<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Ronda's Blog]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ronda's Blog]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/my-blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:04:37 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.rondasblog.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[YA'LL SAID YOU WOULD READ THIS! ]]></title><description><![CDATA[So about a year and a half ago I posted the following on my Facebook and asked for responses.  I got a lot so I figured I would have some readers.  It's taken me this long to get anything up and going.  First let me say as a Disclaimer that I tried to do this blog on my own and I AM NOT tech savvy!  Yes, it's a blog format but trust me, they still don't make it easy.  I knew my daughter could do it faster but I didn't want to depend on her so I figured I had to learn how to do it myself.  In...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/ya-ll-said-you-would-read-this</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4ec4fc0bcfc75fd19990c6</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_25cf183a34194497bd5743d7951ba0aa~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_220,h_220,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Empathy - to step outside your own emotions and see through the eyes of another, listen with the ears of another, and feel with the heart of another]]></title><description><![CDATA[I think empathy is harder than we realize. When people are so different from us (ethnicity, religion, political party, sexual orientation, social class, etc.) I think we often are not able to feel empathy for them. In the last year I have had family and friends vehemently oppose or challenge me because they did not agree with me or understand my empathy to the point of saying “they deserved what they got” and “they shouldn’t be here” all because someone was born under different circumstances...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/empathy-to-step-outside-your-own-emotions-and-see-through-the-eyes-of-another-listen-with-the-ear</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4efabc38b98d875b8a0965</guid><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_a71242efd5e14c0db011a70e35fd7453~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET HOME!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today I drove home from Tulare to St. George in 7 hours, record time for me. I didn't stop once; not for food, for gas, to use the restroom or to stretch my legs. I didn't want to stop, it's almost like I couldn't. I didn't want to leave Tulare but I couldn't wait to be home. It's so hard to leave behind the family and friends I love so much. This week I had two funerals, a wedding, and some time supporting a family member at the hospital. I think I felt every feeling possible these last 9...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/i-couldn-t-wait-to-get-home</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4efeb4eb09451ed9adb414</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_3735b72a3d224774a9a6eb922c0e8587~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mi Amigo Eliseo]]></title><description><![CDATA[I'm at the stage of life where I’m losing friends. Like I’m losing them permanently. Some have been expected after a long illness and some have died suddenly. They have all been way too young to leave this earth. But never have I been so shocked about losing someone as I was with this guy. When I read the text from a mutual friend I literally felt like I was going to throw up. I felt like someone gut punched me. I’m sure it’s happened to many others. My reaction was I cried by myself for...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/mi-amigo-eliseo</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4efde2eb09451ed9adb1a0</guid><pubDate>Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_dcded33352b6473993bae04843606f77~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I LEFT MY HEART IN SOLVANG]]></title><description><![CDATA[When we were in Santa Maria after the holidays with two of my kids and my extended family my youngest (great) niece, Dezi, and her boyfriend, Ethan, went to Solvang twice and really enjoyed it. She brought back little figurines for everyone. Some were windmills but I got this darling one of a couple kissing. Two things. My parents loved Solvang and went quite often. My mom has Danish ancestry so she really loved it. They didn’t get to travel much but they loved their trips to Solvang. Randy...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/i-left-my-heart-in-solvang</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4efe31eb09451ed9adb278</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 02:50:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_922fb567c2354b8fa764f49a495119d4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLACKBIRD, BLACKBIRD, WHAT DO YOU SEE?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Raise your glass! What do you see in this picture? Four darling girls raising their glasses of milk to a Christmas with Gigi. I see so many things in this picture. I see my parent’s dining room set. It’s at least 40 years old and has been repainted. It’s funny how much of a connection I feel with them with this dining room set. A lot of love and laughter around that table! I see a handmade table runner, one of my favorite gifts ever, given to me from a colleague/friend made just for me by her...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/blackbird-blackbird-what-do-you-see</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f00dd2ccceabc75b2d632</guid><pubDate>Sat, 03 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_8673e5b7857f46aba1cb00c16e49db30~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Justice For All]]></title><description><![CDATA[It’s always nice to see former colleagues; some I haven’t seen for years. I just wish we didn’t have to lose a friend for that chance. We gathered to pay tribute to Susan Turner. I met Susan in 1989. We worked together as social workers, trainers, and supervisors in two counties. She had such a solid faith in God that I always admired. She was no doubt the smartest person I’ve ever known. I think she told me once what her IQ was but I’ve forgotten; it was high. Like really high. But you...