Cyprus 69er's Luncheon

Over the past year or so I've enjoyed reconnecting with some of my high school classmates through Facebook.

I was so shy in high school that I didn't have a lot of real "friends," but was influenced greatly by those with whom I associated in day to day classes and activities.

Our Facebook conversations have opened up a lot of feelings, attitudes, beliefs, woes, and rejoicings.

We've shared the wisdom that we've gleaned through age and experience and have begun establishing deep friendships.

When Dave and Amber said that they would be in town for a couple of days, we worked hard to find a tiny block of time that would give us all an opportunity to meet for lunch. The message was sent to any who might be interested and we met at Sweet Tomatoes for a little food and a lot of "catching up."

Jacquie Coon Catten, Debbie Backman Jenson & Sherryl Riley Case.

These women were always in the forefront through our school years, serving in leadership capacities. I never knew any of them to be anything but friendly, kind, & filled with integrity.

Jacquie is a retired high school History teacher; Debbie is enrolled in belly dancing classes; Sherryl is "grammy" to eight grandkids.



Clive & I went to school together from Kindergarten through High School.
We were just classmates until seven years after graduation when we finally discovered one another. We were both involved in music and frequently crossed paths during our school years.

Rich Patonai & wife, Deb.
I didn't really know Rich very well in school. I do know that he ran track. He has traveled the world from France to the jungles of South America and has degrees in Engineering and Computer Science.

Dave Bringhurst & wife, Amber.
I had a huge crush on Dave when we were seniors. We worked together on the Seminary newspaper staff & we went to Girl's Pref together. He is an amazing artist and an avid bicyclist. He has suffered from diabetes for many years and has lost a leg and the eyesight in one eye. I've never known a kinder man than this one.

We're planning to throw a 60th Birthday Bash for the class this summer.
It should be a blast!

Mr. City Councilman

Okay, I know I'm slow, but it is really important that I make this post.

After a long campaign trail, Clive was elected to the West Jordan City Council

in November. He ran in 2007 for a district seat and lost by a very narrow margin of 97 votes.

In 2009 he ran again, but this time at-large.

He spent several months, hundreds of hours, and walked untold miles

campaigning from one end of the city to another.

West Jordan is now the fourth largest city in Utah, so it was no small task.

Just two weeks before the election he was down with the H1N1, so lost ten very valuable campaign days, but still came out victorious!

On January 4th family and friends gathered for the swearing-in of the newly elected

mayor and council members.

Council members Chad Nichols & Clive Killpack
and Mayor Melissa Johnson

Part of the Killpack Clan:
Kristen, Kevin, Kirsti, Spencer, Clive, Wendy, Tegan, Mayci, Sheryl, Darren & Jayden

Marisa, Clive & Jonathan

Clive with Mom & Dad:
Ralph & Edith Osborne

Some of the siblings:
Gayle, Nell, Mike, Colleen & Linda

In the News!

Clive was featured in the Salt Lake Tribune on 18 July 2008.
The following is the article that ran in the Close-up section.

Despite Loss, He's Working for the City
Defeated council candidate heads group to fight tax increases in West Jordan
By Donald W. Meyers

http://www.sltrib.com/valleywest/ci_9911662

When Clive Killpack ran for West Jordan's City Council, he promised to create an advisory panel to examine the budget of Utah's fourth most-populous city.

Killpack narrowly lost that election last year, but that hasn't stopped him from fulfilling his campaign promise. He heads the West Jordan Citizens' Budget Advisory Committee, a grass-roots group of 40 that looks for ways this west Salt Lake County city can trim its budget and exercise fiscal fitness.

"We have people who deal with budgets all the time in the public and private sectors," said Killpack, an information-technology support supervisor with the Utah Office of Higher Education. "We have people who look at the revenue projections and ask what they support."

Mayor David Newton said he welcomes the additional scrutiny - even though there may be some areas with which city officials may disagree.

"If we had more people involved like this group, it would be a blessing," Newton said. "I want to see them involved next year."

Killpack organized the committee April 9, the day after the city introduced its $95 million budget. The spending package requires a $3 million property-tax bump - about $70 more a year on a $247,000 home - to bring it into balance. That's not counting a 3.5 percent telecommunications tax and a half-percentage point jump in the city's energy tax.

