I have far too much time on my hands!!

I need to get off the couch and back into my classroom - as soon as the doctor releases me back to work that is - because I have run out of books to read, movies to watch, people to talk to on the phone or in person - and I'm left with blogging! (In all fairness, I was at the computer paying bills - trying to be useful!!)

It is one of my niece's birthday today, so I was searching for an old photo of her - and came across this shot of Sam and Ara in 1998. I believe it was at the Terrill's Annual Ides of March Party.

I've always liked this shot - not sure why - just a couple of cute kids loving the piano. Ara plays pretty well now - don't know about Sam!

We loved having the Faulconer's in our ward - we still miss them.

"Play it again Sam!"

The Farmer in the Dell!

Noah has been working hard on his new garden.

And Dad has been working with him - and they have both worked on the garden in our yard.

Plan on some tasty salads this summer!

And notice Noah's new 'do!

My very own 6th grade class photo!!

They may not have had the photos from my era at the reunion, but my trusty classmate Kathy sent me one.

Ah, the memories!

Thank heavens for the mailman!

I was about to positively expire for want of something to read. I have truly exhausted my stacks - there are indeed books in this house that I have not read and that I truly want to at least consider, but I haven't found a compelling one for several days!!

So I printed off a mass of material about "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" and "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" for the book group tonight and thought I'd stretch out and read those.

And they will make good reading - but the mailman came - with a new magazine - thanks Ara for getting me back into the drill of magazines coming to the house with your subscription drive - and also another Maisie Dobbs novel I'd ordered on Amazon - and it came from Powells - gave me a little pang there Phoebe!

So I'm set until Dad gets home - and then we are going to the show - downtown you know, downtown Monrovia - where we can sit with the other seniors and enjoy our daytime discount!!

More "Where's the Clayton?"

Find Bobby!

And then find Bill!

This Clayton is a female - and she's sure that her mother fixed her hair in this abominable fashion just to torment her. (But in fact, she probably begged her mother to do it!!)

There is no Clayton in this shot, but the teacher is Mr. Dood - no fooling, that was really his name - and I had the biggest crush on him.

No Clayton here either - bu the female teacher is Mrs. Stellman - my 5th grade teacher - who played the piano and sang with us every day - taught me songs I can still sing today when someone will let me! And she was left-handed and it intrigued me to watch her write on the blackboard. She looks so much smaller than I remember her!

There's a Clayton boy on the back row!

Are you having fun yet??

Happy Birthday Granada Elementary School

Where's the Clayton in this shot? (hint: it's either Charles, Mary, Richard, Bill, Bobby, Leslie, Donna or David!)

Find the Clayton!

Find the Clayton here too!

How are you doing at finding the Clayton??

Harry was working at the temple, so I spent the weekend at Mom's. It was a nice break - good home cooking and great company. Friday night we vegged out in front of the T.V. and overdosed on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Saturday a.m. Mary, Donna and I went to the Granada School 80th b-day party. It was mostly a carnival type fundraiser event I think, and I was initially disappointed. But then we hunkered down in the auditorium - a place that has not changed in the 52 years since I'd last been there - and started plowing through some photo albums there. They were the kind that school photographers give to the schools after they've come to take school pics of kids and they started in fall of 1959, so there were not any of me or my friends, but Mary, Donna and I set to work finding shots of everyone from Charlie on down.

And my old friend Marguerite Hardin showed up - and Sharon McKinney! These are women with whom I went from K through 12th grade!! And the local reporter interviewed us for her newspaper - when we hit the big time, we'll send you a copy!

Also, there was a presentation by the man who wrote the book on the history of Granada Hills - Jim Hier - and it was pretty interesting. I have bought the book, but he had material that had come to him since the publication. Some trips down Memory Lane are well worth taking.

Bill and Alyssa were at Mom's Friday night.

The auditorium at Granada Elementary - the only change was that it sure seemed a lot smaller than I remembered it!

Some classy alums!

Me, Sharon, and Marguerite.

