Daily Gratitude Journal

The days of November are flying by - and we are getting ready to go east. For that reason, I'm going to start "combining my blessings!"

This is a fave photo of mine - of "the little kids" as I used to call them!! I was a teen when Leslie, Donna, and David were born. I recall coming home for Christmas break my freshman year - David was 2 I think - and as I walked up to the side door, he came running out to hug me!!

And of course, those years when I was a playground aide in the summertime, Leslie and Donna would go to work with me at the playground. Those were good times.

And now we are all adults and all equals. I'm grateful for relationships that grow and get better with the passing years!

Daily Gratitude Journal

My brother Bobby is the one in the middle. One of the things I love about Bobby is that he's still Bobby - and not Bob!!

Bobby is loving and kind. He and June care for their grandkids often. And when you watch them, you can see that they care and are invested in the lives of these lucky children.

I'm grateful for grandparents who care - and for kind, loving little brothers!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

My brother Bill - don't call him Billy anymore!!

I really didn't grow up with Bill - I'm 10+ years older. But I have fond memories of "Billy Boy!!"

Bill is infinitely kind and considerate of our mother. He goes to a lot of effort to do for her. And he'll do for anyone who needs it actually. He does have "issues" - but don't we all.

I grateful for a brother who "fills the Bill!"

Daily Gratitude Journal

Richard came to Utah after his mission and worked for Harry. And I fixed him up with his wife!! (The one and only time I succeeded in that venture!) And my kids had a lot of fun with their Uncle Richard.

We've been away from Utah for 30+ years, and we don't see Richard all that much anymore. But when we do, it's always enjoyable. I called him last spring about my mom's birthday party, and our conversation sort of "picked up where we left off" if you follow my drift.

I'm grateful for that kind of sibling relationship!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

Here's my sister Mary with her daugther Tami. There are also not any baby or small child pictures of Mary - although I distinctly remember when she was born! Alice and I went to Grandpa Clayton's house - he was married to Helen Pratt then - and there had been a burglar - and we saw the footprints in the mud. I remember wondering if we were a movie or something!!

Mary was always quiet and pleasant to be around. When she went to Ricks College, she often came down to visit me. After Bonny was born, she seemed to come even more often, and loved to tend Bonny. In fact, she was Bonny's first babysitter!! I was nervous about leaving her - she was about 10 days old - and we went to the ballet. Harry wouldn't let me call at the intermission to see how she was doing. He said it would spoil the evening if she was fussing and then I wouldn't enjoy the rest of the performance!

When we got back home, Mary rather disappointingly told us that Bonny had slept the whole time!! Mary had been looking forward to holding her!

Mary is always interested in everyone's lives - and seems to have a great memory for events and other important data. She quietly goes around helping out - often after an event, when I am going through the photos, I notice that there are none of Mary - probably because she is busy in the kitchen - fixing or cleaning up!!

Mary is a wonderful sister to me - and I am grateful for that!

Daily Gratitude Journal

There are few, if any, photos of Mary and Charley as infants and very small children. This may be one of the earliest. It had nothing to do with how much they were loved - but had everything to do with economic conditions and taking care of first things first! (We almost look like "po' white trash" here - but we weren't!!)

Charley has always been a great brother. He was always cheerful with me anyway!! I do recall an incident when he hit me over the head with a rake, however. It drew blood - and so I got may hair washed and curled midweek - an almost unheard of treat. I soon got over my chagrin as I proudly sashayed to school with my bouncing blonde curls!!

Charley and his lovely wife Jeanette are really good about coming down and visiting with Mom and helping out around the place. They help spruce up her yard with flowers - something that truly brings her joy.

This last time around, they persuaded Mom to return to Utah with them for a visit. Mom stayed 16 days - and had the time of her life - I think she added years to her life frankly, she was that excited and delighted with the trip.

I'm grateful to Charley for his thoughtful care of our mother!