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/justice-for-all</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f01eceb09451ed9adbb1a</guid><pubDate>Sun, 05 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_2737aee129ff400ab06bc6286f52a741~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_720,h_804,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 Year Anniversary]]></title><description><![CDATA[5 years ago today we moved from Tulare to St George Utah. Just because it’s easier to look in the rear view mirror after life has happened, if I had to do it over again I would have waited another year. I would have worked longer and given myself more time to adjust. There were reasons we did it when we did but it was so rushed. I lost Randy, retired from a job I loved, sold my house of 25 years, bought a house and left my hometown of almost my whole life to move out of state all within 15...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/5-year-anniversary</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f025eeb09451ed9adbc1e</guid><pubDate>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_9e3f5e4ca22540f08b0f10679c14c179~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_960,h_720,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I HATE that I don’t have a husband for many reasons but today it’s about feeling like every time someone is servicing something, selling me something (other than my realtor and the guy who sold both Erin and I our cars), or giving financial resources or advice, they are taking advantage of the fact that I’m a widow, alone, without a man to accompany or support me with these decisions. And it makes me mad!!! There may be times this is not their intent but I go with my gut and that’s what my...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/don-t-underestimate-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f03320bcfc75fd19a1705</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_56fc8dc9f9ef4bff92dbe9596fcaafe7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_526,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[That Sound is Driving Me Crazy!  No!  It really is!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I feel so validated to see this word finally describe what has been an insanely frustrating characteristic of mine. The only thing not listed on here, but found on another description, is cracking gum. This is also more common than I thought, but 6% of those with it have it to the extreme, which I’m sure I am one of. As I have aged I know my hearing is not as good as it used to be but in addition to these repetitive noises I used to have such a keen sense of hearing. For example once when my...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/that-sound-is-driving-me-crazy-no-it-really-is</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f03a72ccceabc75b2dc03</guid><pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_1b900c9b9f8b485794bfeda37056c65f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_960,h_850,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[​You Were The Most Divine]]></title><description><![CDATA[I recently lost my last living aunt, Margaret Jensen. She was married to my mom's brother. She worked at Cherry Avenue School for years. Her husband, my uncle, owned Cave's men's clothing store in downtown Tulare for those who have been around awhile. She was 94. She had Alzheimer's in past years but she lived a full life before Alzheimer's robbed her and her family. I wrote the following to post on her obituary page. Then I came across a Facebook post with me wearing one of the jackets she...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/you-were-the-most-divine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f04c038b98d875b8a211f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_0b70dd5cb564465eb6d998b423d947e4~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_463,h_590,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[My Valentine's Friend]]></title><description><![CDATA[I know I repeat this story every year. I wrote it about 10-12 years ago for a newsletter at work. But on this day I am reminded how important friends are and how blessed I am to have this woman as my dear dear friend. Love you Linda!   “I was a single mother with a five year old daughter. Without going into a lot of detail as to why, I ended up moving to another state with my daughter. I had no family and no close friends. I had been there six months and was pretty homesick and lonely. On...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/my-valentine-s-friend</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f05c70bcfc75fd19a1bd9</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Feb 2025 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_712313e49e364411b4f70bae14c15e1d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_590,h_590,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Was Theirs, and They Were Mine]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have had old VHS tapes for up to 30+ years, mostly Christmas and birthdays and silly church talent shows. I haven’t watched them in years. I knew my mom and dad were embedded in the tapes and I didn’t think my heart could handle seeing them. I lost my mom when I was in my 30s and my dad in my 40s. They were amazing parents and grandparents and I have felt their loss every day of my life. My daughter recently had all the tapes digitized. The day they came we watched a couple and the minute I...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/i-was-theirs-and-they-were-mine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f068f2ccceabc75b2e125</guid><pubDate>Sat, 25 Jan 2025 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_acb0201b443a4e21960ced167775b86b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_514,h_540,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[He Was All of These Things, and More]]></title><description><![CDATA[Erin had this made for me out of Randy’s old shirts and T-shirts. This is him all wrapped up in one. The things he loved….NCIS; he loved this show before he got sick but the years he was sick he (we) watched it over and over. It’s like Gibbs was part of the family. We ventured out and watched Hawaii Five-O and loved that one too He was an avid BYU fan….football and basketball. Go Cougars! Two of our daughters graduated from BYU-Idaho so we spent a lot of time in that part of the world and...