How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints …
I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life!
—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
If you are lucky enough to share Valentine's Day with someone special don't forget how blessed you are. We have a fun suggestion.
Write a paragraph on all, or a page on one, of these topics, put it in a card... Then watch the movie
1. "It seems right now that all I've ever done in my life is making my way here to you." "Bridges of Madison Co"
2. "I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it." "City of Angels"
3. "When they ask me what I liked best, I'll say it was you." "City of Angels"
4. "I would rather be a ghost drifting by your side as a condemned soul than enter heaven without you" "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
5. "There are only four questions of value in life. What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made of? What is worth living for? What is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love." "Don Juan DeMarco"
6. "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, nor touched, but are felt in the heart." "English Patient"
7. "Dancing is just a conversation between two people. Talk to me." "Hope Floats"
8. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." ”Moulin Rouge"
9. "I love that you get cold when it's seventy degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend a day with you I can still smell your perfume on my clothes, and I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night." ”"When Harry Met Sally"
Judy Savage, Innkeeper
The Armstrong Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
SCARY MOVIES AND GHOST STORIES
Last October the Mansion invited EVERYONE to join into a Halloween Celebration with us at a “Scary Movie All-nighter” on Halloween night.
We supplied the popcorn and drinks and everyone that came brought their favorite treat to share. Screams mixed with donuts, cookies, and candies as we spent the night watching the big screen in the parlor.
It was so much fun that we have decided to invite everyone back for a repeat. WHY LET THE KIDS HAVE ALL OF THE FUN????
Bring all of your family and friends…..and don’t forget your PJ’s and your favorite pg-13 scary movies (children are invited w/parents), we’ll have our movies.
ALL ROOMS $99.00 but please don’t scream too loud….you don’t want to wake up the ghosts!!!!
Speaking of ghosts, have you heard of the sighting of a mysterious young woman standing at a window of a room at the Mansion?
Mr and Mrs. Frazzle (name changed to protect the innocent) picked the July room for the cozy tub built into the gable of the home, and the very patriotic theme – after all even if it was their anniversary it was also the 4th of July. After they had settled in and unpacked for the evening Julie (changed to protect the innocent) and John (also changed) decided to go out for a bite to eat. When they reached the parking lot Julie wanted to find the gable on the outside of the Mansion. They walked around the side of the building looking up into the eves and finally found the gable they were looking for. There standing full in the window was a woman in a black dress with a white ruffled collar. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun and her sad eyes were looking right at them. One moment she was there and the next she was gone.
Julie was upset…who was in their room? They returned to the front desk, and complained…
When we arrived at the July door it was still locked, and even more strange was that upon further notice, we found that the tub was too deep to stand in and be seen from the yard outside. She would have had to be floating over the tub and pressing tight against the window.
Julie and John loved their stay at the Mansion but will always remember her sad eyes.
That was our first encounter with Florence, as she waits and watches at the windows…for the return of her son.
Do you have any good Ghost stories from the Mansion? Please share them with us. I know there are some good ones.
See you on HALLOWEEN!!!
Judy Savage, Innkeeper
The Armstrong Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah
We supplied the popcorn and drinks and everyone that came brought their favorite treat to share. Screams mixed with donuts, cookies, and candies as we spent the night watching the big screen in the parlor.It was so much fun that we have decided to invite everyone back for a repeat. WHY LET THE KIDS HAVE ALL OF THE FUN????
Bring all of your family and friends…..and don’t forget your PJ’s and your favorite pg-13 scary movies (children are invited w/parents), we’ll have our movies.
ALL ROOMS $99.00 but please don’t scream too loud….you don’t want to wake up the ghosts!!!!
Speaking of ghosts, have you heard of the sighting of a mysterious young woman standing at a window of a room at the Mansion?