Daily Gratitude Journal

This is my brother Lyn. It was taken a few years ago!! (lol) Lyn and I are two years apart, and we were pretty close. We sometimes double-dated, we rode to seminary together for a few years, he is the one who sent me a BYU application and encouraged me to go there, and while at BYU, he "watched out" for me - sometimes to my distress, I might add!

When Harry and I were ushers at the Tabernacle - for the Utah Symphony - he and Roseann often joined us - since we earned a pair of extra tickets for ushering.

Over the years of living apart and not seeing one another very often, our relationship was not at all close. But he came to my mom's 90th birthday party, and he seemed to genuinely want to change that state of affairs.

I am grateful for that.

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am grateful for my big sister Joan. Joan was 4 years older than me and 6 years older than Alice, so we really didn't "play" together. In fact, we kind of squabbled a lot.

Fortunately the passing years put us at a place where we are peers - and we can love and enjoy one another's company.

And as a side note, I am eternally grateful for the ward cookbook Joan shared with us 33 years ago!! It's still a staple at our house!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I love that the title of this photo in my files is "Dancing Queens!"

Tonight the Little Women and Eve are having a Grandma's Sleepover at our house.

I am so grateful for grandchildren and sleepovers and snuggling on the couch watching movies we love.

Don't you wish you could join us??

Daily Gratitude Journal

I have 5 wonderful sisters, but Alice and I were only two years apart in age, so we spent a lot of years together, growing and learning and dreaming of the future.

We played paper dolls together - it was a whole world to us - we saved our allowances to buy particular ones - a weekly trek to the dime store was a treat - sometimes just to look again at the set we were saving up for!! Our favorites were the movie stars and the bride and groom sets - so you could get males to be the fathers in the families in our paper doll world!

At some point, we started cutting out pictures of furniture, appliances, bicycles, toys, and other items to set up for our paper doll world families. We would glue them on to cardboard to keep them together. Then we graduated to photos of rooms - and we started setting up whole houses. We were so excited for the Sunday paper and The Home Magazine that came with the LA Times - it was the high point of our week.

These elaborate cardboard homes were basically flat, so they fit nicely under our beds - we had to be careful though, because Mom would sometimes get tired of the volume of them and just toss them out! But we would just start over again.

We were a little jealous of Judy next door - her mom subscribed to regular slick magazines, so her paper doll world houses were a bit grander than ours. Her mom also gave her an expandable file box to keep hers in - I thought that was the height of luxury. Maybe that's why I keep buying file boxes!!

Over the years when I've talked to Judy, she has commented that she has never met anyone but the three of us who played paper dolls quite the way we did. I tried to influence my own daughters to do so - but I think it's something that has to occur; you can't force it.

I am so grateful for a wonderful childhood memory - and a sister and a friend who shared it with me.

Daily Gratitude Journal

Hmm - love the oversized glasses, don't you? Noah would probably approve though - he's one for adopting his very own style!!

Noah was a sweet baby - and he still is a sweet person. Loved to sit in my lap as a very young baby - and have stories read to him. He would literally sit there for an hour while I read - he was 9 or 10 months old. (Remember Dad's Back?)

Usually not too critical of others. Very kind to children and old people. Comes by that honestly. Somewhat opinionated though. But then, he actually comes by that honestly too - we are an opinionated bunch.

One time coming out of the old Sav-on, a blind man was sitting on the sidewalk playing a guitar with an open case that folks were dropping money into. Noah was about 4 or 5. He wanted to put some money in, so I gave it to him. He came back and said, "I know what I can be when I grow up. I can be a person who plays the guitar for people on the sidewalk."

Noah is quite creative - hopefully he will find his niche some day soon!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

Hannah has a wonderful way of raising her eyebrows and smiling with her whole face!! You truly know when she's happy.

She has other sterling qualities - like being one of the most resourceful children I ever met. She is not easily deterred from her appointed mission - heaven help whoever gets in her way!!