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/he-was-all-of-these-things-and-more</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f06dc0bcfc75fd19a1dd0</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Dec 2024 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_de8a61c9fb114b23b01d2a320df7ce38~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_600,h_508,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Longest. Day. Of. My. Life]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ten years ago, October 30, 2014 was the longest day of my life, thus far. Randy had seen a neurosurgeon who pretty much knew what he had from the scans but he had to do a biopsy before treatment could start. He submitted the request to the insurance company and we waited. And waited. Randy’s symptoms were getting worse by the day. I called the doctor and he told me I had the option of taking him through the ER to be admitted. I thought, “well heck yeah! That sounds easy.” It was at CRMC in...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/longest-day-of-my-life</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f0749eb09451ed9adc58d</guid><pubDate>Thu, 31 Oct 2024 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_4dd21cee55b0460c82d24e8f795d691f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_526,h_526,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Got By With A Little Help From My Friends]]></title><description><![CDATA[So I did this thing with a little help from my friends. A group of us did a girls weekend which started with a hike through Kanarra Falls in Cedar City. It was about 4.5 miles with a lot of climbing up and off rocks, walking through (cold) water and hiking uphill. A hike alone would be challenging for me since I have no balance on my left side (years and years of nerve damage from a herniated disc.) It indeed was challenging AND that’s with using walking poles. I did fall in the water once...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/i-got-by-with-a-little-help-from-my-friends</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f08e938b98d875b8a2874</guid><pubDate>Thu, 26 Sep 2024 02:37:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_9f28b704be3f4fb78666a0b924a27750~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I Wish I Had Loved Him Like I Was Gonna Lose Him]]></title><description><![CDATA[I've heard many people say “I have no regrets in life” or “I try not to have regrets.” I am someone who regrets too many things, things that don’t matter in the big scheme of life, things that I thought were right or that I did my best with at the time, things that I had no control over at the time. This is not healthy by the way but it is normal to have regrets. Brene Brown said, “No regrets doesn't mean living with courage, it means living without reflection. To live without regret is to...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/i-wish-i-had-loved-him-like-i-was-gonna-lose-him</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4f07cdeb09451ed9adc665</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Jun 2024 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_e4d7df3a2e3b4eaab7ad66d7abe483a5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_719,h_509,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's Always The People]]></title><description><![CDATA[This is from my trip to Greece.  I wanted to summarize what these pictures mean. Making new friends and building new relationships has been hard for me in Utah and it has made me miss my friends and family in California, including those who have since moved away (Utah but 5 hours away, Missouri, Texas, Washington, Colorado.) Friendships have always been important to me since grade school. I didn’t ever think I would meet so many amazing people, if even just to share lunch with - from the...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/it-s-always-the-people</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a50fb1ac549c55b35ae48f8</guid><pubDate>Tue, 26 Sep 2023 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_42c33837d9bb4ea2a7ee07c085332c53~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_798,h_621,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Widowhood....a perfect description ]]></title><description><![CDATA[It will be 4 years next month that Randy passed away. This would probably have been fitting to post then but I wanted to share it now. This is super long and I don’t expect most of you to read it. I’m not sure I would if I weren’t a widow. I'm often asked by friends and family and my past two therapists what’s hard about being a widow and it’s just so hard to explain. My situation is somewhat different because I technically lost Randy 5 years before he died. One would think 9 years would be...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/widowhood-a-perfect-description</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4fedaec6874e38d2bc73a5</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 May 2023 18:54:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_1dc6853779b5457ea4c2ac81341fb8b3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_464,h_344,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[And The House Came Tumbling Down]]></title><description><![CDATA[Arizona Supreme Court upholds Latter-day Saint clergy privilege in child abuse case Utah-based church says bishops had no legal obligation in this instance to report abuse   Salt Lake Tribune I have to share my feelings on this. I know people see things differently but I personally feel like my head is going to explode over this. I cannot comprehend how the law protects a perpetrator over a child, all so they can “repent.” I would be interested in knowing how many abusers confessed to their...]]></description><link>https://www.rondasblog.com/post/and-the-house-came-tumbling-down</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4fdf855c421b8202178357</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Apr 2023 18:00:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/736412_b252afc6330d4849949ce286a4b70c7a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_500,h_261,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Ronda</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>