My Focus For The Week

The lesson in Relief Society in both wards I visited was "The Life Of Christ". A huge topic to squeeze into 30 minutes. I didn't really learn anything new in either class period, but, rather had a nice review of the things I have learned over the past 58.5 years

My Focus For The Week

In Relief Society today, we were joined by the Young Women of our ward (I understand this is the established practice in Relief Society throughout the church), and I was thrilled to be able to stand and repeat the Young Women theme after many years. It warms my heart every time I say it....

"We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him..."

My Focus For The Week

The greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own, which is what love is. The sorrows come primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love.

Henry B. Eyring, Sunday morning session of General Conference, October 4, 2009

Random Thought Thursday

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12 pounds of strawberries made into frozen strawberry jam......yum!
10th Anniversary Concert of Lez Miz was once again my entertainment while "canning" (as you may recall, it also was my distraction a couple of weeks ago when I was spring cleaning my office).

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Looking outside there is sunshine peeking out of dark clouds and 4" of snow on the ground, a result of snow falling literally all day long yesterday. Springtime in the Rockies!

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On January 1 we had 3 little girls in our Sunbeam class; in February a semi-active little boy started coming regularly.
April 1 has us with 5 little girls and 2 little boys. The 2 additional little girls are "less active" (they came last week) and the additional little boy has just moved into our ward. What a difference a few weeks makes.

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Random Thought Thursday

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March is Girl Scout Cookie month....picked up my three boxes of thin mints Tuesday. Yum!

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We got tickets with Mom and Dad for the NCAA "Sweet Sixteen" games today and Saturday here in Salt Lake City. Last weekend, BYU won their first game, but lost their second. Had they won, would be seeing them play today. Oh well. Hopefully, we'll see three good games.

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Just For Kids?

Once again, Disney-Pixar has created a movie for kids that is every much a "grown ups' show" as it is a "little people's show".

Some background:
In 1937, an American pilot named Jimmy Angel went searching for gold in Venezuela's remote Guayana Highlands. Mr. Angel landed his single-engine craft on a flat-topped stone mesa called a tepui, and he, along with this 3 passengers, architected an11-day descent down an undaunting precipice. They saw natural wonders aplenty - but no gold. Soon after, the world's largest interruped waterfall-which pours majestically over a cliff on Auyan-was named Angel Falls in honor of his intrepid spirit.

The point of that true story - and Up- is that sometimes the most meaningful times in life are the ones that happen when you're looking for something else.

Like the story of Jimmy Angel, seek out your own adventure, take off on a flight of fancy, feel the wind in your hair. But don't be surprised if you find that it's the small, unexpected moments along the way that you'll cherish most at journey's end.

Pete Docter (co-writer of the script and co-director of the film), "The main gesture of the film is to really appreciate the adventure of life -- the little things you do together with your loved ones, not necessarily the big trips and the fancy airplane rides and the big adventures."

(Information quoted from "Up, Up and Away", Twenty Three Magazine, Spring 2009)

Random Thought Thursday

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Just as I suspected, hardly any coverage for the 2010 Paralympics. Too bad for the world.

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It's a great feeling to be able to give help, especially to family, when it is needed.

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I chatted for a while with a cousin yesterday. I've decided to accept the challenges in my life as others have difficulties in their lives that I really don't know if I could handle.

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I can't believe my nephew, Billy, is at the point in his life that he is visiting college campuses in order to make a decision on where to head post-high school.

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I went visiting teaching the other day and was pleasantly surprised at all the crocus and tulips that were up. No color yet, just the plants, but....all in due time.

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Today I Am Very Much Looking Forward To:
(1) Watching on TV BYU (hopefully) beat the University of Florida in basketball.
(2) Finish spring cleaning the closet in our office which will complete the cleaning of the office.
(3) Homemade chicken noodle soup, salad, sourdough bread and fruit for dinner tonight (we're expecting another spring storm this afternoon).

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My Focus For The Week

The weather began to change, and a man felt inclined to plant something outside in the cold earth. After a hard winter of dark skies and icy storms, the prospect of digging in the ground warmed his heart. So he did some homework, researched the best tree for his chosen spot, and went to see an expert.