She was a very inquisitive child - the only climber in the bunch even. And she loved Cosmos - in a way no one else did - not sure why she doesn't have a cat now.

We "went to school" together for 3 years - and I loved how she was perfectly happy with me being there. She'd come to my room and bring her friends - I really missed it when she left.

Speaking of school, I have always been impressed with her determination to learn whatever needed learning. She reminds me of the kind of student I was in my early years.

She makes and keeps friends - a trait she will treasure in the years to come - and I'm sure she treasures it now.

Looking forward to our upcoming visit!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

Perhaps you have noticed that I am going through our children, one by one, noting some of the reasons why I am so grateful for each one of you. And today's star is Eliza!!

Like Phoebe, Eliza came after a long wait. Unlike Phoebe, others came quickly after she did!! But that did not diminish my enjoyment of this sweet little girl - who early on showed that she had a mind of her own! I have come to know that her single-minded sense of purpose has been a blessing in her life - take note of that, all you parents out there. Qualities that may seem to make your life a little more difficult at times are often qualities that we actually should be fostering!

Eliza was a quiet child - something that wasn't the usual in our household. And she was very thoughtful - thoughtful as in being kind, but also thoughtful as in thinking things through! She was very deliberate and thorough - something of a perfectionist too.

And I miss her wonderful piano skills in our silent household!!

Looking forward to our upcoming visit!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am indeed grateful for Phoebe!! After our last visit with her here, I was sad to see her go - what's not to love about Phoebe??

She calls herself the true middle child. She was, for a time, almost like an only child, since Bonny and Harry were in school when she was born. She and I had some good times together during those years - times I do treasure. As I treasure all the times we get to enjoy together.

When she was heading off to BYU, Dad was the bishop, so he wrote her ecclesiastical endorsement - quoted Yeats - claimed that that was what clinched it for her!! Maybe it was.

"I sigh that kiss you, for I must own, that I shall miss you, when you have grown!!"

Fortunately for us, now that she's grown, it's just as much fun as it ever was!

Daily Gratitude Journal

We were surprised and delighted when Harry was born. The doctor had made it sound like we would only have girls, owing to certain chemical factors in my make-up. When he was born, I guess we seemed somewhat shocked, because the nurse said, "Did you want a boy?"

We assured her that we were just surprised - delighted indeed - and pleasantly surprised.

Harry is a great son - I've enjoyed being his mom all these years - in fact, I still enjoy it!! And enjoy that he seems to enjoy it too!

Thanks, Harry, and here's to more happy years ahead!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I can't let Bontober end without saying how grateful I am for Bonny, who made us parents! (My own personal Bontober celebration goes until November 9th this year - I'm celebrating 40 days to commemorate her 40 years!!)

What a wonderful little person to start us on the path of parenthood!! And she's become such a wonderful woman!!

Thanks, Bonny, for being patient with us - in so many ways!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I teach school all day - and I spend lots of time with kids who don't like being there!! It is such a conundrum for me - probably because I always loved school!

I am flabbergasted at kids - and even many of the other teachers there - who say they hate reading!! I can't even remember not being able to read let alone not loving it.

So I'm grateful for school and reading - and for the joy they bring into my life!!

(I don't want to hear about it if you don't like school - or if you don't like to read!!)

Day Two - Daily Gratitude Journal -

Today I am thinking about how grateful I am for the wonderful friendships in my life. If I tried to do a post on my friends, it would get pretty long!!

What I love about our friends is that time and distance have not diminished the experience - they have only enhanced it. It is good to have daily friends, ward friends, work friends, school friends, parents of our kids' friends' friends, college friends, Utah friends, from the past friends, in-law friends - what a wonderful world of friends we have!!

Hug a friend today - better yet, send them a card!! (I know you are thinking email or Facebooking them, but a card, now that says you care!)

Daily Gratitude Journal

I was reading a magazine article today about how significant it is to focus on gratitude. There are mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits that we enjoy when we focus on what we have, and not on what we don't have.

