine!

See linktr.ee/mcusf for details.

Home-Based Business Directory

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Crystal Shop Bronson Hunt 801-633-1188

Kombucha, Gingerbeer, etc Brooke’s Brews 716-308-5252

Custom Tables and Benches Valerie Mortimer 801-960-7156

Lawn Care Hilly Goat Lawn Care Text 385-201-8156

Film Producer Wren Barnes wrenbarnes1@gmail.com

Life Coach Kerri Chadwick iamworthme.com

Freeze Dried Snacks Susie’s Pantry SusiesPantrySnacks.etsy.com

Outdoor Gear Kiva Outdoors kivaoutdoors.com

Handmade Gifts A Little Bit of Everything abitoeverything.etsy.com

Thai Yoga Therapist Heather Adams 801-628-3883

Horseback Rides Hobble Creek Canyon hobblecreekoutfitters.com

Therapy & Counseling Accelerated Results Therapy 801-701-0033

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My Community - Spanish Fork

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@mycommunityutah

Acts of Service

Grateful Hearts and Giving —Resident Submission Hands

by Wendy Osborne at Tabitha’s Way

On any given week, our pantry will serve 160 local families who are facing food insecurity. These individuals come from varying socioeconomic backgrounds but are often facing similar challenges when choosing between a life-saving medical treatment, housing, or their food.

Unfortunately, food is one of the first things cut from a family’s budget, which has harmful effects upon the individual and our community. According to Northwestern University’s analysis of Census Pulse data, food insecurity spiked across the country. In Utah, food insecurity was at its highest in December 2020 when it hit 19.3%, or nearly 1 in 5 Utah households. Sadly, children make up the largest demographic of persons we serve; nearly 50%.

Many may say “there are more jobs than there are people, and we are paying higher wages than we ever have before.” While these statements are true, they don’t take into account that housing cost increased by 67% in Utah County over the last 12 months, and other essential services and supplies are also spiking to all-time highs. More hardworking middle-class families are facing food insecurity than ever before. By middle-class family, I mean your neighbor just down the block from you.

The statement “I never had to use a food pantry before; I

never thought I would need one” is one commonly reverberated throughout our food pantries.

Our pantries at Tabitha’s Way provide the immediate food assistance needed to ensure these local families and children receive the nutrition required to be able to live healthy, productive lives. This work requires the help of many hands and giving hearts.

Here are a few ways you can help and make a huge difference in someone’s holiday season this year: You can sign up for a 2 to 3 hour shift by going to https://tabithaswaysouth.org/how-to-help/ and selecting Donate Time.

You can donate funds: Every dollar equals 5 Nutritious Meals for a neighbor in need. https://tabithaswaysouth.org/donate/ Or you can host a food drive! https://tabithaswaysouth.org/fooddonations/

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FB: Mele Saki Fashion IG: @melesakifashion Phone: 801-946-5788 Email: lularoemelekimi@gmail.com #mycommunityspanishfork

December 2021

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Food — Food Critic — Casa Salza — Sponsored by Friends of the Magazine

132 W 900 N, Spanish Fork Casa Salza feels a bit like Café Rio’s cool but non-conformist cousin, contemporary and fresh without trying too hard or going corporate.

And that unspoken coolness has clearly been noticed by the crowds of high school kids who were grabbing lunch there when I stopped in. It seems the current generation of adolescents have raised their gastronomic sights a bit higher than the Taco Bell fare swilled down by the kids back in my day, and bravo to them for doing so!

To be clear, Casa Salza isn’t exactly Mexican. It’s not even really Tex-Mex. But everything from the distinctly “Baja” signage on the building, to the color palette of the dining area, to the decorations on the walls, feels like a tourist cantina in Cabo.

In fact, it’s REALLY like Cabo, right down to the inexplicable dance club soundtrack playing over the speakers.

Normally I would call that bad taste, but somehow it fits. I guess Dorothy Parker was spot on— “A little bad taste is like a nice dash of paprika”. She would probably approve of the music and would definitely enjoy the food.

So let’s dive right in, shall we?

Chips & Salsa – The chips are nicely salted, crispy and THIN! So many restaurants use regular taco tortillas for their chips, and they end up with thick, heavy chips that hit your stomach like a brick, not an appetizer. These chips are light and delicate. They also have that fresh corn flavor, which means they’re made from fresh tortillas.

