Except that quite contrary, February which has.....

28 most of the time.....but in leap year twenty-nine!!!!!

This post is really Friday morning. I started it last night and don't want to have to do all the pictures again to have it read Friday Feb. 29! Happy Leap Year Day or whatever! I think we should all resolve to do at least 29 frog leaps today in honor of....well, today. I will if you will.

Yesterday was wonderful. Lisa Davies (our Ward Martha Stewart) came over and helped Laurie and I make all the wedding cake boxes. We did 150....all but the top decorations which Laurie will have to decide on. We had a great time visiting and several hands make much faster work. I'll see if I can find in my files the pictures of these darling favors that I posted in the summer.

Then, last night, my sweet son Tanner took me out for my birthday. You know, I LOVE stringing my birthday out forever but this year takes the cake with celebrating a whole month later! He has wanted to take me to Cheesecake Factory....you know that place I have never talked about...but we couldn't until last night. He got there at 5:45, a Thursday early evening, and we still had a wait of 45 minutes! Unbelievable! But my shrimp scampi was to die for. Here they have this giant menu and I will never get to taste anything else because I don't think I can ever order anything but shrimp scampi. I don't even order cheesecake when I go (although I did get a Caramel Macadamia Nut slice for David for later) (he was roping so didn't get to go with us) (and since it wasn't his birthday a month ago, I don't think he was invited) because I am so over-the-top-happy after I have the scampi. And it is so big, I can only eat half of it. So David got scampi for dinner as well. Happiness!

This morning is art. I'm so loving painting this German meadow.

I wanted to share some pictures from my files and a few cartoons that BF Cathy sent to me. And then one quote that I read yesterday that I loved.
This is a picture that Debra sent me showing a little Nigerian girl wearing one of the t-shirt dresses that we are making for our service project.

And on another note-

I have been obsessing about cupcakes since last summer when I attended Linda Madsen's daughter's wedding and they had made about 25 different cupcakes.

(see Love Is In The Air! And Snow! )

BF Cathy gave me a darling cupcake holder for my birthday and I'm excited to use it. I am taking some refreshments to Jessica's shower on Sat. night and I'm wondering if I should try a few kinds. I'm not a cake decorator kind of person so they kind of scare me. But I love how creative you can become with them. Here are a few cupcake pictures to get everyone in the mood!

I really think I need this on top of our house or at least our barn!

Below are Oreo cupcakes from Linda's wedding.

Look at these Pez cupcakes

I would love anyone's favorite cupcake recipes. I think cupcakes would be perfect for our Easter Brunch. Below are more Linda cupcakes...these were strawberry hearts....

Really, I have been thinking and dreaming cupcakes. And until last summer, I would have said that cupcakes were my ho-hum-not-so-interested dessert. But now I'm obsessing. Now I'm on a creative journey. And if I'm not careful, these two funnies will not be funny!

And well, not to end on that un-positive note, here is a new quote I love:

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company...a church...a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We can't change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you...we are in charge of our attitudes."

Charles R. Swindoll

Influence and Gratitude

I was so bummed the other day when I went to "All My Memories" scrapbook store and saw the big sign that they were closing shop. They’ll be open just until the end of April. I LOVE that store. Jorjana Brown, the owner, used to be one of my neighbors and she’s such a doll. They sold the wholesale part of the business before but kept the store...then their landlord raised the rent $1000. Like Jorjana says, "you have to sell a lot of paper for $1000." I will miss their store...it was always full of wonderful ideas and projects. I had to go back last night and die cut 150 wedding cake boxes for a project Laurie Barnson and I are doing for her daughter's wedding. I showed these darling favors this summer sometime. Laurie is in town (they live in Las Vegas now and Circleville...remember in the summer when I went with girlfriends from the Ward to paint and play there...) and we’ll see how many we can get done today. It could be one of those gnashing of teeth projects but it will be fun to do it together.


The gratitude luncheon yesterday was just perfect (except I never made cute invitations...I just called everyone.) The food turned out, I wasn’t stressed and just adore my friends that came. The whole idea of a gratitude luncheon is to pamper your friends. Everyone asks what they can bring but, for me (and Valene who taught me this idea) the joy is expressing love and gratitude for my friends. In this case, it is for the friends I visiting teach plus one. During the course of the meal, I have us go around the table and tell what is going on in our lives....and then share the most important thing they’ve learned in the last year. Some tender, edifying conversation.
One shared her gratitude for living in this country after doing much traveling. Another shared her new testimony of reading the scriptures every day and the strength that brings. Another shared her reevaluation of family and how important it is to place our time where our priorities really are. It is so wonderful to be surrounded by wonderful woman. Oh wait? Have I said that before? At least a million times?

Last night David went to the Jazz game with a friend. He got home late to have a phone call from his dad in St. George, that David’s brother (who lives in Wyoming and is kind of estranged from the family) had purchased an old truck that broke down in Spanish Fork. He had a horse in a horse trailer as well and needed help. David cheerfully said he would go with his horse trailor bring the horse here (his brother needed to stay there and wait for another truck today.) I didn’t want him to go alone so I tagged along for the two-hour excursion. David had been out of town the couple of days before so I was glad we had time to talk. He had a great experience coming home from Connecticut, where he had a deposition. When he was getting ready to board the plane, a young man waved at him and he realized it was a boy that grew up in our previous neighborhood, about Travis’s age. They started talking as they boarded the plane and then found they were seat companions. They had this great conversation about the "olden days" in the neighborhood and the boy stated at least a half a dozen times, how fun it was growing up playing basketball either at our house or Roger Christensen’s. That was just regular stuff, these neighborhood games that started when the boys were young (probably about ten) and continued until after high school. David loved hearing about this boy’s life....and challenges. His firstborn has CP and was oxygen deprieved for a long time at birth and so she is quite handicapped. But this boy just beamed talking about her and their family and just radiated goodness. While they were talking (but hadn’t had any of these serious conversations yet), another kid about the same age boarded the plane. Again, David experienced joy as he saw this boy. This was a boy that had made a huge major life turning around point while David was bishop. It was such a big deal to this boy that he has loved David ever since! So, at some point during the flight, David went back and sat by him and learned all about his life as well. He is a kid that never realized, even when he was younger, that he couldn’t do anything he dreamed. He was always trying different businesses and learning and now has a business that did $22 million this past year with a manufacturing plant and many employees. Again, David just beamed. And he learned all about this young man’s family and the joy he has experienced from his life’s choices. How happy he was with his family with three little boys and a wife he loves. I got to hear all about these experiences and more on our trip to help David’s brother. David said, "If I was a journal writer, which I’m not, THAT is what I would want to record."

He doesn’t write so I will. His pleasure over these sweet boys is immense. Two people that he has served and loved.

Oh, and the reason I didn’t mention the boy’s names.....David introduced them to each other after the flight and they said that they had actually met several times at various things but they couldn’t remember the other’s name. Both of their names were Nate! Funny!

Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means. Albert Einstein
"We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere."
"You don't have to be a "person of influence" to be influential. In fact, the most influential people in my life are probably not even aware of the things they've taught me."

Gratitude

(my mountain that brings me unmeasurable comfort and joy.....)

Today is going to be awesome. I am finally having my gratitude luncheon that I usually do in December. But December got away from me so I decided, at the recommendation of a blog reader, that February is the perfect time to talk about gratitude and love. The numbers are small this year. Neither of my visiting teachers could come or BF Cathy. But my visiting teaching companion, Gayle Howe, and the 3 ladies I teach- Brenda Bailey, Marilyn Bawden and Elsa Gray will be here plus good friend, Debbie Stowell. I'm so happy to be cooking. It gives me such pleasure. I got almost everything made last night (which might seem odd...a southwest main course and an Asian salad- but they are things I love)

I’ve posted the recipes for all these dishes already. Click on recipes over on the right if you’d like to download them.