Mr and Mrs. Frazzle (name changed to protect the innocent) picked the July room for the cozy tub built into the gable of the home, and the very patriotic theme – after all even if it was their anniversary it was also the 4th of July. After they had settled in and unpacked for the evening Julie (changed to protect the innocent) and John (also changed) decided to go out for a bite to eat. When they reached the parking lot Julie wanted to find the gable on the outside of the Mansion. They walked around the side of the building looking up into the eves and finally found the gable they were looking for. There standing full in the window was a woman in a black dress with a white ruffled collar. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun and her sad eyes were looking right at them. One moment she was there and the next she was gone.
Julie was upset…who was in their room? They returned to the front desk, and complained…When we arrived at the July door it was still locked, and even more strange was that upon further notice, we found that the tub was too deep to stand in and be seen from the yard outside. She would have had to be floating over the tub and pressing tight against the window.
Julie and John loved their stay at the Mansion but will always remember her sad eyes.
That was our first encounter with Florence, as she waits and watches at the windows…for the return of her son.
Do you have any good Ghost stories from the Mansion? Please share them with us. I know there are some good ones.
See you on HALLOWEEN!!!
Judy Savage, Innkeeper
The Armstrong Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Another winning story
This past summer my wife Sandy and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary so I must have done something right inspite of this.
I proposed to her on Dec. 23rd, 1976 on the one year anniversary of my return from my LDS mission to South Africa which was a great date because I knew I would not forget it.
Now to back up a bit, I met her on September 9th at a $1 dance at the old Terrace Ball Room. At the time I was dating two very nice young women and I really did not need another girlfriend but there she was standing under a recessed light that formed a cone of light around her and I just knew I had to ask her for a dance. Well one thing lead to another and we danced a few dances, I got her number and the next day (Friday) I called her and asked her to go with me to a mall dance on Saturday of the next week. She said 'yes' and so the date was set.
The next Thursday, the 16th, I joined my friend R.R. (name withheld to protect the innocent) at the weekly $1.00 Thursday Night dance at the Terrace. To my shock and surprise there were the three women I was dating all at the same dance. One with her cousin, one with her roommate and Sandy with her brother. I was in trouble but R.R. had a plan and with him running interference and moving me around I was able to dance several dances with all three and keep them separate never knowing the others were there. So things would be okay. I recall R.R. saying something about any girl dating me must be a real sucker but I did not mind as I was not ready to settle down to one women and get married.
Things, however, took a different turn. Over the next two months I broke up with the other two (one in October and the other just before Thanksgiving and never did they find out about the others) and I started getting serious with Sandy. Unfortunately, she learned, from my 'friends' and some times via a 'pre-emptive strike' by me (including the Terrace Ball Room incident) about what kind of person/player I was/had been. She soon learned what she was getting into and she still fell in love with me. We started to talk about marriage and her going down to BYU and I could NOT let her go down there without a ring (I was going to the U of U at the time) as I did not trust those 'RMs' down there. So I had to propose but I was a struggling student, going to school and working. I did not have much money so I could only afford a promise ring in the shape of a butterfly with a tiny chip of a diamond in it. It seemed so small. So I had to do something and came up with what I thought was a fun and I thought romantic idea to propose.
I created a Christmas Stocking and invited her to my home where my parents had to discretely vanish from sight while we sat by the fire and talked etc. Finally I gave her the stocking and she pulled out the first small items then she pulled out a 'Fizz Pop' sucker (an subconscious warning??) that I had brought home from my mission. Taped to it was a pull top ring from a can of soda. Taped to that ring was a 'ten cent piece' so I got down on my knee there and proposed to her with 'this dime and ring'. She thought it was funny and we laughed and she still said “Yes”! In the bottom of the stocking was the ring box with the promise ring which she truly loved. About that time I let out a 'whoop' letting the house know she had said 'yes' and my family came out and congratulated us and we all laughed about my corny proposal though to this day I am not sure my mother totally approved.
Ten years later I needed to give her something special and by then I was changing careers, we had three children and were paying a mortgage so I found a trophy at a thrift store. On it were the two masks from Greek Theater, the comedy and the tragedy (smiling face and frowning face). On it I placed a typed paper saying
"To Sandy For service above and beyond the call of duty in putting up with Martin in good times and bad during 10 fantastic years of marriage.