The master gardener had this counsel: "Don't plant a hundred-dollar tree in a ten-dollar hole! The roots of the tree," he explained, "must have room to expand and to absorb the nutrients from the soil. Also, the tree must be planted deep enough so that the roots can move into the soil and give the plant stability. If it's planted right, you can expect it will grow into a beautiful tree and last a long time."1

Good advice--not just for planting trees but also for building relationships. Both trees and relationships grow best in an environment that has been carefully prepared and is constantly nurtured.

Occasionally a seed may fall on uncultivated soil and spring up as a sapling, but such trees rarely last long enough to bear fruit. Likewise, lasting relationships don't just happen. They must be fostered by love and attention, cultivated by care and concern, and fed by kindness and generosity. It doesn't happen in one day of intensive attention; it happens over time, in countless small moments, as gradually as a tree grows.

Meaningful relationships are worth more than hundred-dollar trees, and they deserve all the time, effort, and energy they need to become strong and beautiful. Then, once the roots are well established, such relationships can continue to grow--even under difficult circumstances. Trust and understanding will nurture the relationship, and eventually, the flowers of love will blossom and bear sweet fruit.

(Music & The Spoken Word, Sunday, March 7, 2010)

Not To Be Overlooked

Today marks the beginning of the 2010 Paralympic Games, to be held in Vancouver, BC. Having been a volunteer for the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City I have a real appreciation for these athletes.

From my 2002 Paralympic scrapbook:

This group of Olympians is so different than the first group....much more team oriented, i.e. they come in(to the dining hall) as a team, for the most part, to eat and to spend time together. They appear to genuinely care for each other and seem to enjoy being together. It is amazing to see a wheelchair bound individual helping a blind teammate get to the table with their trays, get their drinks from the drink bar, and then lead/help each other to where they dispose of their try, silverware and garbage....all with no outside help."

“These athletes are so independent it is amazing.To see them balance a tray with soup, food and a drink, and get to their table on crutches by themselves is inspiring."

“I have never in my life seen so many different kinds of wheelchairs; and the things that these athletes can do in them! They are "crazies on the road". Speed is of utmost importance for some of them, and if they can do wheelies, so much the better."

"The Paralympic athletes are a much friendlier, outgoing group (than the Olympic athletes were). The French team came in last night and just as I was getting ready to leave, they began singing together to entertain those of us still in the dining hall."

These games won’t get near the publicity of the Olympics held just a few weeks ago, but any information you can get about these games is not to be passed by. (After searching on the WWW for TV coverage with no results, I finally called my local NBC station.They have one hour of coverage tomorrow!)

Thanks Natalie, Mom and Dad

While here in January, Natalie suggested that I put up a coat rack for the kids to hang their coats and hats on. I liked the idea, especially since it would eliminate a bit of the "over the banister" clutter that happens when we have guests visiting. I consulted with Dad and told him what I was thinking about. He went with me to Home Depot to choose the best piece of Knotty Alder to match the cabinets in my laundry room where the coat rack would be hung. After cutting it out, routing the edges, staining and sealing it, he and Mom accompanied me back to Home Depot to choose hardware. Dad attached the coat hooks and we have a finished product. (A coat tree for the adult coats has been ordered).




Several months ago, I acquired a "storage box on wheels" that was in need of some repairs in order to make it usable. Once again, I consulted with Dad about the project and he assured me he could fix all the broken parts and install a lock so as to be able to close the doors and have them stay closed. I brought the repaired box home, purchased some plastic boxes to keep things organized and now have a great place to keep games and crafting supplies for the grandchildren.
Jayden has requested that I label the boxes...all in due time.




One year when I was the YW camp director, I was looking for a service project for the girls to do while at camp. Dad always has a garbage can full of scraps, so I asked him if he could provide me with wooden building blocks cut into different shapes that the girls could paint while we were up in the mountains. He, of course, provided lots and lots of blocks and the girls had a great time painting them as they sat around chatting one afternoon.

The project turned out so good that I asked Dad to cut out some more wooden shapes for me to paint and have at my house for the grandchildren to play with. Last fall, Mom, Dad and I had a "crafting day" in their garage and the painted blocks are the result of our afternoon together.