Over the years, I have started more than one "gratitude journal" but haven't ever been very consistent. And I may not be very consistent this time - after all - I only got to 1997 in my 40 years of posts about our then 40 years of marriage - which are now approaching 43 years!!

But if it's helpful to do so, then doing so for any length of time is probably helpful too!!

Today I am grateful for so many good memories! I have been sending Bonny "Bontober B-day Wishes" for 32 days now - I'm planning to send 40 of them - in honor of her 40th birthday - and I have been trying to include a "memory" in each one. How wonderful it is to ponder a special day or a special time or a special dress or a special doll - and to find a measure of joy in doing so.

Think of a happy memory today. Or better still, make a happy memory today that you or someone you love can relive in the days, months, and years ahead!

Happy Halloween!!

I guess I'm not a total Halloween Scrooge after all - looks like I dressed up one year - I think this hair was from the Santa costume.

And I've always been a willing participant in the trunk or treat activity. (But I did stay at home this year - my dogs were killin' me that night!!)

I'm thinking that Alli and Meli's kids will come trick or treating again this year - maybe I should show them this!!

This is from the last Sunday Halloween that I remember - although there have been others since this one - I just don't remember them!! Probably because I didn't have 3 little kids at home who were told they were not going trick or treating - they seemed to enjoy themselves anyway.

And of course, the all-time fave Halloween photo - Phoebe commented this year when I was telling someone about it, "I'm really amazed that quiet Linda came decked out like this." I guess Linda does have her zany side!! We "Girls of '45" are like that you know!!

I was also thinking about how Sunday trick or treating didn't exist in my day. And even 30 years ago, after we moved here, Halloween was on a Sunday - and everyone trick or treated on Saturday night.

Times have changed.

Movie Night at the Krikorian

Dad and I had a hot date tonight - went and saw Hereafter. We'd read the reviews - which were generally positive - although some were quite negative - and thought we'd enjoy it.

I enjoyed it - it seemed a little disjointed - 3 stories that finally intersect at the end - in a somewhat contrived manner. But I always believe in "the willing suspension of disbelief" so those criticisms didn't bother me much.

It was entertaining - and sometimes that's all you're after!

Halloween

Eliza posted about Halloween - and her supposed deficiencies as a Halloween afficionado. And it made me think about all the Halloweens over the years - there have been many, that is for sure!!

I grew up in a family where Halloween meant digging through the rag bag and coming up with either a gypsy costume or a hobo costume - depending on your gender. And if you were old enough, you dug around for an old pillowcase to bring in your trick or treating haul. Eyebrow pencil took care of the make up. And no one, absolutely no one, decorated their house for Halloween - except for Jack-o-lanterns. (A haul meant getting full-size candy bars - and trying to keep them away from my dad!)

With the advent of cheap, store-bought costumes, the get-ups changed a bit. This shot is from 1965, the year I stayed home fall semester to earn the money for Grenoble. The kids are Bobby, Leslie, Donna, and David. I think I did the honors with the eyebrow pencil. I think I took them trick or treating too. And can you find Richard, hiding in the picture??

Our children have usually been enthusiastic about dressing up. And some years I went to a lot of trouble making costumes. And for Bonny's kindergarten year, Dad made a beanbag toss wooden pumpkin that still gets used at ward Halloween parties.

But I remember one year when I made a charming gypsy costume for Bonny - she was three - and she let me dress her up and even take a photo - but she would have nothing to do with trick-or-treating - or even opening up the door for trick-or-treaters!!

Over the years, as decorating for Halloween became almost de rigeur, I was known for decorating the house. And I wore Halloween themed clothing too - and jewelry. I've toned that down over the years. I gave Halloween socks and kitchen towels as gifts. I sent - and send still - Halloween cards.

But I don't dress up - and really never have. I have a tee shirt that says, "This is my costume," and that's about it.