Southwest Chicken Pockets with mango salsa
Sesame Almond Romaine
fresh blackberries, apples, bananas, kiwi and little Rice Krispie bites to dip in-
Chocolate Almond Pudding Fondue
and also Caramel Apple Fondue

My dear friend, Cali, called me yesterday from Cedar City and we talked forever. I miss her so much. We were suppose to be forever neighbors and then they had to pick up and move. Well, Peter picked up and then had to drag Cali. I laughed because she told me, sometimes when she gets really homesick, she’ll get on my blog and read and cry and her husband will scold her and tell her that she’s not allowed to read my blog anymore if she’s going to bawl! So, Cali, no bawling allowed! But another funny thing she said was that sometimes she thinks she gains weight just reading my blog! Sorry! Because, honestly, what fun is that? You REALLY need to make these recipes!
I feel like I have milked every last drop out of my Valentine’s table. After tomorrow, the Valentine’s come down and guess what! Regardless of the snow drifts outside, out come the Easter eggs! Happiness! I keep thinking that when I "really" grow up, I won’t love holidays so much. But love them I do!
I don’t think I’ve mentioned that all the testing on Noah has come back to milk allergies. Finally, his new formula and Marci not eating any dairy herself, has started putting weight on the little guy and he’s not throwing up constantly like before! Things like this are such a scare and I don’t want Heavenly Father to think for one second that we aren’t all grateful for his little life and these medical answers.

And speaking of gratitude, Brandi’s brother-in-law, left yesterday for Afghanistan again. For at least another year. He taught seminary in the Jordan school district for years, then was a seminary principal and now he is over several seminaries (help me out here-someone in the family!)....anyway, he’s in the National Guard. This is his second tour. And our hearts are breaking for them but also filled with appreciation with the incredible service and sacrifices that those in the armed services do for us. It is just too easy to accept this great service while we sit in comfort and freedom. Brandi told me once that her brother-in-law said to her that he was willing to go, not because he is so patriotic, but because he has the opportunity to share love or the gospel with more of Heavenly Father’s children.

Tonight on television, Prime time staged several situations where people were televised in situations when someone else acted racist. It was surprising and heartbreaking, like in a deli setting,, and a Muslim woman was being harassed and denied service, how many people looked the other way or condoned the racist behavior. I think we all have a long way to go to truly loving all people or at least showing respect and having an open dialogue with others....whether different religions, nationalities, economic groups, political party.
Maybe I have shared this story. When Brandi and Ryan lived in New Jersey (she was attending Ruetger’s) - her class (the Master’s program of physical therapy) spent a lot of time together. There was a Muslim girl, Mona, in the class and one day she pulled Brandi aside. She said, "I have been watching you. I notice that you do not take God’s name in vain as the others do. I have noticed, though, that you say "gee whiz." What does "gee whiz" mean?"

I love that story.....

The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? Pablo Casals

What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime. Adlai Stevenson

Rewards

Travis told me something funny the other day. He serves in the Elders Q. Presidency of his Ward. He had some visiting to do and also a hospital to visit to give someone a blessing. The Elder’s Q. President and other counselor were both busy so Travis asked some guy in his ward, someone that Travis felt the need to spend some time with, to go with him. The guy is quite outspoken and Travis gets a kick out of him. So the guy is telling Travis that he thinks he needs to find a wife. And since he is in that mind frame, he wants Travis to know that he has taken note of couples in the Ward and had a question that puzzled him. Tenille. He thinks she’s gorgeous. So he says to Travis, "You know, you really married someone really good looking.." Travis agreed. Then the guy said, "Well, I just want to know how that works. You aren’t....like a Tom Cruise or anything so how did you end up getting Tenille?" (Let’s just be blunt about this, okay?) So Travis, with all seriousness says, "Well, so-and-so (I can’t remember his name), you know I served a mission?" The guy nodded his head. "Well," Travis continued, "I worked really, REALLY hard on my mission. And when you go on a mission and work REALLY hard, you get rewarded with someone like Tenille." The guy kind of nodded but didn’t seem convinced. Then Travis continued, "And you know, Tenille served a mission as well." The guy said, "I didn’t know that! That’s cool!" Then Travis said, "She didn’t work very hard."


I love my boy! He makes me laugh! (honestly, a true story!)


So this post goes out to all the many people who my life who need a laugh today. A friend whose mommy is in the hosptial. A friend whose husband lost his job. A friend that has to move. A friend with a broken heart. A friend that has felt slighted. A friend that has personal sorrows. To my friend that needs a hug. A friend that is sending her husband off to war. Again! For over a year! My thoughts and prayers are with you all!


"To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are some of the rewards of the simple life.” --John Burroughs

Friends

Isn't it fun to be amused by friends!

Feasting on Sunday Leftovers

Yesterday church was amazing. It was our Ward conference so all the Stake leaders were there. I still miss being in the Stake, remembering how I loved Ward conferences and the opportunity to visit the other Wards, filled with people I love. Our sacrament meeting was exceptional. Our Stake theme this year is the scripture "...feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:3)

First our bishop spoke. He retold the story of a trial in his life when their family was directed by the spirit. I actually told about this miraculous story sometime during the last year. (see In the Middle of a Storm ) It is the story of their daughter, Michelle, and of when she was two years old and fell in a raging run-off stream and was stuck under water for over an hour. An amazing story. Then President Schmidt spoke, the first counselor in our Stake Presidency. He is a pediatrician and shared that there are usually two major things that mothers want to talk about when they bring their kids in for a check-up. Pooping and eating. He talked about eating. He said that he observes 4 major kinds of eaters. The first is a "pickie" eater. He picks and pokes around but doesn't really eat too much of anything. Especially things that are nourishing. The next is a "non" eater. This one has serious problems to overcome. There is an eater that "never stops." He doesn't see this one too often but has. It can be a real problem as well. And then there is the "consistent" eater....eats consistently, is nourished continually, is well balanced, grows properly and healthy. He compared all these "eaters" to the way we read the scriptures...

The Stake scripture is "feasting on the words of Christ." Feasting is a different concept than nibbling (which I also shared my thoughts about in the previous post In the Middle of a Storm )

He shared the pioneer story of the Parker family who were traveling with the hardcart companies when their small son was lost. The family was frantic but realized that the company must go on. The mother sent her husband back to look for the child. She sent her red shawl with him and told him, that if she found the child dead, to bury him in the shawl. If he were found alive, use the shawl as a flag in the distance so that she would know he was safe. Pres. Schmidt then described the search. You can imagine what kind of searching would be done if your child was lost. You would search the horizons. You would search each clump of trees, scour each stand of bush. You would look behind each rock and into each gully. You would search with all your might.

This is the kind of searching that we also need to do with the scriptures. Not just a casual read-through, half asleep. I have mentioned many times that it takes time to learn the "foreign" language of the scriptures. I used to think I would NEVER understand them. And now I adore them. After much searching and classes and reading and pondering, they speak to me in a way they have become a part of me. President Schmidt said that when we choose "not" to read the scriptures, life will be harder, we are more easily compromised, truth is debatable, you find you are living for the things of the world instead of the things of God. When you read and are nourished by the word of God continually, you are able to overcome weaknesses, wounds can heal, insight and direction is given for your life and you can be filled with peace, even in the middle of the storm. You are filled with joy and hope.