Home of the Grizzlies!! (there was not mascot when we were there!)

I will post a few pages a day of the photo spreads we copied. For your guessing pleasure!

Happy Birthday Marguerite!

Marguerite Hardin was my best friend in school. She moved away in junior high - and I took a bus ride to Chico by myself the next summer to visit her - a real high point in the life of a somewhat homebound teen.

We were in and out of touch over the years - she moved back to GH for a year in high school. And she was an attendant at my wedding reception. When we moved back to CA in 1979, we hooked up again some time in the 80's - and we went to visit. And I've called a few times and we've emailed and it's still a once in a while kind of relationship.

But whenever I do call or see her, it's right back where we started - like all good friendships. I may have to email her to check this out!! In the photo with me is Harry and Phoebe - the man in back is David Krause - one of the few people I would allow to call me Babs - his sister was named Barbara and he called her Babs, so that seemed logical. And Marguerite is holding her son.

Have a great day old friend! (Ha, ha, you are older than me today!!)

Happy Birthday MarDel

MarDel is the girl in black and white - sort of making a face at the camera. Alice and I and Patte N. lived together just before Harry and I got married.

I grew up in the church with Mar Del. Her dad was the first president of what is now Cal State Northridge. He was also on the High Council, and sometimes I was invited to their home for dinner after Sunday School - that's back when Sacrament meeting was in the late afternoon or evening and Sunday School was in the morning. Then we'd go to the ward where he was speaking - he was an excellent speaker.

MarDel and I don't communicate a whole lot - but when we do, we start off just where we left off - I love it - it's the mark of a true friend.

Have a great day Mar Del - I'm pretty sure she's not a blog reader - so maybe I will send her link - while I'm recuperating!!

A view from the couch!!

When I glance over towards the fireplace, I see - and smell - the lovely bouquet from Margaret.

When I glance at the dining room table, I see the beautiful hydrangea - I love hydrangeas - can I just say, like Bonny would, that they bring me joy!!??

This is my vantage point - except in the a.m. I face the other way, so that the sun - which grows more powerful each hour - won't be in my eyes.

And I get really, really excited to glance down at my truly skinny ankles - I don't think they've been this skinny for a very long time. Maybe some of you have never even seen me with skinny ankles!

The orangey cast comes from the betadyne they painted all over me - I only get sponge baths so far, so it's still there.

Wednesday is the big day for removing the sutures!!

Diary of an Invalid (of the temporary sort that is!!)

I have indeed been well cared for during my convalescence. Starting with a funny card from Jan Marlia on Thursday, a loaf of pound cake from Bonnie C., and flowers from Karl on Wednesday, I have been remembered with many loving and thoughtful gestures.

Probably the most important and most essential was the lovely blessing from Dad and Harry on Thursday night. I truly felt at peace - even when every person I encountered at the surgical center Friday morning - except my doctor - said, "You are having both knees done today?"

When we got home from the surgical center, there was a beautiful hydrangea and a lovely card (see above) from Heather M. Later, while I was "sleeping it off" the Kellys brought by a loaf of warm Hawaiian bread. Kathy K. sent Gerbera daisies in a colorful pot, and Dad fielded numerous calls expressing love and concern for my welfare. (I walked into the house on my own power - not long distances for sure - but on my own power - with the help of Dad's arms and various walls and chair backs!)

That evening, my faithful visiting teacher Brooke brought over a wonderful meal - I need the recipe! And even though I didn't sleep very well that night - once again pain meds failed to relieve any pain - and only produced dizziness and nausea - I woke up feeling better than I had felt the day before. Ice packs and Advil seem to be the most helpful.

Saturday produced visits from Marcie and Arlene B. Marcie brought dinner and Arlene brought daffodils!! The dinner was yummy and satisfying and the flowers were enchanting!! ("And then my heart with rapture fills, and dances with the daffodils")

Harry F. brought the children by, and Eve played Girl Friday for me - she is such a helper! I read all day long - check the book blog for my progress through a number of novels. Dad and I also enjoyed browsing through YouTube for clips by Marian Andersen and Susan Boyle. Good stuff. There were more calls, cards and emails. A special card from my old roomie Joy brought a smile to my face.