Every good chip needs a good dip, and the salsa steps up big time. It has a few chunks in it, but it’s smooth enough to dip well. It tastes wonderfully fresh and well balanced. It’s a little different from most restaurant salsas, because they add avocado. This mellows the typically sharp salsa flavor and thickens the texture. If I were to offer a critique, I’d say it’s a bit too mellow.

I squeezed a little lime into mine and added a touch of salt and pepper and it made a world of difference.

Some more garlic and hot pepper wouldn’t hurt either. But overall, very nicely done.

Casa Trio

Casa Trio – Tacos are my kryptonite, so when I see a variety plate of street tacos, there’s no way I’m passing it up. If you’re trying out Casa Salza for the first time, this is the plate I’d recommend. The meats are a bit overcooked and under-salted, but they had good flavor. The chicken is especially good, with clearly visible grill marks and great chargrilled

flavor. The beef, advertised as “steak”, has a texture and flavor more like chuck roast, but still tastes great in a taco. The sweet pork is nicely sauced, maybe a bit chewy, but very flavorful.

The tortillas come on the side, so you get to build your own tacos as you like, which is nice.

The beans and rice are decent. The beans were nicely salted, but could use some garlic and onion. The rice was a little overcooked, and needed salt and spices. Still, both tasted at least as good as the fare at most freshMex restaurants in the area. Casa Trio gets Enchiladas – I always take my enchiladas “Christmas style”, red and green. I got beef with red sauce and chicken with green sauce. The red sauce is great, and when combined with the chuck roast flavor of the beef, it comes across like a lighter, sweeter version of beef birria. The green sauce was a bit light on chili flavor, but this is compensated by the nicely grill-flavored chicken. Both enchiladas had plenty of cheese to drive it home. By way of critique, MORE GREEN CHILIS, PLEASE! And maybe broil the cheese on top just before serving.

Where should our Food Critics go next?

Reach out at foodcritic@mycommunityutah.com We’ll give a full-page review of the most popular items.

PLUS we will give a FREE master craft session with our professional food critics to benefit the restaurant.

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Sponsored by Friends of the Magazine — Food Critic — Food I’ve already told you about the meat, rice, beans and salsa, but the tortilla on this chimichanga was perfectly fried. Because of my critiques of the meat and rice and so on, I’d give this about 3.5 stars, but because they fried it correctly, they get an extra half star.

Sconuts

Chimichanga Casa Dilla – In all the world, a quesadilla has to be the simplest restaurant dish to critique. It’s a tortilla with cheese, plain and simple. In its simplest form, it’s like the Mexican version of a grilled cheese sandwich. And when it’s as nicely crisped and cheesy as this, how much more nostalgic can it get?

Nachos – At this point, you already know the chips are good, as is the salsa. The meats are pretty good as well. The nachos were much better than the ones at most fresh-Mex places, but with one glaring flaw—there was no queso sauce. There was plenty of melted cheese over top, but no queso.

If they added a queso sauce, this would be 4 stars easily. For now,

Chimichanga – If I had a dollar for every oily, poorly fried chimichanga I’ve had in my life, I’d only have about 3 or 4 dollars. I learned early and painfully to never order restaurant chimichangas. And I followed that rule strictly until I visited Casa Salza.

Salad

Sconuts – Most frybreads tend to be a little doughy in the center. These were light and fluffy and covered in cinnamon sugar. Even if you’ve eaten somewhere else already, stop in and grab some for dessert. If I could offer a humble critique, I’d love to see a sauce with these, maybe a Mexican spiced chocolate or a tamarindo caramel or even just sweetened condensed milk with some Mexican vanilla bean mixed in. That would make this 5 stars for days. For now, This page needs a sponsor! Tell us which business you’d love to see here, and email sponsors@mycommunityutah.com.

Prepare

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303-619-3939 (text or call) jeffreysbartholomew@gmail.com December 2021

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Food — Chef’s Secrets into a glossy-smooth coat that The grandeur of chocolate- resists melting at first touch. covered anything, however, can This is properly tempered be lost when fingers, wrappers, chocolate - keeping those fat plates, and faces become muddied crystals intact. Tempering happens with sticky smears. Homemade when chocolate is melted slowly chocolate-covered goodies that over a hot water bath (or, as the turn into messes at first touch were French would say, a bain marie — Arguably, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without chocolate. likely melted incorrectly, using a use that at your next fondue party!)