President Miles then told a contrasting story of a young man he knew, a football player for Hillcrest. When he returned from his mission, he started feeling tired and achy. He went to the Dr. and found he had advanced cancer. Like my bishop's family, his family fasted and prayed that his life would be spared. He shared several tender experiences with observing this family and the visit they made to the home, after the son passed away before Christmas. It was after Christmas and they went, expecting to find that the holidays had been unbearable. Instead, the mother confessed that this had been the most wonderful Christmas they had ever experienced because they had gained such a testimony of God's hand in their lives...that families are eternal. That the scriptures and prayer gave them the insight and faith and power to move on.

All these thoughts and stories have given me much to reflect on since yesterday. I'm posting without editing but I'll have to get back to that. My kiddos will be here shortly and I'm still in my jammies. Yesterday the choir also sang a beautiful arrangement of "Get Thee Hie to Kolob" (I'm not sure what the name of the hymn is....) but I had better "get me hie to changing my jammies" so I'm prepared for the day!

Sunday

Really, the wind is blowing so hard, I'm afraid the roof of our greenhouse might blow off. Or our big willow tree, that always has something breaking on it, will be uprooted. I know it is just the pre-show for the big storm that is supposedly hitting tonight. More snow. More snow. Okay, if you know me, you know I LOVE snow! I always say "Bring it on!" But now I realize that Easter is 4 weeks away. In Steel Magnolias (my Easter egg nemesis) (not really my rival but my idol) all the children were wearing pretty Easter dresses and Sunday best and everyone was wearing hats and bling-bling and the sun was shining, the birds were singing, flowers were blooming (my children "think" they know where this is going but it's not!").......I didn't see anyone wearing snow boots and mittens and ear muffs. Everyone's noses weren't red and running and no one looked like popsicles. There wasn't a ski patrol in the background watching out for avalanches. No, I don't think this will be the Easter egg hunt of my dreams......


This has been such a great weekend. Friday morning started with painting. I can't remember if I have mentioned that the painting I am working on is a picture of a field of sheep that I took when we were in Garmish, Germany. I loved all the meadows there and the sheep and cows with bells wandering everywhere. Garmish, Garmish, Garmish. Over the top beautiful! The sheep all have their heads cocked, just listening. I love that metaphor.....



Then I got to watch the girls for just a bit because Brandi had a patient. They are so darling and I love their hugs and kisses. And I just love every minute I get to see of Brandi. When I got home, another friend, Marilynn Mikesell called to see if she could run over. She used to be in our Ward until it was last divided. But I always invite her to Creative Cooking and sometimes even make her work. She wanted to learn how to make the Valentine boxes (they don't have to be just Valentines) and then she brought me some new food storage information that she had for me. We had the best visit. And shared a few tears besides the laughter. I'm glad as friends we can share the little hurts in our hearts.

Friday night a friend and I went to the movies and saw 27 Dresses. I had planned on taking her to the new Paradise Grill beforehand but we didn't have enough time to make the movie so we just ate at the theater. We had a great time together, visiting and laughing. This friend is having a particularly hard time right now and is dealing with a broken heart and I realized that she needs to spend more time with people who love her unconditionally. And I do.




Saturday was a RS birthday luncheon for those in RS with birthdays in January, Feb. or March. It was at my friend, Linda Raddon's, and the three soups that were served were so delicious. I can't wait to share the recipes. (see one below) And visiting with friends there is always so fun. Here are a few of the pictures from the party.






I had lots of errands in the afternoon, than last night Ben and Suzie came down from Alta and we all got to go out to dinner together. Cousin Casey went as well and we went to Chili's and had a great time. They are doing well....skiing and loving it, working hard and playing hard. I told Ben that I really want to start putting some treasure hunts in my journal for my great-great-greats. He is great at...what is the word...orientation? Orienteering? You'd think with all the years I "got" to go to girl's camp, I would remember the correct word. You know, finding things with compasses. I ask if I put the treasures together, would he take them into the wilds and hide them, with all the directions? Of course he said he would. And then I realized that someday, out of the blue, Ben would say, "Suzie, do you want to go out to dinner? I know where some money is stashed!" And we laughed because that would probably be true! Maybe I'd better think of different kinds of treasures. Don't you think it would be fun to read your great-great-great grandmother's journal and find a treasure hunt in it? If you have read my journal for awhile, you'd know during good weather, my kiddos and I love to do treasure hunts. I make a map of pictures and they run from post to post until they find their treat. It used to be a variety of things but then I bought a gumball machine and at the end, they find the gumball machine and the nickels to put in it. Woo-la! Treasure! And then also I just finished reading "Letters to Emily" and the grandfather in the book would put anagrams and poems with puzzles in letters, for them to dicipher codes words for letters on the computer. So I guess that is why treasure hunting is on my mind!


Anyway, I loved being with what family I got to myself this weekend! David and Travis had a great day skiing (well, Travis snowboards) up at the Canyons on Friday. Travis was David's date since I couldn't fit in my ski pants. But, wa-woo! I have been diligent on the treadmill and eating wisely....didn't even take a bite of that fabulous looking black forest birthday cake.....and regardless of all the eating out, I have lost some weight this week. Yeah! It's a start! (And Ben....if you are reading this, I forgot I got you a treat....and it is sitting here at home.....pretend this is like a treasure hunt and get out your compass and find your way home! It will make you laugh! I love you! You too, Suzie!)


Linda Raddon's Creamy Chicken Rice Soup
1 1/4 c. finely chopped celery
1 1/4 c. finely chopped carrots
1/2 medium yellow onion (about 1/2 cup)
Cool all the vegetables in water until tender, then drain.
3 1/2 c. chicken broth (I think I'll just cook the vegetables in the chicken broth)
1 cup cooked wild rice
5 oz. or several chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 c. whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. plus 2 T. of butter
1/2 c. flour

Mix these together in a pan to brown the flour. Set aside.
Mix the chicken broth into the flour mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer about 20-30 minutes. Delicious served even the next day.


"Coarse rice for food, water to drink, and the bended arm for a pillow - happiness may be enjoyed even in these." (Confucius)


"There is no sincerer love than the love of food." (George Bernard Shaw)

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

(Virginia Woolf)

Letter To My Great-Great-Greats

Last night David shared a funny/horrible thing that happened to a colleague. She has a top position with a hospital here. She received an email from someone who had heard her speak at some conference and was inquiring about learning more about her job. He already had a couple of degrees but was thinking of changing careers. She didn't have time to answer the first inquiry. A few weeks later he emailed again. He asked if they could meet for just a short while so he could talk to her. She wrote back and said that she was currently extremely busy....could it wait until the first of March? He wrote back pleasantly and said that would be fine but could she possibly give him the name of someone else in that field that he could contact? Finally, she decided to forward the email to her assistant and said, "This guy is trying me nuts! Can you take care of him?"

Unfortunately, instead of hitting forward, she hit reply.

Wow! That sounds like something I might do.

She did receive a very kind and apologetic response from the man. She felt terrible.


Have you ever done anything like that? I have but for the moment, those incidents are repressed and hopefully blocked from my memory eternally. This morning while I was thinking about it again, of course I thought of Moroni, fighting a terrible battle without supplies and exhausted men. They were being slaughtered. And the relief troops and supplies that were suppose to be coming from the Nephite ruler, Pahoran, were no where in sight. Moroni writes a scathing letter to Pahoran, his close friend, and doesn't mince words in asking Paharon if he thinks he can just sit on his throne and enjoy his freedom while others are out fighting his defense. He reminded him of all his promises and ends by saying that if Moroni doesn't get the help he needs immediately, he will personally leave the battle and track Pahoran down and kill him.