Dad used to dress up - and the two of us wore Julius Caesar costumes a couple of years ago - but no one could tell what we were - that was disappointing! Dad also has some famous Halloween moments - probably the most notable being the time he came as a housewife!!




Maybe you have a Halloween memory you'd like to share. But it's okay if you don't. And it's okay if you don't go to incredible lengths to outfit yourselves or your kids. And it's even okay if you are Halloween Scrooge.

Be sure to save me the candy corn and the circus peanuts though!!

Making Do!

A few weeks ago our Stake Relief Society put on a dinner prior to the Women's Broadcast. This was our 4th year. We don't actually do it - the High Council and the Stake Presidency do the work - but we set up and decorate the tables.

There wasn't a whole lot of money left in our budget, so we weren't sure what to do. But then I got to thinking that there were flowers and greenery growing in our yards - and on the stake center grounds themselves.

So we gathered up what was growing at the time and used the vases my secretary had bought up for her daughter's wedding reception that is coming up in November. And it looked great - I should have taken photos. Afterwards we gathered them up and each of us took home an armful - and my armful looked like this.

We were inordinately proud of our skill and frugality!!

The Joys of Teaching

I am involved in a collaboration model where I teach. 11 RSP students are clustered in an 8th grade Science class, and I co-teach with the general ed instructor. Since 8th grade Science is physical science - think chemistry and physics - I mostly support the teacher. He does let me do the inter-active reader with them as a group, but I don't think he's sold yet on my scientific abilities. But he does appreciate having another adult in the room to monitor progress - and on-task behavior - and he is growing in his confidence in my abilities!!

The students go with me to my room to take their tests, because some of them do better if I read the questions to them. I have 7 of them in my Study Skills class, so they decided to do their water content project as a group - and it was certainly fun to watch them dive into the project. This is significant, because these are kids who traditionally feel like they aren't doing things right, and worry about looking bad in front of their peers.

They did a good job on the project - it was spread out over about 3 weeks - it involved drying out fruit see how much of the fruit was water - a standard middle school science project. I got a display poster for them, and they tabulated their results and did a nice job of displaying the work they had done. When they were finished, they - at least the boys - wanted to take it over to the science room. All 5 boys "carried" the poster across campus to turn it in. It was gratifying to see the joy and sense of satisfaction they displayed.

I guess this is why I keep teaching!!

When I turned 40!!

So, Bonny is 40 today. Doesn't really seem possible that all those years have gone by. Most of the young women I know who turn 40 have a pretty different experience than I did turning 40!

The above photo - taken when we got ready for Karen and Jeff's reception - is from the year I turned 40. And in case you can't tell, I'm pregnant - with Hannah!

Here I am with Jim and Trudy on the temple grounds that same day.

So in case you plan to have a "pity party" about being 40 - you could be 40 and pregnant!!

But let me just say that I wouldn't have it any other way - otherwise we wouldn't have our own Hannoula Flannigan.

And I've even done being 42 and pregnant!! (and lived to tell the tale!!)

Quotable

We're here in St. George for the marathon - which Harry ran this a.m. - so we missed the first session of conference. But Harry had no desire to go anywhere after that, so we snuggled in for the second session - with carbs and electrolytes to fortify the recovering runner!!

"You become what you want to be by being what you want to become each day."

Elder Richard G. Scott

These words resonated with me - mainly because I keep thinking how I'm going to change and be the person I want to be. Turns out I'm going about it backwards!

I'll keep you posted on my progress. But then, if I go about it correctly, you ought to be able to see my progress!!

Can I just say that I love President Monson???

So, if you missed the Relief Society broadcast, you missed a treat!!

I have to say that I love President Monson!! If you somehow missed it - and somehow missed the word that it was wonderful and not to be missed - be sure to go to LDS.org and watch and listen to him - just reading it will not be enough - you really had to be there!!

And of course, the message was as wonderful as the delivery!!

What I do, where I go, who I work with!!