Saturday night I slept well - awoke refreshed and feeling like I could handle it while Dad went off to church - taking Heather's lovely hydrangea to put on the organ. I read the LA Times cover to cover - but the LA Times is pretty meager these days, so that's not saying much. It was a change anyway! Finished one novel - blogged on the book blog - and started another book.

Dad came back from church and brought me a nice card from Kara M. and the greetings of many from our great ward family.

Mary Jane Card brought chocolate dipped strawberries and stayed for a nice long visit - we had lots to talk about since she had knee surgery last summer - she was a fount of information!! (And didn't question my doing both knees at the same time!!) J.J. came by with a beautiful bouquet of lilies and lysanthus from Margaret.

Enjoyed wishing Eliza a happy day and chatted for awhile - always fun! She'd had a good day - even without us and Boston!

Dawn did dinner for us - they came by later with lemon pie for dessert. The Cornwalls came by with some caramel bars of some sort - mighty tasty too!! We enjoyed a visit and Sue's report on the opera Thursday night - she, Sarah and Rene used our tickets. Looks like they went to a good home!

The day ended with a visit from Brenda C. - the R.S. Pres - and then Dad and I watched the Hallmark Hall of Fame show about Irenka Spendler - it was well done - sobering but insightful.

I went to bed optimistic that it would be another good night's sleep - but I awoke at 2:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. The ice packs were warm and so I went into the living room to read - thought I might fall asleep - but the mystery I was reading got compelling - so I finished it - and finally fell asleep around 5!!

Had some weird dreams- dreamed I'd taken the wrong road leaving Bonny's and had driven into the ocean - but was able to drive the car back to the beach when I realized my error!! We were actually floating in the water. Strange!! I had Ida and Porter in the car and we ended up in a shabby beach house that seemed to belong to us. And some tenants came to stay in it - then I woke up!! Thank heavens!

I awoke this a.m.to the sounds of the Boston Marathon - Dad was rooting for the American male - who came in third - but that is impressive - first time an American placed in the top three since 1985. The American female came in third too. He was pretty engrossed for a tme.

I enjoyed a nice visit from our friend Dana and had fun checking my email and the blogs. Dad is off home teaching, so I'm going to hit the pillows again - and see if the new novel either keeps me awake or puts me to sleep. Elizabeth G. is bringing dinner - and maybe for FHE Dad will let me win at Quiddler or Phase 10!

And you should see my skinny ankles.!

Just want to say . . .

This photo has little to do with the post - but I always look for some pic to post.

This is 1973 - in Phoenix AZ - we'd gone to Arizona for Charley and Jeannette's wedding. Stopped to see our good friends the Jensens. And I am wearing an apron - made by my mom. I had several of these - well, three of them - blue, red, and green - and they'd started out as mini-dresses for Donna and Leslie I think!! I actually wish I'd kept them - but I may have worn them out.

But I digress - as I am wont to do. I wanted to note that I had indeed finished the last of my Blog Handmade Giveaways - and they are packaged for mailing in the a.m.

Just FYI for any of you slackers who haven't done yours!! (j/k) I said my goal was April 1st - April 15th isn't too far off the mark!

I get labels in packs of twenty - and the empties in my sewing draw show that I've made over 80 aprons so far - I should have kept better track. I'm not sure why I should have - but you might have been impressed with the sheer volume of my efforts if I had exact numbers.

It's a good thing I enjoy making these.

Calling All Mothers and Daughters

I don't think everyone reads our book blog, so I decided this was an important one that I wanted you all to know about. There's a funny story here - especially since the book is about communication - that I will tell on myself.

Harry bought this book for me - he'd heard Diane Rehm interviewing the author and thought I'd enjoy reading and discussing it with our daughters. Sounded like a good idea to me - this was about 2 or 3 years ago - so I added it to my stack of books.