With the pending Jordan School District split, Killpack said something needs to be done to give taxpayers a break.

"When [the split] happens, we're going to see property taxes go higher," Killpack said. "We're asking too much for the citizens to foot the bill."

He warned it will be especially hard for senior citizens.

While there is little he can do about the school taxes, Killpack believes he and his committee can soften the blow by keeping city taxes in check.

Howard Stephenson, president of the Utah Taxpayers Association, said he hadn't heard of the committee before, but commended its willingness to be fiscal watchdogs. But Stephenson, who also is a Republican state senator from Draper, said anti-tax groups need to be careful when making their case.

"One thing we caution is to use facts, not emotion," Stephenson said. As long as the arguments are fact-based, he said government officials are more willing to listen than if the protesters gripe about taxes without doing their homework.

Killpack said his group already is digging for the facts. Committee members get budget documents from the city and pore over them, looking for places where spending can be trimmed or accounting procedures tightened.

The committee has recommended cutting $2 million from the city's fleet-fund reserves and delaying the purchase of new nonemergency vehicles. The panel also has suggested clearly linking revenue sources to the programs they fund, instead of lumping them all into the general fund. He said that makes it hard to see if a program is siphoning money from other departments.

The committee also is circulating a petition asking city leaders to shoot down the property-tax boost. The goal, he said, is to show that most residents, not just the committee, oppose the proposed increase.

While anti-tax groups often are viewed by officials as adversaries, Killpack said his committee has seen city staffers and council members attend its meetings to discuss finances.

Newton, the mayor, said the committee's work has been good for West Jordan in that officials can better explain what they do and why things have to be done a particular way.

"We won't always agree," Newton said. "None of us do, not even elected officials."

Councilwoman Kathy Hilton, who supports the tax increase, disagrees with some of the group's recommendations, but she said she would not state any of them while the budget discussions continue.

"I would like to go through the budget process," Hilton said. dmeyers@sltrib.com

West Jordan Citizens' Budget Advisory Committee: http://www.westjordancitizens.com/.

Tuacahn Trip

Clive and I love music and stage productions.

When you put them together and have a musical, we love it even more.

Clive's parents invited us to go to Tuacahn with them this year to see

The Sound of Music

&

Les Miserables.

Of course, we said, "Yes!"

We traveled to St. George in 100 degree temperatures

where we met some of Edith and Ralph's friends.

We stayed in lovely accommodations at WorldMark

where we enjoyed air conditioning, comfy beds, visited, and played Wizard.

(I was a beginner and didn't even come in last!)

We loved the beauty of The Sound of Music with its wonderful story and memorable music.

BUT ...

it was the power of Les Miserables that brought us to tears.

This production was superior to the traveling Broadway show that we saw at the

Capitol Theatre several years ago.

The actors grabbed hold of us from the very beginning and kept us under their spell

until the very end.

Clive and I enjoy time together at the beautiful Tuacahn ampitheater.

Lunch at Chuck-a-Rama with Ralph & Edith Osborne,

Sharon & Phil Wheeler, Don & Margaret Childs, & Clive.

Our hosts and my extraordinary parents-in-law, Ralph & Edith.

Our excellent 3rd & 4th row seats as we await the opening of the show.

Phil, Sharon, Edith, Ralph, Wendy, Clive, Margaret & Don.

Posing with rivals Jean Val Jean & Javert.

Clive & I have a few moments to chat with the outrageous Thenardier's.

(And we got away with our wallets and jewelry intact!).

I Have A Garden!

I have never been much of a gardener.

I hate dirt, don't get along with heat, & am allergic to the out-of-doors in general.

Besides that, nearly everything we have planted in the past 24 years has died.

However, I LOVE fresh produce.

In the past our summer garden has consisted of a few tomato & zucchini plants stuck into a weedy patch behind our old (now deceased & buried) shed. I refused to step a foot into it.

This year, however, we decided to try our hand at

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING.

I really liked the idea of a garden that is weed-free, requires very little water, & no hoeing is necessary.

Sounds too good to be true?

Well, we'll let you know what the results are at the end of the season.

Clive built the boxes & lined them with landscape cloth.

I stomped on the peat moss to compact into just the right amount of cubic feet.

We stirred up the mixture of equal parts of peat moss, compost, & vermiculite,


then shovelled it into the wheelbarrow

and moved it to the back yard

where we filled the boxes, watered, & raked until they were filled.