Another staff photo to add to my collection. The first few years I worked, I would put them all up on a bulletin board - but after awhile, I thought the emphasis was misunderstood by students, as in "You've been here that long!!"

I've been teaching since 1996. I've been at Clifton since the 1997-98 school year. I guess I have been here that long!!

Most days I'm happy to go to work. Lately I haven't been as happy - some "political" issues have "sapped my energy." But I always love the kids - and I have some great kids this year. We are also continuing with a program of collaboration that I spear-headed, and I'm proud of the progress we are making.

So I will stick it out! Retirement probably has some bad days too!

I LOVE this apron!

From the LA Times today - a shot of the stars of the Mark Taper Forum production of

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.

"A Beggar's Banquet"

For those of you who may be unaware of such information, school teachers, in California anyway, are only paid ten months out of the year. This is not so bad, since we only really work 9 1/2 months out of the year. But it does mean that you go from June 30th to September 30th without a paycheck.

You also may be unaware of the fact that at my school, we have a monthly or maybe every 6 weeks or so potluck lunch in the staff room. My good friend Marcie (who is a member of my ward in addition to being a teacher) usually spearheads things and gets out a flyer. And being the creative woman that she is, she always comes up with a theme. I usually provide the tablecloths and a pretty good main dish - at least it always gets snarfed up first. (That occurrence is more to be attributed to the fact that Marcie and I are the only ones who really "cook" - the rest just "fix food" - than to any superiority of my cooking. But I do have some specialties that are certainly "passing fair.")

So this month we had a "Beggar's Banquet," where we were supposed to come up with whatever we could out of our cupboards and freezers. Marcie made fudge. I made Shepherd's Pie. And there was a lot of chips and salsa too! Some of them must manage their money better, because there were a couple of buckets of chicken - and they hadn't made them themselves! And instead of buying flowers for centerpieces, I wandered around the campus classrooms and offices and borrowed plants !

This little exercise got me thinking, and I decided to see how long I could subsist on what was in my cupboards and freezer. I did go to the store for fresh produce, milk, yogurt, and bread, but I haven't really bought "groceries" for a couple of weeks now. It is somewhat liberating too. I even put on Sunday dinner last Sunday without going to the store (there was a lot of sour cream in the fridge so we had stroganoff.)

We are scraping bottom now though, so I hope I can get out of my meetings in a timely manner tomorrow so I can go to the store before dinner!

A good read -

Eliza has posted about These is My Words, a novel/biography by Nancy Turner. My book group read it some time ago, and I quite enjoyed it. She also noted that there were two sequels, and she recommended them to me. So I dutifully headed off to the new Monrovia Library and discovered that neither one of them was in the system. But they did have The Water and the Blood by the same author, and I needed something to read, so I checked it out.

Frankly, it's almost a better read than her first book. It takes place in East Texas, and the time period is World War II. I can't say much without spoiling it for any who might want to read it, but I will say that it's a compelling read with lots of historical detail that I find fascinating.

It's really a novel about prejudice, small-mindedness, resistance to change, religious fanaticism, and hypocrisy.

And it's a love story.

Let me know what you think!

Errata:

My photo files on the computer are majorly disorganized. Those that have been taken on my digital camera are in chronological order, but they are not labeled, nor are they in folders. Some day I'm going to do that. (I should have done that when I was down with my knee surgery - I read 37 novels instead!!)

But in the last week, I have been looking for certain photos, and the scrolling process just didn't work - I missed them. But today, when I was looking for photos for a post on Harry's birthday, I found some of them!! So I thought I'd post them anyway.

It was Andrew's birthday on the 4th - and I knew I had this photo. And it turns out I did!

I figured after celebrating Eve and Grandma's birthdays 8 times together, there ought to be a photo of just the two of them together - and there was!

I was thinking that I had photo of Ida - but assumed it was in with the ones that still need to be scanned. Turned out my assumption was incorrect - this is from a shower at Kathy Knudsen's house - maybe for Michelle M. or Nora G. - so it would be 2 plus or minus years ago. Try to remember to take photos of people you love - this certainly brought a smile to my face.