You know the best part of the story. Imagine how Moroni felt when he received the return letter, stating that Pahoran and his kingdom had been attacked as well and they were also fighting for their lives. In fact, Pahoran states that instead of being angry upon receiving Moroni's letter, he was filled with love for the greatness of Moroni's heart (intent on fighting for freedom to worship God.) (these letters are found in Alma 60 and 61)

Great-great-greats, this is one of the most valuable lessons you could ever learn and one of so many you'll find deep in the pages of the scriptures. How do you act when you have been slighted? Do we give people, even our friends, the benefit of the doubt when we have been accused unjustly or justly? Do we return offense with more offense or with love or understanding?

You know how I said at the beginning that this situation with sending the email to the wrong person is like something that I would do? Well, unfortunately my response hasn't always been the same as Paharon's. Or this unsuspecting man who didn't mean to be offensive. But it is a goal for me and I hope for you. To be masters of kindness. To be masters of self-control. To act with restraint rather than react with angry. To hold Pahoran in our hero category and strive to live the great lesson that he has taught us.

And I just realize something. Someday, great-great-greats, while you are reading this, you might be rubbing your head, puzzled, saying, "Mom, what is an e-mail?"

"Heh, look it up in the dictionary and quit being a couch potato. (Another good term to figure out....)"

Friday Thoughts

"A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out."

I didn’t mention about the lunch that Patty L. and Zella and I went out to on Wed. to celebrate birthdays. We went to McGrath’s and had the best time together. Our trio friendship goes back many years and I think we have celebrated our birthdays for at least 20 years. Actually, since Zella and I are cousins, our friendship goes much further back to the day I was born. Since I am the "much younger cousin." I gave Zella a birthday card that read, "Swimming at our age is dangerous......lifeguards don’t try as hard!" Patty is so amazing with the personal gifts she always gives. She has remembered all this time my love for kaleidoscopes. I doubt most of my family even remembers that. She has given me several through the years and they are wonderful! I plan on taking mine to Lake Powell this year where they will be in their prime!

My best friend from childhood, Debbie Y., met me at Thanksgiving Point the other day and I told her I was looking for a gift for my cousin. She said she loved to shop around with me because she knew I was going to find something funky and unusual. And I did. This is what it looked like.

This is what Zella's looked like only hers is on a stand.....

Now, I know this sounds goofy, but when I looked at it, I was just moved. Debbie was looking at it and thought it was cute. I was looking at it and thinking, "I love the idea of our hearts being carried in our hands, so that love is given away. I love that we hold God’s love in the palms of our hands. I love the scripture, that I had just read this week, that our gift to God is clean hands and a pure heart. I loved that this hand looked antiqued and reminded me of Zella’s grandmother, who raised her after her mother died in childbirth with her. A mother’s love, a grandmother’s love. It was like Zella’s mom gave her most precious gift to her mother to raise. Of course, Debbie was just shaking her head....the same as Patty and Zella when I was describing my thoughts. They just all shook their heads and said, "You know, your brain just doesn’t work the same as ours!" That is what a total right brain will do. But the metaphor Patty and Zella liked best was this. I said "And sometimes when you are alone and you’ve done something that you’re really proud of, then you can just high-five this statue!"

Okay, I know I march to a different drummer but the scenery is beautiful!

Watched "American Idol" the last two nights. It is interesting the reaction that a "good girl", Brooke, gets from the judges. Paula and Randy think she is refreshing. But it is driving Simon nuts! She admitted during her interview session, when asked to tell something unusual about herself, that "she had never seen an R-rated movie." That just blew everyone away. Simon says that he is anxious to introduce her to the dark side. And I don’t think he is kidding.


"Let your light so shine....."

I’m hoping that we have a real art class this morning! For one reason or another, we have only been together once since the holidays...and I was sick that day! But today I am anxious to paint!


I’m also anxious to post my notes, or at least some of them, from class on Wed. Marvelous again, as usual.

Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God's best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one's self, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.

Thomas Hughes

Another Love Story

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)

(we don't really have too many skeletons, I just like the image of them dancing!)

Frustrating to write for 45 minutes and then lose the whole thing. So, I will try again.


Marci and Elijah (3) and Noah (9 months) spent the night last night since Noah had an early morning appointment at Primary Children’s Hospital for more testing and I could watch Elijah. Hopefully we will be getting some answers soon on what is going on with him not gaining weight. He’s such a little guy but hopefully he'll start doing better! It was wonderful having them come. Last night, after the kids were in bed, Marci and I watched "The Inheritance" by Louisa May Alcott. I used to love reading her as a child and knew Marci would love this movie since she is a big Jane Austin fan. I picked it up at Deseret Book for only $9 which I thought was a steal! I had seen it before and loved it and Marci did as well. Thomas Gibson is in it so it is fun to watch!


I won’t go into all the other things I already wrote about this morning...getting up early (which I never do) and going outside in my jammies to clean off Marci’s car since it is snowing (and my Easter eggs are pouting)...to be out in that early morning with the snow and everything magical and frosted and then hearing the neighbor’s roosters crowing.....just like in a movie. No, I won’t tell you about that....


But I’ll re-tell you about Marci and Ryan’s wedding.

First of all, they met at BYU in their Single’s Ward. He was always bringing groups of kids home so I didn’t really remember her specifically. But, a few weeks before his mission, he went to California to stay with a roommate and I later found out he spent most of his time with Marci and her family in Thousand Oaks. While Ryan was on his mission to Guatemala, Marci’s family moved to Springfield, Missouri, to try and break into Branson (the girls all sing together.) But shortly after getting there, Marci’s younger sister, Heidi, was killed in an automobile accident. It devastated the family. (Marci and Ryan's little Heidi was named after her....) Marci was nannying in Michigan at the time and she called me to tell me what a wonderful boy I had raised. She had been in the depths of grieving, feeling without hope, when she got a letter from Ryan, addressing each of her needs and concerns. It was just the gift she needed. They continued writing and when we were in Guatemala, picking up Ryan, Marci was actually getting her mission call to Paraguay. We flew her to Utah for one weekend before she left and they also had one chaperoned weekend before she entered the MTC! That was it. They wrote her entire mission and Ryan proposed about the minute she stepped off the plane! (And that is a little background which helps explain why they are raising their blonde little children bi-lingual and also why Ryan does so much humanitarian work in Central and South America)


They were married in the Jordan River Temple by our dear friend and neighbor, Dick Christensen. He and Ryan were always close and he said that he was worried whether Marci was good enough for Ryan...but after meeting Marci, he wondered if Ryan was good enough for her! Typical Christensen humor!


We then had a luncheon for about 60 at our home, then hosted a reception there as well, complete with a beautiful huge white tent and a wedding planner. Brandi whined, "I didn’t get a wedding planner. Where was MY Franc?)"(Father of the Bride) We had a great party but no swans.


Then the kids took off for a couple of days in Vegas, because it took all their money to then fly to Missouri for a reception there. David had taken the Young Men/Young Women waterskiing a few days before the wedding and blew out his eardrum and the doctor said that he couldn’t fly, so Tanner and I flew alone to Missouri. Our plane was getting in about 10:00 at night while Marci’s and Ryan’s plane didn’t get in until about 2:00 in the morning. So, considering we’d only use the room a short time (in Kansas City and then we all drove the next morning to Springfield) we got one hotel room, with two beds and a cot. Marci and Ryan caught a shuttle to the hotel, crawled into the other bed while Tanner and I were sleeping. In the morning, I could hear Ryan in the shower. I opened my eyes to see Marci in the next bed, just starting to wake up. "So, Marci, how does it feel to have your new mother-in-law on your honeymoon?" It was a funny moment!