Everyday snacks become microwave or oven. The quick heat The water bath provides an even, elegant delicacies fit for holiday from these appliances destabilize gentle heat which can be monitored celebrations, simply by donning a the natural fat crystals in chocolate, within the crucial range of 88–92˚F rich coat of chocolate. Chocolatiers preventing them from resolidifying to preserve the fat crystals.

Dip into Christmas with Chocolate

call this enrobing your food.

This can be done at home in a process known as “seed tempering” your chocolate.

1-

Start with at least 10 oz of chocolate. (It is difficult to temper smaller amounts.)

Finely chop 7-8 oz and keep the remaining amount in large pieces for the “seeds.” (Keep this ratio for any quantity: 75% finely chopped, 25% large pieces.)

2- Create a hot water bath or double boiler with a pot and a glass or stainless steel bowl.

Bring water in the pot to a low simmer. Allow the chocolate to melt without stirring. If it melts too quickly, turn the heat off and allow it to sit until softened.

When 2/3rds of the chocolate has melted, stir with a silicone spatula until almost fully melted.

3- Add the reserved larger

“seeds” and stir until they are almost fully melted.

4- With a thermometer, check the chocolate’s temperature. It should be between 88˚F and 92˚F. If not, turn up your heat slightly.

5- To test, quickly dip a butter knife into the chocolate. It should harden in a few minutes and remain shiny. (If it does not do this, repeat the process by adding more seeds, taking care the chocolate’s temperature cools down with the additional pieces before bringing it back to 92˚F. The difference in the temperature achieves the sheen

and texture.)

6- Once the tested chocolate is around 90˚F, remove the bowl from the heat and gently stir until seeds are fully melted.

7- Begin dipping your food items immediately, working quickly. When the temperature drops close to 88˚F, return the bowl over the hot water bath and bring the chocolate back closer to 92˚F. Repeat as needed, adding more chocolate if your project requires.

With properly tempered chocolate, your Christmas goodies will be enrobed in a glossy royal fashion, suited for your holiday celebrations!

November Winners Article Writing Contest

1st $250 - Krista Olsen 2nd $100 - Kevin Jennings 3rd-tie $25 - Leyah Gammo 3rd-tie $25 - Valene Gammo

October 1st Place Winner

Brette Hawkes

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My Community - Spanish Fork

Submission Deadline: 1st of every month

Cash Prizes!

1st Place - $250 2nd Place - $100 3rd Place - $50

linktr.ee/mcusf SSS SSSS SSS SSSSSSS @mycommunityutah

Recipes — Food

Easy English Toffee

—Perfect for Beginners!

Ingredients

Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Total Time: 30 mins Needed

Candy Thermometer

1 C unsalted butter 1 C margarine 2 C granulated sugar 2 Tbsp light corn syrup 6 Tbsp water 1 (12oz) package milk chocolate chips 1 C ground almonds

Instructions Melt butter and margarine in a heavy saucepan. Add sugar, corn syrup, and water.

Stirring constantly, cook on medium heat. Turn down heat as mixture starts to darken; aka when it starts to turn a light caramel color. Continue stirring until it reaches 310 degrees (hard crack stage).

Pour into a lightly buttered pan approximately 10”x15”. Once slightly set but still very hot, sprinkle milk chocolate chips over the toffee. When the chocolate chips are soft, spread them evenly on top of the toffee. Sprinkle with ground almonds. Cook Have recipes or chef secrets and break into bite size pieces. Store in an airtight container. you’d like to share? recipes@mycommunityutah.com * You can substitute pecans, walnuts, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate. .

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www.Micki SewsIt.com December 2021

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25

Around the Home — Home Improvement

Why DIY Isn’t as Scary as You Think

by Krista Olsen

—Resident Submission I used to be against DIY home repairs.

If I could afford to hire a professional, I’d save time and they’d do a better job, right? Well, that’s not always the case. Not only are home repairs often expensive, many professionals have a long wait list (a problem Covid has exacerbated). Additionally, you care more about your house more, and consequently will take extra care in your work.

We recently had an unfortunate side effect that comes from owning a 50 year-old house. The steel pipes had rusted away from the inside and slowly leaked all over our basement wall, causing extensive water damage.