After painting all the blocks and getting them home, I realized that my entire basement is carpeted and the "creations" that would be made with the blocks would probably not work on anything but a firm surface.

I decided that a piece of plywood would probably work, so once again, Mom and Dad headed to Home Depot with me to choose a good piece of plywood. I originally was going to get a 4 X 8 piece, but Mom talked me into "downsizing" to a 2 X 4 piece which was a good idea. Dad curved the square corners and sanded all four sides so eliminate the possibility of slivers in little fingers. This finished product is under the blocks in the above picture.

My Focus For The Week

President Monson in General Conference, October, 1980, said, "The goal of gospel teaching...is not to 'pour information' into the minds of class members.....The aim is to inspire the individual to think about, feel about, and then do something about living gospel principles".

Spring Cleaning Made Easier

One of my goals for this week was to finish up the "spring cleaning" of the great room, dining room and kitchen. All that was left were the windows, the blinds and the baseboards.

Well, it's Friday and my goal hasn't been met so I was trying to think of a way to get motivated about this cleaning. I remembered one of my Christmas presents from the kids, the 10th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables from The Royal Albert Hall in London. This concert was done in 1995 by a dream cast of over 250 performers from productions worldwide accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra led by David Abell. I used to watch the VHS version of this concern often and was thrilled to receive the DVD version.

Tracts 1 through 7 found me working on the baseboards with my q-tips. Then tract 8, "Who Am I" sung by Valjean started and work stopped while I watched. I was doing the windows for tracts 9 through 14. Tract 15, "Stars" sung by Javert found me sitting and watching. I barely got back to work for tract 16 and had to stop and watch tract 17, "Do You Hear The People Sing?" sung by Enjolras, students, company and choir. Tracts 18 through 20 I moved quickly to wipe off all the blinds in the 7 windows. Act One's final song, "One Day More!" sung by the full company and choir found me stopped in my tracks to watch.

Bottom line.....spring cleaning of great room, dining room and kitchen checked off.

Act Two will be playing while I spring clean the office this afternoon.

Thanks so much, Natalie, Jay, Joseph, Candida, Nicole and Alex for this great present.

Random Thought Thursday

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Correction to blog entry "Mid-Winter Get Away" dated February 19, 2010: In the Roman Catholic church, Saint San Sebastian is commemorated by a memorial on January 20. This is the day we visited the village of San Sebastian. The celebration we were able to be a part of was not the founding of the village, but rather the memorial to the Saint San Sebastian.


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Once again, the Clock Doc is coming by to "fine tune" the chime on our antique German wall clock as well as the chiming mechanism (it is off on the number of chimes at any given hour). This will make the third time he has been by in the past two weeks, but it takes "fixing and watching" to get it right. Hopefully this will be the last visit for a while.


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I'm very anxious to get down to my sewing machine to make a little peasant top for Chelsea for her birthday. The pattern I want to use is $10 so I'm waiting until next week to get it on sale for $2. It would also be very cute made up in a little summer nightgown.

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My mom and dad are traveling to Colorado for a few days' visit. I can only imagine the fun get together tonight as they have dinner with Natalie, et al, Nancy et al, and Connee.


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Today I Am Very Much Looking Forward To:
(1) Finish transferring hand written personal history notes to the computer.
(2) Finish spring cleaning the great room and dining room.
(3) Helping out my parents and Cousin Kimberley by making not one, but two, airport runs as they are going traveling today.

Past Due Thanks

Last night I read the rest of my 2002 Olympic volunteer scrapbook entries mixed in with pictures from those games. The last entry that I wrote stated, "It (being a volunteer) was an incredible experience for me and I'm grateful for two daughters that are very excited about scrapbooking and have encouraged me to keep 'everything I find' so that they can help me do a scrapbook documenting my experience."

Eight years later, I am again grateful for the encouragement from Natalie and Nicole to put my memories into scrapbook form. I also want to thank my mom for the idea of sending out an email to family and friends documenting each day's activities as a volunteer. Those emails are now my Olympic Scrapbook dialog.