So, that was a long story to write this morning, at 7:00 when I’m usually fast asleep...only to lose it! But I love these kids. I'm proud of their goals and committment to do good.


"Family isn’t about whose blood you have. It’s about who you care about."

Wed. Notes

I have just spent 45 minutes writing my blog and then I just lost it! Sorry! But I'm watching my little Elijah this morning and he should be waking up soon and so I will get back to this in the afternoon.

Dresses and Weddings

I loved being a part of our Ward RS service project last night. There is such energy when a group of women (or people) all band together to do good. Last night we made between 225-250 dresses with many others sent home to finish. We hope to have 1,000 by the end of August. As we were making these little dresses, from t-shirts, some used, with a flounce of fabric sewed on the bottom....I realized that we wouldn't dress our little ones in these dresses but these African children will think heaven has opened up and rained beauty. It is humbling to think about. I'm excited to get going on the personal ones that Pretty Patty Petty and I will do. Since I don't sew (I CAN sew....it just makes me nuts), I will buy the t-shirts and fabric, cut them out and gather them for PPP, send them to Boise where PPP lives and she'll finish them on her Serger. If anyone is interested in this fabulous service opportunity, please let me know for more details!

This morning my day was brightened by reading my daughter's blog. It is a meme called "He Said, She Said...." I have put her blog address below so you can read the whole thing. And it would be a great idea for anyone reading this to do as well. I would do it but since I am such a chatty cathy, I've already told our wedding story. I wrote Brandi and said I think the meme should have been: "He Said, She Said, Her Mother Said...." since I like to be involved with everything! But here is her answer for one question with my comments, not that I was asked!

He Said, She Said..... (http://campbellpost.blogspot.com/)

Where and how did you meet?

He Said: Our mom’s set us up.

She Said: Ryan used to chase me around the church while our dad’s played Ward ball together. We grew up in the same neighborhood, my mom was his mom’s visiting teacher, his dad and older brother our home teacher. We went to school together, but didn’t ever hang out until I was home for summer break in between my sophomore and junior year of college. I was attending the Single's Ward that Ryan attended. Later in the week I was over at the church shooting hoops with a friend, and Ryan "took note ". A few days later our moms ran into each other at the grocery store. Later that day, my mom "casually" asks me about Ryan C. , to which I replied that I was not interested, I think he had a girlfriend, etc. etc. (Earlier that week I had announced I was no longer dating until my missionary got home in 6 months)! Well, ironically Ryan just happened to call the next day! I was SOOO mad (at my mom), I knew she had something to do with him calling despite her denying it!

Mom's take on the whole thing: Well, we have known Ryan since he was about 7 or 8 years old. And he did spend a lot of time at our house since we had a huge basketball court in our back yard that all the boys and men in the neighborhood played on alot. I was Raye Dean's visiting teaching...and loved this woman who was almost my mother's age....she was (and is) darling and classy and wise and a fabulous decorator. I used to love to be in her home. Ryan's older brother, Gordy, was a high school basketball player and our home teacher. I just absolutely adored him. One day I said to Raye Dean, "Do you think that Gordy would just wait for Brandi to grow up so they could get married (there is probably a 10-12 year age difference)" to which Raye Dean said, "Oh, I think that might be a little long but she could always marry Ryan" to which I thought to myself, "Over my dead body!"

Now that may seem a little harsh but I was Ryan's Primary president when he was a Blazer. He (and his friends) were the ones always swinging from the rafters! So now I have a theory. If you are ever in Primary, just take a look around. Pick out the rowdiest boy. Now imagine he is going to marry your sweet little daughter who had never done a naughty thing in her life......

When Brandi and Ryan were in high school, I used to ask her about him. She was a sophmore when he was a senior. I would say, "Would you ever go out with him?" And she would say emphatically, "No! He's a wild boy. I would NEVER go out with him!"

Famous last words! We have all these videos during that time. Brandi was a cheerleader and Ryan played football and his senior year, Alta took State. We have video right after the game, everyone on the field....there is Brandi......and there is Ryan. Both completely oblivious to each other. The same thing in the Stake Youth Conference videos. I have video of them on the same teams, still, oblivious. It is funny to watch! (also see Brandi and Ryan's Anniversary/May 4 )

Well, Tenille and Marci....I want you to do this on your blogs as well. I loved both your weddings and your courtships! And you know me. I love to add my two cents worth as well!!!!! And Marci, I can't WAIT to share......waking up, in a hotel room in Missouri....seeing your face in the bed across from me and saying, "So, Marci, tell me, so how is it waking up and finding your mother-in-law in your bedroom on your honeymoon?" Now THAT'S a story!!!!

Weekly Check List

Brandi pointed out to me last night that Easter is early this year. It is March 23rd....just a week after St. Patrick's Day! I just realized this morning that is really only 5 weeks away. This is what our backyard looks like. Look at the avalanche on the side of the greenhouse. Really, I could hide my car under it. I really don't know if we will see grass in 5 weeks. And I really look forward to the weeks before Easter to get my yard into spring shape. I wonder when that is going to happen!!! Yikes! And I have 2000 plastic Easter eggs jumping up and down in their bins downstairs, just waiting to be filled and ready to party!

Speaking of jumping up and down, my stern dayplanner, Inga, isn't very happy with me. No, I haven't been taking food into the bedroom but I also haven't been getting on the treadmill for two weeks! How did that happen? I got to my birthday and decided I didn't want to do it on my birthday...and haven't been on it since! Darn! Today is start day again. But Inga is pleased with my scripture study. I've done at least a chapter a day since January 1st and feel strong and confident. I'm almost to Mosiah. And loving it. and I'm drinking water like a camel.

My fun dayplanner, Izzie, is always full. She's almost exhausted trying to keep up with me. Everyday there are things to look forward to. Tonight is our Relief Society service night....we are hoping to whip out 300 dresses for our Nigeria, "Mothers Without Borders" project that my friend, Debra is in charge of. I'm anxious to see how they are done so Pretty Patty Petty and I can get going on ours that I've committed. Poor PPP, always getting roped into "my" projects! But she could be in the middle of moving so then what will I do???

I just took a minute to look at my New Year's Resolutions. Other than scripture study, I'm not seeing too much action although many of the activites can't be done yet. But the "getting into a couple of other sizes in my closet" has got to get some attention. So, today I am starting. We will see how far I go but today at least, I am determined. It would be wonderful to lose enough to have an enjoyable summer. And that is what is hard....I will have an enjoyable summer regardless. I'm happy regardless. If I was miserable, then I would have some incentive to lose weight. But I'm not. I will keep you posted on this neverending story.....dieting really interfers with my party lifestyle!

Tomorrow I do have lunch with my friend, Patty Lindquist and my cousin, Zella. We go out, the three of us, twice each year. Once in October to celebrate Patty's birthday and then in Feb., to celebrate Zella's and mine which are a week apart. And then Saturday, our Ward RS is having a birthday luncheon for all those birthdays in the first quarter of the year. See what I mean about party lifestyle? My life always involves food.

Marci is coming to stay overnight with Noah and Elijah on Wed. night since she has an early Dr.'s appointment at Primary Children's Hospital for Noah. He is 8 months old and can't keep any weight on him. Marci has tried everything, and lately has even worried that maybe he picked up parasites when they took him as a baby to Guatemala. He has been going to get weighed each week at the Dr.'s...and one week lost 7 oz. They have him on all special diets and suppliments. He does have reflux but it is more than that. Hopefully we will get some answers soon. It has been a little scary.

