Getting things covered

Many women I know "collect" a signature item. Robyn went for cows, Sister Graham did chickens, Tina had the Scotty dogs. And much later I jumped into the fray collecting ceramic pitchers.

After a while, it became somewhat unwieldy, so I stopped buying them. I still get them as gifts - and so when I get a new one, I get rid of one so the collection stays stable. They are useful, and I use them often.


A few years back I started acquiring vintage table cloths. I like using table cloths, and the newer ones just didn't appeal much to me. So I look wherever I go and find lots of pretty ones. I use them often too - and just recently used every last one of them at our recent women's conference.

A major plus is that they are much easier to store.

I had vowed to "pare down" this year. Not doing exceptionally well on that score since I went and got two more for the conference, since I didn't have enough.

But I have discarded a few other items in my linen closet - have been using my collection of vintage tea towels to wrap gifts in for example.

At least I'm not collecting soup tureens!

What is it about collecting anyway??

At the end of the day!

I don't know who this child is, but he looks plum tuckered out!

That's how I'm feeling right now.

The Women's Conference was a HUGE success!! Over 150 attended - a record for my presidency. We hardly had any food leftover: homemade hamburger vegetable soup, homemade bread, homemade jam, sliced apples - with fortune cookies for dessert. It was all served family style in a plethora of lovely soup tureens provided - like the soup, bread, and jam - by the wonderful women of my stake. (Sitting on tables covered with a plethora of my vintage tablecloths that I love to collect - and use!)

The keynote address was EXCELLENT. The classes were SUPERB. Everyone loved the new method of everyone attending every class in a three class rotation. The translation for the Chinese sisters went well and they truly APPRECIATED it.

The choir sounded GREAT. The women LOVED looking at the displays of vintage clothes, hats, baby clothes, dolls, pictures, books.

Now we need to plan next year!!

But I am going to bed first!

It's the end of January - and you know what that means!!

I am once again preparing for the annual Arcadia Stake Women's Conference. I should have my data straight, but I don't, but it's been a fixture in our stake for over 20 years. I remember attending the first one.

Bonny teaching a class at our women's conference 3 years ago??

It has gone through many variations as our stake has shrunk in size and as our demographics have changed.

This is the 5th one we have done as a presidency. And my first counselor and I are the only ones left from that first presidency. It does not seem to be as much work as it has in the past. Or maybe all the "wear you out" work gets done the night before and the day of, and I'm not there yet!

But I'm starting to get excited about it - now that I have a moment to breathe!! I'm not sure why the end of January was initially chosen as the date - it has not changed in 20+ years. Our pattern has been to meet in the summer and brainstorm ideas for a theme so that we can ask women to be the speakers and presenters. Then we meet in November with a representative from each ward and brainstorm particulars - food, decor, programs, hand-outs, set-up and clean-up. Then we don't meet again until the 2nd week in January, when we make specific assignments for food and decorations.

So far it's worked out.

Don't need any resolutions here - except maybe to try to "breathe" the day of so that I can enjoy it!

"Soup's on!"

We are serving soup at our upcoming Women's Conference this month. The committee opted to go with my recipe for Hamburger Soup, so I had to write up the recipe. Problem is, I don't use a recipe to make it!! So I had to make a pot today and measure what I put into it!! An interesting process to be sure!!

Baking Brownies for then Elder Terrill - BYU 1965!

It got me thinking that we do lots of things automatically, without much thought sometimes. That can be fine, when it comes to soup or salad, but it can be disastrous when it comes to other things - like friendships, family relationships, and other human interactions.

Some food for thought here!