Then I saw the same book in a store a few months ago - and bought it - when I brought it home, Harry said, "I already bought that book for you. Did you lend it out and can't remember who you gave it to?" Boy, did I feel foolish - and forgetful!!

So I finally got around to reading it this week, and said, while reclining on the couch, "This is a pretty good book. I'm not sure where I got it or who recommended it, but I should have the girls read it with me." And Harry said, "Don't you remember that's why I got it for you in the first place?"

I am really losing it!! I need to start keeping track - actually I have about a gazillion book journals - they are all so fetching, that I don't just keep one - I keep starting another one. I've even tried a personal library system. Somehow though, I just seem to read books and put them back on the shelf.

But I digress. However I ended up with this book, it is a good read - and my girls do need to read it so we can discuss it - and maybe my sisters should read it too.

Anyway, I have two copies - one is relatively small and paperback - I think I should send it to Hannah to read on the plane to France. And when she gets home, she can give it to Eliza. And I will give the hardback to Phoebe when I go up there and when we go in August for the Hood to Coast, I can get it back for Bonny.

Sound like a plan? Or give me your plan.

Let me give you a snippet that touched me, from a chapter entitled, "Blending Intimacy and Independence: New Ways of Talking"

"As my mother grew progressively weaker from lung disease, I visited her and my father more and more often. The weaker she got, the more time I spent helping her, caring for her. One afternoon, during a visit, I lay down on the couch to take a brief nap. Before succumbing to the plunge into sleep, I felt a movement at my legs. Briefly opening my eyes, I saw my mother, one hand on her cane, the other carrying a small blanket she had brought from the foot of her bed. Still gripping her cane, she used the other hand to spread the blanket over my legs. I can't tell this story with out tearing up. It is one of my most precious memories from the last years of my mother's life."

And this passage from the beginning of the book sums up what I think it is all about,

"Because talk plays such an enormous role in women's lives, understanding how conversation can lead to frustration and finding ways to improve conversations is key to more satisfying, less frustrating relationshipips between adult daughters and mothers. Our deepest wish is to be understood and approved of by our mothers and our daughters. We can get closer to that goal by listening to the ways we talk to each other, and by learning to talk to each other in new ways."

Are we ready for a Group Read??

My Own Easter Bunny

I don't really think of Dad as the master of grandiose gestures. He is thoughtful and considerate and often has ideas - great ideas - for the perfect gift. But he usually reports that he couldn't find it!
(Owing to his personality type, he usually goes looking sort of last-minute!)

But the other night he had a meeting to attend. And he was apparently worried that I wouldn't have the stamina or energy to fix my own dinner. (I assured him I could, but I have been limping and gimping about a lot these days - any bystander would be concerned. In fact, at church Sunday I had left after Sacrament meeting to take some newsletters over to the Stake Center. When I got back, I was getting my purse out of the back seat. Just then a sharp pain hit - the pain is constant - gets sharp now and again. And Brother Larsen, who happened to be in the parking lot, hustled over and said, "Do you need some help?" I guess I was vocal!)

After Dad left, I went into the kitchen and he had indeed left a meal for me!! And in spite of what might look spare to the casual observer, it was quite satisfying. (There was soup in the pan and salad in the plastic container.) I smiled when I saw it. And I had the stamina to find my own dessert!

And Saturday night, he stayed up and dyed eggs for me - quite artistic eggs actually. And I smiled when I saw them too.

We make a good pair!

The week ahead

The week ahead promises to be relaxing and rejuvanating - verily it could even be life-changing.

Mostly I'm excited to be getting closer to solving my current pain-management problem.

But I'm also thinking of the books I can read, the movies I can watch, the emails I can send, the blogs I can post, the blogs I can read, the sewing I can do - sit down jobs work for me - and I've refined my sewing set up to include a swivel chair for the ironing board/sewing machine desk and I can make an apron without standing up!

And Mom, Hester and Donna are coming out on Tuesday to visit !

The possibilities are endless!