Last night a friend, Sophia, emailed me that her mother, who lives in Mesquite, was admitted to the hospital in St. George, possibly having surgery soon. She was so worried about her and wished she knew someone in St. George to go and give her mom a blessing. We were just there and could have done it but I didn't know. So, I immediately called David's Uncle Dean, who lives right by the medical center in St. George, at about 9:00 p.m. and asked him if he could go. "Of course" he said, "and we'll put her name in the temple as well." By 10:15, he called to tell me all was done. That fast. That sweet. I told Sophia, that in the church, help is just a phone call away. I love that David's sweet uncle would drop everything and round up a neighbor to help someone they didn't know, and that I actually don't know, because they needed it. I love the comfort that blessings bring. I think sometimes it is an unappreciated gift that we are blessed with.

When I came home from St. George last night, this is what greeted me! This cool vase, with forced tulip bulbs was given to me by a friend, for my birthday, 3 weeks ago. I have loved watching the bulbs sprout and grow and finally, they have gloriously bloomed! I saw these vases at Costco and think I want to run and get another one since I have enjoyed this one so much. Or maybe I could just get tulip bulbs to replace these. A while back I spoke at some RS event and the president gave me a lovely bouquet of flowers. I said, "Oh, thank you! I just adore daffodils! In fact, the yellow daffodil was the flower I picked in Young Women's to represent me." She smiled and said, "That's nice, but these are tulips!" I'm SUCH AN AIRHEAD! Of course I knew they were tulips but what comes out???? The other night when Kirk and Cathy were here for our Valentine's dinner, we were sharing embarrassing stories. The Olsen's are related to Dallin Oaks and of course, before he was an apostle, he was President of BYU when we were there. He and Rex Lee were big proponets of the law school and Dallin Oaks actually taught there as well. Rex Lee got cancer a few years later and went through years of chemo and various things before he died. I was going on a trip somewhere...and got on the plane and there was a bald Rex Lee. I said to him in a very concerned voice, "How are you doing? We have been praying for you!" He said, "Very well, thank you." Then I realized it was a bald Dallin Oaks, not a-bald-from-chemo Rex Lee. I'm SUCH a nitwit sometimes. Oftentimes. Okay, most of the time.

a P.S. to The Other Side of the River

Thank you, Janet, for the link to this beautiful video that is so important for us to think about. And thank you, Jane, for good info I'll pass on to my father-in-law as well.

http://parentswish.com/site01/big.html

The Other Side of the River

We've had a quiet weekend with David's folks. They are wonderful people and I have loved them dearly since the moment I met them. I am reminded, though, as I have been with them, that they are getting older. They sleep longer...something they NEVER used to do. I remember going to their home as a newly wed, and everyone staying up until 2:00 playing games and then them getting up at 5:30 to start another day. Notice I said "them." But I sure felt guilty staying in my warm bed a couple hours later. When I would finally go downstairs, one lone breakfast setting would be at the table. And they never made me feel bad about it.


My father-in-law starts the morning with filling his cereal bowl with vitamins or pills. I counted 18 different ones. All self-prescribed. I made him tell me what each one was for. Some he couldn't remember (one was for memory!)

I ache when I realize that my grandchildren, although they adore their great-grandparents, will not really know the "real" them. My father-in-law used to do trick riding on the horse. In small rodeos, he would ride in on his galloping horse and then proceed to swing from side to side, and even stand on his head in the saddle when the horse was still galloping around the arena. Amazing! And when my kids were little, he was always available for a game of basketball or to take them on horseback rides.

And David's mother was just a marvel. I learned so much from her as a young married and through the years. We had 27 little grandkids running around her home for reunions and she cooked and cleaned the entire time and "watched the kiddies." My sister-in-laws and I were always running off shopping or something and she'd keep all the kids. Never once did she do this without enthusiasm....and in fact, raised many of the cousins,including Cousin Casey, when their parent's marriages fell apart, and mothers went back to work. She never complained that her life wasn't "fulfilling." I don't recall her once saying, "You kids gather up all your children and go home. I'm ready for bed" like someone I know did once. (Sorry, kids!) She knew that she was doing a work like no other. She served as a Relief Society president I think at least 4 or 5 times. A more compassionate person (unless you mention the word "Democrats") you've never met. When I had my first baby, she came and stayed with me for two weeks, teaching me what to do. When Brandi would wake up in the middle of the night, my mother-in-law would get up and sit in a chair while I nursed, then take the baby and change her and rock her until she went back to sleep. Night after night she would do this so "I" could get my sleep. I once wrote a poem about her called "No Alms"...about not applauding Ruth for her great service and devotion to Naomi, because I understand her love for her mother-in-law (I had one like that myself) and would go anywhere to serve her.

I want my family to know these wonderful people in their prime. I want my posterity, even my grandchildren to know who these people really are. How valiant and Christ-like, how serving and magnificent these people are. That how they are right now isn't who they really "are." I hope I don't ever do anything, in frustration or impatience, to show disrespect to them.

I just read a Reader's Digest while I have been here. There was a story of two blondes, walking on opposite sides of the river. One blonde called to the other, "Yahoo! How do I get to the other side?" To which the other blonde replied, "Hell-o! You already are on the other side!"

So, aging. It happens to all of us. I think I have a foot on each bank right now! It is a little slippery!

Happy One Year Anniversary to Me!

I started my blog one year ago today. It was a foreign territory to me, although I have been a big journaling writer forever. I had no idea a year ago, the difference "blogging" would make in my life. I have a "year in the life" to share with my great-great-greats. I've shared our family's lives, recipes, spiritual lessons, frustrations, thoughts about friends and family, a little of what has taken place in the world. I have people say to me all the time that my journal sounds just like me! Surprise! That is the way it is suppose to me.

Many people who read this don't know me....but they "know" me through my writing. The way my great-great-greats will someday. So, today, and since we are in St. George, away from my beloved computer, away from my cosy fireplace, basking in the sunshine of this lovely little town...visiting at my mother- and father-in-law's.....I will repeat my very first installment of "Constant Growing Amazement." I had to dust it off but here goes:

I've always been a journal fan- diaries as a child through college, lots of cute journal books with just a few pages filled as a young mother, copies of letters preserved that serve as great journal entries and my years of playing "catch-up" recording my life and of writing consistently these last few years. I teach classes (not professionally) on journal writing and especially about writing a creative life history and recording the most important things first. So, through a few friends who caught on to blogging (thanks to Marilyn Bawden who is a dear friend (and vicariously by her daughter, Tara (whom I adore!) and a young first cousin, once removed (love you, Heather! You're so awesome! How fun is this?!) for introducing me to this new medium. I guess my sweet cousin, Deanna, who lives in Arizona, was the first to really share with me about blogging. She told me about blogs that she loved and looked forward to reading. I didn't really know what she was talking about. Now I do and I get it!

On Tuesday, I hosted a new women's group at my home. It's called a "Fill Your Bucket" group. My dear friend, Valene, and I were talking on the phone and we expressed the need and desire to form a group of women, to get together once a month for lunch (of course) and sharing wisdon and thoughts. I actually shared with them my testimony of writing sacred journals- how important it is to actually try and capture our personality and life lessons, in writing, so that our influence can be felt, for generations beyond our own. We had a marvelous time together and afterwards, one of the members made comment to Valene how wonderful it was- how important it is for women to be able to share with each other. It is a edifying and safe environment in which to share our hearts. I can see that blogging will be a new and exciting way for me to share and learn with and from others. I have kept my journals on the computer for years but I love the idea of being able to add pictures automatically.