And I totally forgot to even blog Sarah N's b-day - it was yesterday - happy day to you Sarah!!

I keep planning to get organized - someday. But maybe I never will - I will maybe just read novels instead!

School Daze!!

Whether I want it to or not, school starts tomorrow morning.

A big thank you to Ella for helping me get my classroom set up and for suggesting a "Getting to Know You" game - I'll let you know how it goes!

I really just have to get through the first day, and then I'm in gear for the year!

Where Nothing is Long Ago

The title of this post comes from the title of a rather interesting memoir by Virginia Sorenson - and it deserves a post all its own. But for now, I want to focus on something that "came" to me today as I drove home from Santa Fe Middle School. I'm sure that part of this stems from the fact that it was 31 years ago this month that we came here. And the weather and sky and school and the town just brings that all back.

Our start-of-school meeting was held at Santa Fe, and as I headed out on to Duarte Road to go home, I was thinking about Ida Smith and her recent death. That thought seemed to segue into thoughts about my first forays into the neighborhoods around Santa Fe's campus.

I was a Primary teacher - back in the day when Primary was held during the week. I was pretty gung-ho and wanted to do the job right, so I took treats to my kids - especially those who were less active. This meant poring over the Thomas Guide to figure out where they lived. And then loading up into that yellow Ford truck we were driving back then. (Dad was still in Utah I think. He didn't join us permanently until September.) Bonny, Harry, Phoebe, and I squeezed into the front - I don't think seat belts were the law then - and roamed about Monrovia looking for my little lost sheep.

Ida was a good friend to me as I adjusted to a move that I had initially been very opposed to. Sometimes I think about how negative I was. I was not very kind to Harry about it either. Everything was his fault. Every bad thing that happened would not have happened if we hadn't moved. I am not proud of my behavior. Sometimes I think I'm still trying to make up for it!

(You all know the story - about how I came to know that it was not only not a bad move, it was definitely the right move! Sometimes we have to trust in something and someone and move forward. But that too is another post.)

Others in the ward were kind to us. I had great, thoughtful, caring visiting teachers who visited every month. I had Jan Holmes for an Avon Lady - how can you go wrong with that?? Polly was our piano teacher - and she didn't just teach us music. Connie Heslop was our baby sitter - kind, quiet, gentle Connie - who didn't feel better around her? Brother Holling was our home teacher - and he came each month with a message and Eskimo Pies! The high priest group leadership was there to unload when we moved in - Aulvie Bourgeous, LaMar Heslop, Ted Elwell, Tom Smith, Bishop Neeley. I was Mildred Muir's secret sister and she became our special friend. Yvonne Jorgensen shared her doll collection with Bonny. Blanche Card was the nursery baby sitter during sacrament meeting. The first Sunday we attended was the confirmation of the Dequer twins. I could go on and on and name names that would send some of you on a trip down Memory Lane. But that will be another post also.

For now, I realize the meaning of Virginia Sorenson's title. The past is always with us; it doesn't take much to call it back.

And aren't you glad for that??

And aren't we all glad Dad felt impressed to move back to California? And aren't we all glad that Grandma Helen found us a rental house in Monrovia? And aren't we all glad that we've been able to stay in Monrovia and build happy memories here??

I am!

Some late night thoughts

When I was out visiting my mom a couple of weeks ago, she commented that her house - the one where I grew up - is the only house on the block that has never been sold. Something I hadn't thought of. And when I mentioned it to Dad, he pointed out that the house to the south of us had never been sold either.

She also mentioned that she'd never lived alone. When my dad died, Donna was living there too. She said, "I lived with my parents until I got married. Then I lived with your dad. And now I live with Donna." I have never lived alone either - unless you count the 6 months in Grenoble when I had a room to myself in the dormitory at the university there. Not that I'm itching to live alone or anything!! Actually I was talking to a friend who has lived alone for 25 years - and she said she still sometimes feels sad about being alone. She said, "You'd think I'd be used to it."