Random Thought Thursday

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I contacted a different clock repair man regarding our antique German wall clock that hasn't run consistently for 4 years. He came out on Monday, made some adjustments, oiled some parts, and it has been running since. Only problem is that yesterday the hourly chimes went off..... i.e. at 8:00 it chimed 12 times. etc. Guess another house call is in order.


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In looking back at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics via my scrapbook, I'm amazed at how much I don't remember. Working those long hours 6 days a week for almost 3 months (pre-Olympic week, Olympics, "bridge week" and Paralympics) might have had something to do with the lack of specific memories. I'm so glad that I followed my mom's example and wrote daily emails to family and friends which eventually became a big part of my scrapbook.


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Today I Am Very Much Looking Forward To:
(1) Dropping off the tax information to the accountant.
(2) Another trip down "memory lane" from the 2002 Olympic scrapbook.
(3) Finishing the "spring cleaning" of the kitchen.
(4) Shredding a 10 inch high stack of papers which we no longer need to store.
(5) Putting together my lesson for the Sunbeams on Sunday.

One Busy Week

Natalie, Jay, Jayden, Chelsea and Ethan came over from Denver for a week.....and a busy week it was!!

• Elena's blessing and dinner after with 34 family members present.
  
• Play dates for Jayden, Chelsea, Ethan, Sienna and Elena.
• Movie nights watching Star Wars Episodes 1 and 4
  
• Visits with the Great Grandparents.
• Birthday celebration dinner for Natalie and Jay at Wingers.
• Adult guys' afternoon out to see Avatar
• Watching 2010 Olympics

Thanks to Natalie for the collage.
Thanks to Natalie, Nicole, Alex & Candida for the the pictures.

My Focus For The Week

In Primary, we are learning the hymn "He Sent His Son" in preparation for the Primary Sacrament Program in the fall. Sister Gabbott has used a "question and answer" format to remind us of the sacrifice our Heavenly Father made in sending His son to the earth to be our example.

Primary songs are the gospel in it's simplest form.

Mid-winter Get Away

Leaving behind the inversions of January in Salt Lake, we headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in search of sunshine, blue skies and some R & R.







The first week, we took a day trip up into the Sierra Madre Mountains to a quaint little village called San Sebastian. Founded in 1605 as a silver and gold mining town, it currently is home to only 600 residents. The streets were too narrow for the bus, which gave us the opportunity to walk the cobblestone streets. The day we went was the anniversary of the founding of the village so we were able to experience some of the celebratory events in the town square with the locals as well as visitors.

















The second week we took a day trip on Banderas Bay to do some whale watching. We watched this mother and her baby for about 30 minutes. We then came across a group of about 9 or 10 whales and followed them around the bay for an hour or so. Amazing animals.
















The rest of the days were spent reading and relaxing at the condo.

















Evenings found us enjoying more reading, movies and sunsets.

Random Thought Thursday

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Since watching the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games, my thoughts have often returned to the SLC 2002 Games and my experiences as a volunteer in the Olympic Village at the U of U/Ft. Douglas. An experience of a lifetime for sure.

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It sure is quiet around here after having three children, their spouces and 5 grandchildren (ages 6 and under) here all last weekend.

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Today I Am Very Much Looking Forward To:
(1) Re-visiting my Olympic Volunteering experience via my scrapbook daily "journal" entries.
(2) Putting together my lesson for the little Sunbeams on Sunday.
(3) Watching the prime time Olympic events tonight.

Random Thought Thursday

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I'm so proud to be an American. On their way to Haiti, even as we speak, are ships and airplanes with soldiers, civilians, food and relief supplies.

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My antique German wall clock that ran for four days last week has stopped running. I tried to set it to the correct time....big mistake.

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I'm still waiting to see blue skies with no yukky in the air. Puerto Vallarta on Saturday will be a welcome site. Just hope they aren't having yukky air also as they sometimes do.

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Today I Am Very Much Looking Forward To:
(1) visiting two of my little Sunbeam girls, visiting with the third tomorrow.
(2) Having the tires rotated on my car and getting it washed.
(3) Participating in a Relief Society group project.
(4) Packing suitcases for trip to Puerto Vallarta.