The hardest part of setting up an online journal was what to call it. But all I had to do was look next to my computer, to my new favorite quote from Elder Busche, from a talk entitled 
The Only Real Treasure:
"When we consistently follow the Holy Spirit, in a continuous, constant spirit of prayer, the world of miracles is open to us now, in this life. A life of adventures, of constant, growing amazement, of surprising vision, of new aspects of life, of new dimensions of joy and peace will be the consequence."

I love this quote and I believe it is true. As a poet, I make an effort to pay attention to the world around me and am constantly looking for the metaphor in life. That is probably why the scriptures speak to me so profoundly. I study them earnestly and they are a constant source of strength and light to me. As is trying to live a life in such a manner that I can be in tune with the Spirit, to know what I need to do, know who could use my help, to help guide me and comfort me in the very moment I need. I am lucky that as a young child, I KNEW that God was there for me. I heard and recognized His voice and through the gift of His presence, I know that He loves me (and you!) And yet I am constantly amazed at His love and His attention to me. I believe that we can find His presence in the everyday and that is the kind of thing I would like to record. Life as it happens, the big and small of it, the sweet and hard of it.

In the book Mrs. Mike, this woman who lived a harsh prairie life states that life is not made up of all the big (sometimes terrible) things of life but in the small, everyday. I think that it true. My life is made up of family (a wonderful husband, 5 kids (one living at home, one a mountaineer), one son-in-law and two daughters- in-laws that I adore, 9 grand kids with 2 in the oven and both sets of parents who enrich our lives), girlfriends, the scriptures, poetry, painting, cooking, dining, girl's night out, the bucket group, the gospel, serving. My life is full and rich! I love to laugh, love to share, love to do anything right-brained (creative!) I love to learn, I love to write, I love to read.

So, to end this first introductory blog, I'll share an excerpt from my journal from one year ago that pretty much sums up how I feel about what is important about life.

GROCERY CARTS

Just Friday night I needed to run to the supermarket. I had my cart and as I was standing and examining something on the shelves, I noticed that someone dropped something in my cart. I looked up to see two high school boys. They had put several things in my cart and then they were further down the aisle getting something else. I thought perhaps they thought my cart was their cart and said, "Hey!" They looked back at me and I said, "Did you think this was your cart?" They acted confused like they didn’t know what I was talking about. I just kind of laughed as they walked off thinking "Great, just a couple of goofy boys horsing around in the grocery store. That is something I could see Tanner and his friends doing." As I was on another aisle, sure enough, they would show up and put more groceries into my cart. This time I just rolled my eyes. I thought to myself, "you know, if they knew I had just been up to the hospital with my sick granddaughter, they probably wouldn’t be harassing me." I continued shopping, forgetting about the boys, but they showed up again when I got to the meat department. As I was looking at steak, they promptly threw armfuls of 2 liter bottles of pop into my cart. This time I started to laugh and called out to them, "Hey, you two, get over here and take this cart. I really don’t want your stuff!" The boys smiled and came back and started taking out the unwanted items from my cart. They were smiling and one said, "You passed. You were nice." Come to find out, they said they were video taping grocery store experiences for their psychology class. They had dropped a wallet with money in it and taped whether people returned the wallet or pocketed it. They also put groceries in people’s cart to see how they reacted. They said, "You passed. You were nice."

I hope that is what will happen when this life is over for me. Maybe going through life is like shopping in a grocery store. I go through life picking out what I think I need or want. But, somehow, all this stuff that I didn’t really want keeps popping up in my cart. It starts loading me down. It requires a lot of effort to remove it or deal with it. But I hope when I get to the checkout stand, I hear the words, "You passed. You were nice. Enter the kingdom of your reward." But rewards aren’t just something we have to wait for in heaven. Rewards are what I get every day of my life, when I kneel at my bed with gratitude for the things God has given me and also "the things that I learned" that day. Feb. 2006 so......be nice. It is a nice mantra to try and live by!

Eat What You Store/Store What You Eat

"The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah.”

I have lots of passions. I bet you could figure that out by now. Besides my husband, my family, playing, eating, scriptures, writing, painting, talking, girlfriends, journal writing, forgiveness, being nice, being obedient, cooking....well, I like being prepared....

I know, you're thinking this scatterbrain is prepared? Well, just on some things....

I've taught a lot of classes on preparedness, with a plan that I've worked on for years because I got sick of wasting food storage...and knew, with my passion of food, that wheat and honey just wasn't going to cut it for me.......

Several people recently have requested my handout for the program that I do, so here it is in a nutshell.

I store food what we eat.

Okay, you know I'm fibbing a little here because Porcupine Grill and Chili's and Ruby River Steak House and Bajio's isn't in my food storage room. So I had to "think real hard" about foods that we WOULD eat, if we were in a different stage of life....and foods that I could store plus buy fairly inexpensively and rotate. When I first started, my goal was to do a 7-month plan of foods we normally eat. Then a 5- month plan of the "sustaining" foods (wheat, grains, dry milk, honey, oil) You know, if I couldn't get to Porcupine Grill. But the most recent council is that since people aren't, can't, won't do a year's supply....PLEASE at least have a 3-month supply of food available. If the Bird Flu reared its chirpy little head, the quarantine space is for 3 months! Three months of no contact with the outside world. And I thought, "What if we (I use that term VERY loosely since David is the only one around here that really "works" for a paycheck. But I know how important the "mommy director/social director/grandma director is even if the IRS doesn't.....) lost our income. I don't think we'd be living on wheat and honey. Although I think wheat and honey for sustaining life is so important....and I am trying to use wheat and use all the rest of "sustaining life" food storage.

But what can I say? That is not what we normally eat. And most people I know don't either.

So what I did was decide on 7 meals that we would eat. I will buy four meals of each menu for a month's supply of food. That easy. Times that by 3 and you have your 3-month supply. Times it by 7 and you have a 7-month suppy. I used to buy a month's worth (31 days) of say, spaghetti...but then found that the whole month expired at the same time. So, now I buy a one month's supply of food. I store it all together so I know what needs to be rotated. I can see at a glance, in the oldest stored month, the meals I should be making or sharing. I have more details but this is the program and meals. I'm always on the look-out for other meals. For each meal I've also added a couple of ingredients where instead of spaghetti, I would make lasagna or manicotti instead. The variations are listed by each meal.

1. Spaghetti with fruit Jell-O/ variations-lasagna, spaghetti pie, manicotti,)
spaghetti sauce
-spaghetti noodles-
manicotti or lasagna noodles
Jell-O (we don't really eat too much Jell-o but it is a great storage food. The Jell-o you buy today will still be around at the Second Coming!
fruit
Parmesan cheese
black olives

2. Hamburger Pie/variations-navajo tacos, sloppy joe, hamburger gravy on potatoes/green beans
freeze-dried hamburger
green beans
potato pearls
tomato soup
sopapilla mix
sloppy joe mix
grated cheese

3. Hawaiian Haystacks/variation chicken ala king, bowtie pasta salad/fruit salad
rice
chicken
Chinese noodles
pineapple
cream of chicken soup
mandarin oranges
Kraft coleslaw dressing
celery
carrots
jars mixed fruit
bowtie pasta
cashews

4. Chicken Fettuccini with Cornbread or Muffins/variation chicken enchilada casserole/pudding
chicken fettuccini
cornbread or muffin mixes
Alfredo mix- jars Alfredo mix- packages
cream of chicken soup
green chilies
tortillas- from scratch
dried basil
pudding

5. Soups-/brownies or other boxed dessert
black beans
pinto beans
broccoli cheese mixes
creamy potato chowder- clams celery onions carrots
1 jar bacon bits
brownie mixes
dessert mixes
eggs
oil

6. Sausage rice casserole with corn/Poor Man’s pudding
freeze-dried sausage (I get this from Emergency Essentials)
rice from cannery
dehydrated celery
dehydrated or freeze-dried corn
Lipton’s Chicken Noodle Soup
flour
sugar
baking powder
brown sugar
vanilla
Dream Whip

7. Pizza/with fruit cobbler
pizza mixes or boboli
pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
black olives
pepperoni
Parmesan cheese
olive oil

(since 7 meals times 4 weeks leaves a few days over in the month...)

