THE ROAD TO PERFECTION IS ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION....

You won't believe that I heard this quote while "listening" to ski racing on tv.

Jeff spent this weekend coaching the D-teamers on the Kelly Canyon ski team and I was home alone, so you might ask "why was skiing on tv when no one else was home?" Contrary to popular belief(Brandon) my tv is not always turned to HGTV or the Food Network, sometimes I like to watch skiing. Usually Skier's World so I can get skiing tips from "Ask Butler" not sure anything has rubbed off yet. ha, ha!


Skiing has been a big part of life in the Swaner family. The first year of our marriage Jeff taught me how to ski, something that he had done most of his life. I learned at Nordic Valley, now called Wolf Mountain, and every Wednesday was ladies night and I skied for free, so that is where we went. I remember one night I guess Jeff thought that I was good to go on my own and as I stood at the top of the hill I could see Jeff, Joan and Clix at the bottom of the hill urging me forward, I was not happy, thus the beginning of my skiing sojourn.
Jeff became a ski instructor at Nordic Valley enabling us the opportunity to teach our kids how to ski on a great beginner hill. I even admit to a couple of our kids falling off the chair lift while under my care, but they were ok, I think. Later, after we moved to Idaho we spent many weekends at Kelly Canyon and then Ben decided that he wanted to join the Kelly canyon ski team. At that point Jeff decided that he would help out and soon became a coach on the team and the skiing became even more of an interest in the family. Ben traveled a lot with the team, and at times we as a family were able to go and attend the races and ski at the resorts. As time progressed and Jessica decided to trade in her two boards for one, and my familys skiing ability bypassed mine and my interested started to wain. Jeff and the kids continued to ski and snowboard but due to a back surgery, I quit skiing for about 7 years. Last year I started to feel bad that Jeff would get up every Saturday morning and go to Grand Targhee to ski by himself and so by the time the ski swap came around I had talked myself into skiing again. Was I crazy at age 50? Well I can't say that it has been all roses, I have enjoyed being back, even with the challenges and my erratic emotions, and I've learned that I love resorts with gondolas and if anyone says lets go to the back side that it always entails and long cat track to get back to the front. And so the quote " the road to perfection is always under construction" This year I am going to work on my confidence on cat tracks, I have a problem with my small motor skill and making tight turns. As for watching ski racing on TV? yes, I do enjoy it, and I watch it with Jeff at night. I am awe struck at the fact that these guys are going down the hill at 75 mph, that is as fast as driving down the freeway. CRAZY! Ben is now a coach for the Beaver Mountain ski team, and the legend lives on. I also suspect that even maybe next year Brandon will have Hailey on the ski hill somehow, we"ll see...

I know this Blog is long, but bear with me, I am going to sum up the other reason this quote resonated with me. I think that it can be applied to everything that we are trying to do better in our lives, whether it is personal study, prayers, service, showing love to others, attitude...anything that we have set a goal to be and do better. Like President Hinckley was always urging us to "always try to do a little better".
So I guess that I am still UNDER CONSTRUCTION even at my age. And even at -6 deg. last weekend at Targhee, It was soooo cold but the last two runs in the sun were delightful.