It wasn’t enough damage for our homeowner’s insurance to cover, so we went into a small amount of debt to get our house repiped. Eventually we decided to get our house refinanced and put that money into fixing up the damaged basement. I was ready to hire out - that’s why we got the money after all. But each person who gave us

Succulent Gardening

by Leyah Gammo, 11 years old —Resident Submission Succulents are one of my favorite plants — they’re cute and easy to take care of, even for kids!

The first thing to know about succulents is they should not be watered very frequently. Even in their growing phase, when they need water the most, watering once a week is enough. A mature succulent only needs water about once per month. Generally, succulents are very forgiving. If you forget to water them for a couple of weeks (or even months),

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My Community - Spanish Fork

a bid became unresponsive. Covid had increased renovation demand and our project wasn’t big enough to be worth their work. So we reluctantly decided to roll up our sleeves and see how much we could do ourselves.

How did we do it? Since the only big tool we own is a planer, we borrowed or rented most of the tools. We also used the internet. After that, we invested some time.

Painted. Painters tape is the most helpful tool here. If you’re replacing flooring, paint beforehand so you don’t have to worry about dripping onto your new floor.

What we hired out: Plumbing. This is not one to do yourself and have things go wrong.

Trust me.

Drywall. This isn’t that hard, and we probably could have done it, but having done it before, it’s not the most fun. So we splurged on this one.

Shower installation. You can find generic showers at Home Depot to install yourself, but we had a weird space to fill, and had to go custom.

What we did: Demolition. This part is something anyone can do because the whole point is to break stuff.

Installed LVP. You’ll need a miter saw and a mallet. There are also other install-friendly flooring available that connect together.

Built Cabinets. These aren’t as scary or hard as you think, but they do require a bit more research. they are usually just fine. In such cases, just resume watering as usual.

A good way to tell whether it needs water is to stick your finger down between the pot and the soil a little ways. If it’s moist and damp, you don’t need to water. But, if it’s dry, you’ll need to water it again.

Always water the succulent just a little over the top of the soil level and let it soak in.

Extra rainy or extremely hot seasons will affect your watering accordingly.

The main lesson is: don’t overdo it! I recommend keeping track of your watering schedule as well as the weather in a notebook or on a calendar.

Second, it’s important they have a well-draining pot, like terracotta. Also be sure to use a well-draining soil mix.

So if you’re looking to do some home repairs, but the waitlist for professionals is giving you a headache, try Googling some DIY instructions. It will not only save you money, but you can learn new skills. I feel more pride in my home because we put the work in ourselves. When the next thing in your house breaks down, give fixing it yourself a shot. Remember, it’s already broken, so don’t stress too much over it.

Write an article for the magazine!

See linktr.ee/mcusf for details.

Third, if the temperature drops below 45 degrees fahrenheit, be sure to bring your succulents inside. The cold can kill them.

Lastly, some succulents are toxic to pets, so if you have a pet, be sure to check the variety! Pet-friendly succulents include the beautiful Zebra Haworthia, or the very pretty Blue Echeveria. Search online to find many more pet-friendly succulents. If you don’t have a pet, Snake Plant is a pretty air purifier and Aloe Vera is a great healing plant.

I hope you enjoyed learning about how to take proper care of a succulent; I also hope you enjoy keeping these pretty plants around your house!

@mycommunityutah

Crafts — Around the Home

Pinecone Door Hanger Browse your backyard for pinecones and use your foraged finds to make this simple & unique decoration for your front door.

Step 1: Cut eight, two-foot-long pieces of ribbon of the color of your choice. (Mixed colors can be fun).

Step 2: Use a hot glue gun to adhere the last two inches of each ribbon to the base of eight four-to six-inch pinecones.

Step 3: After the glue dries, collect all the ribbon ends and stagger them so that the cones fall at varying lengths.

Tie the ribbon ends together in a knot; trim the tips so they are uniform, and slip the knot over a finishing nail. Or, tie the ribbon ends to a metal loop, and hang the loop on a finishing nail.

This page needs a sponsor! Tell us which business you’d love to see here, and email sponsors@mycommunityutah.com.

Dustin Smith 801-318-7154 dinodust@gmail.com

Protect your interests; Protect your future. #mycommunityspanishfork

December 2021

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27

Travel

Destination: Winter Wonderland Midway, UT

This holiday season, you don’t need to look much further than Midway, Utah for a complete winter wonderland experience. Did you know there’s a North Pole in Midway, Utah? That certainly qualifies for “getting away” from it all, yet it isn’t so far away that traveling without reigndeer becomes a burden.