Extra meals roast beef dinner/potatoes (canned roast beef,veggies)
potato bar- broccoli/cheese sauce/ sour cream

For breakfasts- cereal, oatmeal, muffins, pancakes, smoothies need oil, butter, syrup, cereals, muffin mixes, 1 can of scrambled eggs with ham, instant breakfasts, hot cocoa, chocolate syrup for powdered milk, ingredients for bread

Shopping List for Four-1 month plan (and of course the amounts might be different for everyone...)
Freeze-Dried or from dry pack-4 cans rolled oats 6 cans powdered milk 2 cans powdered cocoa drink 1 can dehy. eggs with ham 1 can butter 1 can egg whites 1 can eggs, whole 1 can freeze-dried Sausage 1 can freeze dried broccoli 1 can deh. carrots , 1 can corn ( I like freeze-dried best) 1 can freeze-dried Celery 2 cans rice 1 potato pearls 1 can black beans 1 can pinto beans 1 can refried beans
Pasta-3 pkg. Spaghetti 1 box bow tie pasta 2 fettuccini 1 lasagna noodles
Sauces- 4 large spaghetti sauce 2 dry spaghetti sauce 4 jars Alfredo 4 dry Alfredo 4 pizza (or spaghetti)

Soups- 2 boxes Lipton noodle 4 soup mixes Cheese and Brocc. 4 tomato 8 cr of chicken 4 cr. of Mushroom- extra

Dressings- 1 Kraft coleslaw dressing 1 Ranch 1 Blue Cheese 1 Italian 2- jars Bacon Bits

- 4 cans for jell-O 4 large mandarin 4 mixed fruit salad 4 large pineapple tidbits 2 fruit fillings

Nuts- 2 cans cashews 1 package shopped pecans (extra) 2 pack. Chocolate chips (extra)

Spices and Cooking supplies- basil garlic salt and pepper 2 brown sugar 1 reg. Sugar 1 oil 1 Crisco-butter flavored vanilla

Meat- 2 sloppy joes 8 cans chicken 4 roast beef 2 clams 2 crab

Mixes- 4 Brownie 4-8 muffins 4 cornbread 2 cheesecakes 2 dessert bars (extra) 4 large Jello 4 puddings 4 boxes Dream Whip 4 sopapilla mixes 4 pizza mixes

Veggies- 4 Chinese noodles 8 cans black olives 6 cans corn 4 green chilies 8 cans green beans

Extras- syrup, 1 bag hard candy case Kraft Mac and Cheese case Top Ramin, fruit juices needed grated cheese, deh.eggs, pow.sour cream, breakfast stuff, butter, 1 can baking cocoa

(I also do a 3-month supply of cleaning, laundry, medicine...I have a list for that if anyone is interested.)

Another Fondue and a Note to the Great-Great-Greats

Last night our Valentine dinner turned out so wonderful. And I know that you are probably getting sick of my fondue recipes but besides the Chocolate Almond (by the end of the evening, people WERE just eating it with their spoons!), I also made this one. It is delicious! Really, I had forgotten how much I loved fondue. I was married in the seventies...and I think we got 4 fondue pots for wedding gifts. And 4 hibachi grills. Those were the "seventies" gifts! I think I still had one of the pots until a year or so ago, when one of my kids (actually David!) used it to melt wax for his skies. He also used my hair dryer. Ruined that as well. He's such a kid!

Caramel Apple Fondue
Ingredients

82 small soft caramel candies (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3/4 cup apple cider

1/2 cup half-and-half object

Dash of ground nutmeg , cinnamon (pumpkin pie spice would work as well)

Preparation: Place candies and cider in a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat; cook 12 minutes or until candies melt, stirring frequently. (I actually did the whole process in the microwave) Stir in half-and-half and spices. Reduce heat, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a fondue pot. Keep warm over low flame. Serve with apple wedges, bananas, berries, rice krispie treats, etc.

Last night I had a restless night. I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't sleep for a couple of hours. When I did sleep, I wrote my blog entry for today. I thought. Of course it was in the dream. This morning the idea was gone. So, I wanted to borrow a few thoughts from other blogs that have gotten me thinking.

The picture at the beginning and this one here both look like they are enhanced. You don't really believe that people do those kinds of stunts. But they are real....the snowboarder is Tenille's little brother, Jake Welch, who is sponsored by a dozen companies and flies all over the world snowboarding and making magazines and films. In his journal he wrote that "alcohol" was poison. While his buddies were all sleeping off the night before, he was able to have the photographer all to himself and got these great shots in Chile. This kid has snowboarded with the best of them....well, he is included in the best of them.....for years. And he is only about 20. Just the neatest kid.

Well, while he was practicing this past week, he tore his ACL. He's out for at least a year. The sport has been rough on his body. The disappointment has got to be horrific.

And I've been worrying about him. And then Marta shared a disappointment that her young son had not making a ball team that they thought for sure he would make. And then I thought of all the disappointments that make up a life. I won't bring up the roadshow......

Marta shared the lyrics to a song from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." One stanza reads:

"Every bursted bubble has a glory!
Each abysmal failure makes a point!
Every glowing path that goes astray,
Shows you how to find a better way.
So every time you stumble never grumble.
Next time you'll bumble even less!
For up from the ashes,
grow the roses of success!"

It sure is hard, when life brings you disappointments, to immediately start looking for the silver lining. I do think it is important to allow ourselves the stages of grieving, for healing. It is a challenge not to let disappointment define us for the rest of our lives. For me, as I have reflected on some disappointments in my life, I realize in retrospect that I can "thank God for unanswered prayers."

One of the most meaningful scriptures to me is found in the writings of Paul. He writes in Philippians 4:11-"Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."That scripture is so much more meaningful when you realize that Paul wrote that while he was in prison.
Wow, great-great-greats- I'm sorry I am sounding melancholy this morning. It must be from all that fondue that I am so urging you to indulge in! I guess what I am saying is that it is important to use disappointment to turn in a new direction. It is certainly not something we should beat ourselves up with.

C.S. Lewis said, in Pilgrim's Regress,
"And what is this valley called?""We call it now simply Wisdom's Valley; but the oldest maps mark it as the Valley of Humiliation."
I don't think it is wrong to grieve or to be sad. It is a healing process. We don't have to see the blessing right now...just know that God is in charge and He can make things right. And He can help us through the storm. And oftentimes that which seems as failure, may be really be a protection in disguise....
And sometimes it is only with time, that we can look back at our lives and see those valleys with wisdom and as the turning point to greater joy in our lives. But until that happens, just mix up a big pot of fondue. Get a big spoon. Eat the whole pot yourself, if you wish. Then get back on your feet, go to work and know that you are loved.