Call or come by or email or just have a good thought for me!!

(I'm not planning to go fishing - or get down to 110 lbs. - but it seemed like a good photo for this post!)

Easter in the East

Bonny, Bruce and The Vowels are enjoying a Spring Break jaunt through the East coast - Bonny has been emailing photos on her Blackberry and it looks like they are having a fine time.

Montreal looks like a place I would like to visit. And I do want to see New York someday. If this were the old days, when they get home, they would do a fireside for the youth and show their slides!!

Technology has indeed done away with some fine old traditions!

I think you have to be of a certain vintage to know whereof I speak - and you know who you are!!

We love you Sam!!

It seems a shame that I don't have a shot of Sam by himself - but that's true of many of the relatives!!

But Sam is struggling right now - keep him in your prayers.

Spring and Proms

Actually I haven't been involved with a prom for a number of years. I guess it would be maybe when Hannah and Noah went up to Concord for the Mormon Prom.

And I'm not sure what started me thinking about proms. Maybe coming across this photo from my prom in May of 1962 - my date was Kim Hocker, senior class president. And I was cajoled into going - was jealous when my girl friends all went camping that night. And I had to use up my birthday money for the dress Alice made - of course she did a lovely job - but I think she and my mom were more excited than I was.

And then at dinner after the prom, I spilled gravy down the front of my dress.

Bonny destroyed all her prom photos - I don't have any anyway. Maybe that's why she did a Prom for her 30th birthday celebration - so she could bring the moment back and do it right!


And it attracted some very festive prom wear - and prom hair dos!


It was a "happening crowd" that night, that's for sure.

Harry's prom was a true 80's night to remember!!

I think Phoebe went to more proms than anyone, but this was the first photo I found.

Couldn't find a prom photo for Eliza - this Winter Formal will have to do for now.

You know, we are going to blink, and I will be posting prom photos for Ara and Ella!!

Where would we be without this American cultural icon?

There would be something to take it's place I'm sure.

If you are among the many who never went to a prom, you really didn't miss out on much.

At least from my point of view.

Does anyone "iron" anymore???

I remember learning to iron. It was a sign that you were older and more responsible when you got to take over ironing table napkins, handkerchiefs and pillow cases. Maybe you'd get to do doilies too - or embroidered dresser scarves. You didn't get to do tablecloths until you were older - they were harder to do - and it would be easy for you to get your feet tangled in the bottom of them if you weren't really careful.

My mother had a Kenmore Mangle - and if you have to ask what they are, you are too young!! (Machines similar to them are in dry cleaning and laundry establishments, so you actually have seen them.) And I never got to use one - I think that by the time I was old enough, my mom wasn't using it anymore. I don't know if it broke down and never got replaced, or if they went out of fashion. It's possible my mom quit caring about ironing sheets - decided that was something she could live without. (People used to always iron their sheets - they were all crinkly otherwise and not very sleep-inducing. Cotton may have improved to the point where you could not iron them and still be comfy. I really should have done my homework and asked my mom before I posted!)

And they didn't have steam irons - you had to "sprinkle" the clothes that needed to be ironed - you sprinkled them with water - from an old soda pop bottle with a special sprinkling attachment that was connected to a cork which you stuck in the old pop bottle.

After you sprinkled them - you rolled them up and put them in basket that was covered with a towel. You had to iron them pretty quickly or they would dry out - or worse still they could mildew if it was humid! I have laundered many a basked of mildewed clothing - with varying degrees of success!! You could put them in the fridge or freezer to retard the mildewing process - and I often did just that.

I sprinkled lots of clothes - for lots of years. And I enjoyed it. While a student at BYU, I ironed shirts for male students - got 75 cents a shirt - that was good money!! (I suppose I would have ironed for a female student too - but I never got asked to do that!)