Dana Graham excitedly told us about a diverse array of winter activities to plug into your itinerary this holiday season. Prepare your young ones for an unforgettable weekend by bringing your snow tubes, ice skates, AND your swimming suit! Yes, you heard that right: your swimming suit too.

Midway Ice Rink - Dana suggests starting things out at Midway’s scenic outdoor ice skating rink. It was built largely by volunteers and by obtaining drastically discounted items from the 2002 Winter Olympics, such as large refrigeration units and mobile trailers (now used as the heating hut). It is estimated they built their rink for less than half the typical cost of a commercially-built rink, but it holds to the same professional standards and enjoyment. Give their ice a twirl.

Soldier Hollow Tubing - Then head up to Soldier Hollow for a bouncy dash down their slopes. They boast the longest tubing lanes in Utah with 1,200-foot snow slides. Don’t worry. There is a lift service. At Soldier Hollow, kids can be kids, and adults get the chance to be kids again too.

Homestead Crater - Perhaps by now, all the physical activity will have left you a bit sore. This would be a good time to soak and swim in the Homestead Crater.

The Geothermal spring’s mineral water constantly stays between 90-96 degrees within a beehive-shaped, limestone cavern (a 55-feet tall beehive, mind you). A natural sauna 10,000+ years in the making, the crater is the only warm scuba diving destination in the continental U.S. There is a self-guided tour through the tunnels with custom-built decks overlooking the crystal-clear mineral water. If you want something really unique, there’s even a paddleboard yoga class!

Ice Castles - Once you’re done soaking, go explore thousands of frozen icicles built into Midway’s award-winning Ice Castles! The impressive ice castles include frozen thrones, fountains, breathtaking LED-lit sculptures, and ice-carved slides and tunnels. This is quite a sight to see at night. Who wants to bet your kids will be singing Frozen’s “Let it Go” theme song before you’re done? I am.

North Pole Express - Lastly, take it easy by riding the Heber Creeper Train transformed into the Polar Express. Enjoy hot cocoa, Mrs. Clause’s cookies, and the animated liveliness of singing and dancing elves. When you reach the North Pole, Santa will join you for the return trip (and he’ll have gifts to give too, of course). The 90 minute round trip utilizes beautifully restored coaches from 1913 to modern-day.

Now that your kids know the North Pole is not entirely fiction, they’ll sleep well on the return trip home, while visions of sugar plums dance in their heads.

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Sponsored by Friends of the Magazine — Senior Spotlight — Around the Town

Shirley Oberg Get yourself a good grip on something, because, you’re in for a wild ride when you saddle up for a chat with Shirley Oberg. In her 85 years, she’s been all over the US rounding up horses with her husband Don, a fearless, high-adventure horse trainer. They started their adventures early, marrying when Shirley was 18 and Don was 19. Their first home?

It was a little sheep trailer parked in a relative’s orchard. That’s right; the newlyweds started out camping.

Don employed his innate horse-training skills on an 88-acre farm. Shirley rolled up her sleeves and worked alongside Don, watering, feeding and caring for dozens of cattle and horses. To them it was all play.

Don’s fearless knack with breaking in horses quickly grew, putting them in high demand. Among his contracted clients was the notable

Robert Redford.

To keep up with a growing client base, they self-designed and built an indoor horse arena so they could train high-dollar horses year-round.

With an impressive 3,500 horses on their tally, Don was accustomed to sustaining “minor” injuries. But in 1975, a horse fell backwards onto him. Despite later finding out he’d broken his pelvis, hip, spine, two ribs, and his neck, Don walked into the house, changed his shirt, took up some crutches, and ambled into the hospital. Doctors were utterly astonished. “He was such a hard head,” Shirley recounts with an exasperated laugh.

Don tried juggling crutches and horses, but training just wasn’t

something the Obergs could keep up after that.

At the time, they had 25 horses under contract with the Redfords, among other clients.

Sadly, they had to sell their self-built arena.

What was the horseless horseman supposed to do!? To keep Don acceptably active and sane, Shirley turned his attention towards another dream: building a sod cabin. He’d had a sod-wall chicken coop on his childhood cattle farm. So, they set about building themselves a bigger, humanoid version. Once done, the cabin’s thick earthen walls had little yellow & blue meadow flowers. It was the best insulation they’d ever experienced.

Shirley definitely has had a happy, rugged, busy, out-of-doors, life.

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