I also thought about the "If you give a mouse a cookie" syndrome. I had one overly ripe banana - so I ended up mashing up two less than ripe bananas to have enough to make a loaf of banana bread. I'll let you know how it tastes. It does smell good baking.

I am impressed anew at how easy it is to forget what seem like essential details. At least they at one time seemed essential. I have been back in my classroom setting it up for Monday's start of school. I can't remember where I put anything!! (We have to pack up our rooms because they are used by other teachers for summer school.) And I need to remember my passwords, not just for the computer, but for the copy machine. Where is the safe place I wrote them down?? And where did I put the pencils??

Speaking of remembering, I continue to run into former students - whose faces are very familiar and whose personalities are engraved in my memory. But not their names!! The latest incident happened at the Street Fair last week. The young man said, "Hey Mrs. Terrill, do you remember me?" I asked him to refresh my memory with his name, which he did. Then he pointed out his infant son to me. And I said, "Are you old enough to have a child??" (He certainly didn't look old enough - nor did the proud little mother of the baby!) He said he was. I hope he was a student of mine 10 or 12 years ago!!

On this chipper note, I will sign off and go check on the banana bread.

Little Bee - some thoughts

I have had this book on my shelf for over a year. I think I bought it at our Book Fair - I like to support the Clifton Middle School Library after all! And occasionally I thumbed through it thinking I should read it. The back cover reviews actually didn't entice me however, and I put off reading it. It was mentioned often, but I received conflicting reviews.

For lack of any other book that caught my interest, I picked it up and started reading. The story line was intriguing, and the writing was superb.

"They say that in the hour before an earthquake the clouds hang leaden in the sky, the wind slows to a hot breath, and the birds fall quiet in the trees of the town square. Yes, but these are the same portents that precede lunchtime, frankly. If we overreacted every time the wind eased up, we would forever be laying down under the dining-room table when we really should be laying the plates on top of it."

Several reviewers called it "funny," but it wasn't at all funny to me. Maybe some scenes were poignantly amusing at some moments, but I don't call that funny.

Another reviewer compared it to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, and that seemed an apt comparison to me.

It is fast-paced, thoughtfully written, often disturbing, and ultimately a story of human triumph - however fleeting.

The Grandma Summer

This has been a summer of grandmothering - and a very enjoyable one at that!! This week Esme and Annika were here for several days while Bonny went to Girls' Camp with Ara and Ella. So of course we went for manicures!!

The girls chose shades of teal, purple, and dark pink for their nails. (I contrast that with the way I always go for the palest shade of pink!!)

Flowers with a tiny jewel in the middle on the thumb nail were a big hit too.

I sensed that Porter and Harry W. were feeling a bit left out, so I took them to lunch at Wendy's. We had Uncle Noah come along - always lots of fun. I told Noah that I needed to come up with a male equivalent to manicures - and he suggested going for a barber shop shave - but acknowledged that I'd have to wait a few years for that to be a big hit!

Then there's the lovely Miss Isla - who is happy with a smile, a tickle, and "Tom Thumper, Bill Munker, Long Razor, Cherry Bumper. (Tippy, tippy, tippy, town end.)"

Since Esme and Annika are going home tomorrow, Eve joined us for a sleepover - here they are getting ready for the latest installment from Grandpa Bob.

I've never listened in on any of these - they are pretty much off the cuff though. Harry says that they will ask for a repeat of a previous one - but he can't remember the details after he's told them!!

I've reflected often on why I love being a grandmother so much. I was thinking that it's probably because I loved my own grandmothers, and also because my own children seem to love their grandmothers dearly. I certainly want to be in the company of those women!!

Ella comes next week for an early Grandma's Birthday Sleepover, then Eve, Porter, and Harry will be having them. And Calvin is coming this year on his birthday - so we will have to see about a shave and a haircut I guess!!