I would iron and watch T.V. I would iron and watch conference. With the advent of videotapes, I would iron and watch movies. I would iron and chat with friends on the phone. I would iron while the children played underfoot. I have a very specific memory of a rainy spring break one year - I was 12 or 14 - channel 9 was hosting a week of Fred Astaire/Ginger Roger movies - they showed the movie three times each day - and we'd often watch all three showings!! And I ironed the whole time - it was so satisfying to see my wardrobe in all it's sleek, ironed glory hanging up on the curtain rods - of course!

I remember ironing Dad's shirts - and then getting annoyed when he wore them!! (I hated to see them rumpled up by wearing!) It's part of the conundrum of ironing. I have been known to iron blouses and then not wear them - because I didn't want to see them wrinkled. I don't feel the same if the cleaners has ironed them though!! As a teen, I was often a bit sad when I put on something freshly ironed - I guess I love the process more than the result.

I actually still iron - and still enjoy it. With my bad knees, I have sat and ironed tablecloths and table napkins. I don't iron as many of my clothes - I prefer the results from the dry cleaners - but I don't always take them there - I often just iron them myself. And a lot of my stuff really doesn't need ironing.

But I still get great satisfaction from the transformation of a wrinkled surface into a plain, smooth one after the application of spray starch and hot steam.

I do most of my own ironing - so I guess there is no danger of me becoming spoiled!

Conference Wrap up

Conference is indeed over for another 6 months - and I will need all that time to ponder and digest the many wonderful talks.

Looks like Eve took her conference watching time to hone her artistic skills - she presented this drawing to Harry and me. She noted that he was holding his scriptures!

Speaking of President Monson, his retelling of the very sad and moving story of the woman who lost her entire family after the war certainly gave me pause. I read a lot about the Holocaust and pre and post war Germany and the sad truth is that there are thousands of stories just like this woman's story. We are truly blessed, but we still need to develop and nurture our faith so that we can withstand the trials - whatever they may be - that await us. I read a book several years ago that included the letters and journals of the time President Benson spent in Europe after the war. It was very moving - and I loaned it to someone - I can't remember who - and never got it back - and it's out of print - at least it was several years ago - and now I can't even remember the title - but he encountered many faithful Saints who had truly been through the refiner's fire - and he told their stories so that they would not be forgotten.

As usual Elder Bednar was inspiring. They all were actually - I am eager to dissect them all a bit more closely. There didn't seem to be any "buzz words" but we don't really need "buzz words" to focus and realign our lives.

What inspired you?

General Conference Time

October, 1963 - the first time I ever attended General Conference in person.

Over the years, our venue for General Conference has flipped back and forth. Sometimes we went to the Stake Center and sometimes we watched at home - or at Grandma Terrill's house - depending on who had the right T.V. reception. When I was a child at home, we'd sit on dining room chairs and listen to the Sunday morning session at home - on the radio! When we lived in Utah - many years ago - conference was on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I enjoyed Fridays in front of the T.V. doing my 6 months worth of ironing that I had saved up!

More than once, Conference has meant quilts, pillows, pj's and snacks in the family room.

I recall October of 1985 when Elder McConkie gave his now famous final conference address - whenever anyone quotes those famous lines, I am once again seated in the darkened Stake Center with a sleeping infant Hannah in my lap - and tears come to my eyes.

General Conference time always involves Bonny's birthday!

I recall specifically going to the Stake Center, even when we had reception at home, so that I could stay focused. Often a teen or two was with me - taking notes for Seminary scrutiny on Monday. I recall the Sunday session when we were at the Stake Center and Elder Haight spoke about Connie McMurray - and I realized he was talking about Grandma Connie.

One year General Conference combined Easter - as it often does - with a trip to visit Donna in SLC and to stay with our good friend Ronnie Horton - it was 1994 to be exact.

Frequently we've squeezed in General Conference sessions with the St. George Marathon.

And I recall prom dress shopping between sessions!

Conference for a few years in a row involved driving the youth there - in The Van. Fun times.

On Friday, I was trying to explain to my instructional aide why this weekend would be different. The cultural construct that is General Conference is difficult to explain.

I'm off to the family room couch to snuggle with Dad and watch conference!