Clive nailed on the grids & built the trellises & then I planted the crops ... tomatoes, 4 types of lettuce, carrots, cabbage, sweet peppers, jalapeno peppers, sweet onions, green onions, beets, radishes, bush beans, peas, zucchini, crookneck squash, baby watermelon, & pumpkin. We tried potatoes, too, but a neighborhood cat dug them up! I added a few flowers into the mix, too. The vine crops will grow on the trellises. We also planted strawberries & herbs alongside our new, improved shed.

We'll add photos of the progress of the garden as the season advances. I can't wait!

EXTREME Make-over!

I'm about to divulge a most embarrassing tale.
During the 24+ years that we have lived in our house we have NEVER painted the master bathroom.
It has always been on the back burner.
With the years has come its terrible deterioration.
Finally, we decided to buy new fixtures, tile, and paint as a Christmas gift to ourselves.
Little did we know how much effort it was going to take to repair the multiple messes.
The walls were a mural of children's heiroglyphics, the ceiling was discolored and peeling, water had seeped under the pock-marked linoleum, and bathtub tiles had fallen from the wall. The doors had fallen off the "vanity" mirror and the shelf had become completely rusted.
Believe me, it was the remodel from Hades!
But the Extreme Makeover Man came to the rescue!


Old chrome mirrored vanity shelf with broken light fixture vs. oak medicine cabinet with light bar.
Dark, weathered vanity vs. walnut vanity with drawers & pulls!

Iron set-in sink with faded top & broken stopper vs. new one-piece sink unit with brushed nickel faucet.
Dirty, drab window covering vs. bright blinds with valance.

Peeling, discolored ceiling vs. newly textured & warmly painted ceiling & wall.
The beginnings of repairing a water-damaged wall vs. a wall & woodwork freshly painted & repaired.

Old, out-dated linoleum vs. lovely tile & new bath rug.
The vinyl liner left over from a very old shower curtain vs. the warm & vibrant colors of our new look.
Notice the stylish clock that Nancy added as my birthday gift!

Clive is my Make-over Hero!
He made no less than 17 trips to Lowe's to buy or exchange items for the bathroom.
He tore out, repaired, texturized, primed, painted, and installed.
He grumbled and complained and was splattered from head to foot with texturing paint.
I had planned to help, but the room is so tiny that we both couldn't fit in to work at the same time.
I think that it will be my turn to do the bedroom!
I'M SO HAPPY!!!

Clive's Faux Pas

Clive and I are currently in the midst of tearing out our OLD, nasty, grimy, out-dated bathroom. While shopping for a new vanity I found just what I needed ... a vanity with a L-A-R-G-E drawer in the bottom ... 6X more drawer space! It was a little more pricey than some of the others, but I insisted that I had to have the drawer in a bathroom too tiny for any storage. So we loaded up our purchases and waited for three months to finally get started on the job. Upon closer examination, Clive discovered that the plumbing and the vent were in the way of the drawer and there was NO WAY it could be installed. I pouted, complained, shed a few tears and then agreed to exchange it for a similar model WITHOUT the spacious bottom drawer.

Yesterday Clive made arrangements with a friend to borrow his services (and his truck) to haul the vanity back to the store to make the exchange. I had given him the original sales receipt which he readily left behind. The clerk happily accepted the vanity in exchange for store credit. He then loaded the new vanity on the flat and took it to the check-out stand for purchase. Strangely, the price was identical to the one he had just returned. He shrugged his shoulders, thinking we must have bought it on a sale. However, upon examination, he discovered that he had just returned the exact same vanity that he had just purchased! He never did buy the one with the extra drawer.

I laughed so hard that I almost fell off my chair. I'm still laughing!!!

The Man I Love

I've been tagged, so will dedicate this post to my eternal mate.

1. What's his name?

Clive Michaelis Killpack

2. How long have you been married?

32 years in June, which is hard to believe since I was born just 29 years ago.

3. How long did you date?

Would you believe 7 weeks before a 10 week engagement? (Even though we had been acquainted for 20 years)

4. How old is he?

We're both 56, but I was born 7 weeks before him.

5. Who eats more?

We both love to eat, but he can definitely down much larger portions than I can (unless it is ice cream).