With love from, her devoted and oft-times crazy husband and father of their three loving children.
This in lieu of the Nobel Prize."
23 years have passed since then and now we have 5 great adult children and are the grandparents of 2 and we are still going strong and she still (sometimes) laughs (or raises an eyebrow in deep concern) at my still off beat sense of humor..(and no.. I will not disclose what other things I have done over those years.)
The Armstrong Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah
I proposed to her on Dec. 23rd, 1976 on the one year anniversary of my return from my LDS mission to South Africa which was a great date because I knew I would not forget it.
Now to back up a bit, I met her on September 9th at a $1 dance at the old Terrace Ball Room. At the time I was dating two very nice young women and I really did not need another girlfriend but there she was standing under a recessed light that formed a cone of light around her and I just knew I had to ask her for a dance. Well one thing lead to another and we danced a few dances, I got her number and the next day (Friday) I called her and asked her to go with me to a mall dance on Saturday of the next week. She said 'yes' and so the date was set.
The next Thursday, the 16th, I joined my friend R.R. (name withheld to protect the innocent) at the weekly $1.00 Thursday Night dance at the Terrace. To my shock and surprise there were the three women I was dating all at the same dance. One with her cousin, one with her roommate and Sandy with her brother. I was in trouble but R.R. had a plan and with him running interference and moving me around I was able to dance several dances with all three and keep them separate never knowing the others were there. So things would be okay. I recall R.R. saying something about any girl dating me must be a real sucker but I did not mind as I was not ready to settle down to one women and get married.
Things, however, took a different turn. Over the next two months I broke up with the other two (one in October and the other just before Thanksgiving and never did they find out about the others) and I started getting serious with Sandy. Unfortunately, she learned, from my 'friends' and some times via a 'pre-emptive strike' by me (including the Terrace Ball Room incident) about what kind of person/player I was/had been. She soon learned what she was getting into and she still fell in love with me. We started to talk about marriage and her going down to BYU and I could NOT let her go down there without a ring (I was going to the U of U at the time) as I did not trust those 'RMs' down there. So I had to propose but I was a struggling student, going to school and working. I did not have much money so I could only afford a promise ring in the shape of a butterfly with a tiny chip of a diamond in it. It seemed so small. So I had to do something and came up with what I thought was a fun and I thought romantic idea to propose.
I created a Christmas Stocking and invited her to my home where my parents had to discretely vanish from sight while we sat by the fire and talked etc. Finally I gave her the stocking and she pulled out the first small items then she pulled out a 'Fizz Pop' sucker (an subconscious warning??) that I had brought home from my mission. Taped to it was a pull top ring from a can of soda. Taped to that ring was a 'ten cent piece' so I got down on my knee there and proposed to her with 'this dime and ring'. She thought it was funny and we laughed and she still said “Yes”! In the bottom of the stocking was the ring box with the promise ring which she truly loved. About that time I let out a 'whoop' letting the house know she had said 'yes' and my family came out and congratulated us and we all laughed about my corny proposal though to this day I am not sure my mother totally approved.
Ten years later I needed to give her something special and by then I was changing careers, we had three children and were paying a mortgage so I found a trophy at a thrift store. On it were the two masks from Greek Theater, the comedy and the tragedy (smiling face and frowning face). On it I placed a typed paper saying
"To Sandy For service above and beyond the call of duty in putting up with Martin in good times and bad during 10 fantastic years of marriage.
With love from, her devoted and oft-times crazy husband and father of their three loving children.
This in lieu of the Nobel Prize."
23 years have passed since then and now we have 5 great adult children and are the grandparents of 2 and we are still going strong and she still (sometimes) laughs (or raises an eyebrow in deep concern) at my still off beat sense of humor..(and no.. I will not disclose what other things I have done over those years.)
The Armstrong Mansion - Salt Lake City, Utah
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