6. Who said "I love you" first?

He did. I wasn't used to hearing words of endearment & I didn't know how to respond. It took awhile for me to tell him.

7. Who is smarter?

Clive has a brilliant mind. He understands history, politics, and is quite a scriptorian. Not only that ... he knows how things work and is able to create and repair most anything. He is a computer whiz! I did much better in school, but he remembers more than I do. I am more logical, while he is spontaneous. We both have our strong and weak subjects.

8.Whose temper is worse?

Clive has had to learn to overcome a quick temper and very seldom shows it. I don't get mad very often, but am easily frustrated.

9.Who does the laundry?

It has always been something we have shared from the beginning, though once in awhile he washes my delicates in warm water or throws my "drip dry only" items into the dryer.

10.Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

I do. When were were first married I slept on my right side and he slept on his left. However, through the years he has also turned to the right, so I get his C-pap air blown on me until his tossing turns him the other direction.

11.Who pays the bills?

I've always handled the majority of the bills and kept the budget balanced. Clive handles bills pertaining to his business and the cell phones. Once he decided to take over and the bills didn't get paid!

12.Who cooks dinner?

These days the preparation of dinner is on a day by day basis. Sometimes we cook and sometimes we just eat whatever is handy. Clive probably cooks more than I do because he enjoys it. I do it because it is necessary. He loves to experiment and make new dishes all the time.

13.Who drives when you are in the same car?

He usually does unless we are traveling and he needs to rest.

14.Who is more stubborn?

It is about even. Neither of us is really hard-headed, but we both have definite ideas about certain things. Naturally, I'm usually right!

15.Whose parents do you see the most?

We don't see either one often enough. Together we see them about the same, but I see my Mom more since she needs my care.

16.Who proposed?

He did. We were talking over the dirty dishes after Sunday dinner when he said, "So, should we get married?" He's a real romancer!

17. Who has more friends?

I think Clive has more long-lasting friendships. I tend to have more acquaintances or casual friendships.

18. Who has more siblings?

Clive wins! He has 5 brothers and 3 sisters. I have 2 brothers and 3 sisters.

19. Who wears the pants in the family?

That's hard to say ... I wear pants a lot and Clive has been known to wear a kilt on more than one occasion! No, really, I think we work well together and I allow him to be the patriarch. I am so grateful for him.

25th Anniversary

25 years ago this month six couples gathered together for dinner. We were all from the Miller Ward in South Salt Lake. We had a wonderful time and decided to form a Dinner Group. In the beginning we had a combined total of seven children, the oldest was 9. Two of the couples hadn't yet started their families. We met monthly for a number of years, then cut it back to every other month. Some years our growing families (we ended up with 22 total children) kept us so busy that months would pass by without meeting, but we always eventually got back on track. Through the years we have shared the birth of babies, loss of employment, marriages, and have sadly lost two couples to divorce. We have laughed together and cried together. We have discussed raising children, politics, religion, and growing old. Most of all, we have delighted in one another's company.

The Debonair Husbands

The Lovely Wives

Jeff & Tamra Koch
Parents of two sons, two daughters, & one son-in-law.

Jana & Don Quigley

Two married children, a grandchild, a missionary, & a dog!

Alan & Linda Mangum

Three daughters, a son, and one grandchild.

Clive & Wendy Killpack

Patriarch & Matriarch of the Group!

Five children, three children-in-law, & five grandchildren.

Weekend in the Sunshine

Saturday morning Clive and I left the snow and storms behind and drove south for the weekend. We made a stop in St. George for the wedding reception of a former neighbor and friend, Elizabeth Lindell, then travelled on to Henderson to visit my sister, Jolene, and her husband, Rendal. We hesitated making the trip because of my illness, but I decided that I could cough as well in Nevada as I could in Utah. As it turns out, the warmth seemed to do me good and I came back home feeling much improved. The trip was quick, but relaxing and we had a wonderful visit.

Ben & Janet Lang --- former neighbors & good friends

Jan & Cathy Lindell --- parents of the bride

Elizabeth & new husband, Matthew Avery

Elizabeth poses with her brothers, Johnny & Jimmy

Clive & Rendal take care of dish duty following Sunday dinner

Wendy teaches Jolene how to Blog and archive photos

Clive & I enjoy the February sunshine

Rendal & Jo joined us for an evening video