Month of Gratitude

So grateful for the upcoming holidays and all that means to the Terrill family.  It means a wonderful time being had by all - and I'm getting excited.

It's beginning to feel a lot like New Year's!!

Month of Gratitude

This is a long ago photo of Ella with a doll she made at our house.

And here is Ara with her doll.

As I recall, it was a project Ara was doing for a class at school - and Ella just wanted to make one also.  I remember Bruce was helping them - I was providing supplies and the sewing machine I think.

I am so grateful for happy doll-making memories!!  And so grateful for Ara and Ella - who are growing up fast - too fast it seems at times - they will flee the nest before we can blink if we're not careful.

I know the grandchildren will all grow up and away - that's what kids are supposed to do.  But it doesn't make you miss them any less.  Which is why happy memories are so essential - and why I am grateful for them!

Month of Gratitude

Every month I volunteer in Eve's cooking class at Clifton.  The teacher is a good friend of mine, and it's fun to be with her too.  Apparently Eve volunteered my services at the beginning of the school year, and I couldn't be happier about it.

Today I taught them to make jam - it was lots of fun.  Many of them didn't even know what jam was.  They apparently call any sweet sandwich spread jelly!  In September we made apple turnovers.  In October we made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies.  In December we are going to learn about and make wassail!  (Any good recipes, feel free to share them with me.)

They are all eager learners.  It just warms your heart to be surrounded by such willing students.  With all the focus on academics and Common Core, it really is too bad that things like cooking and other electives are falling by the wayside - and falling they are - because there is so much to be learned from cooking.

(The above photo is a much younger Eve helping me in the kitchen.  I think all kids love the kitchen!)

I am thankful that cooking is still offered at Clifton - and that I get my middle school-fix each month in the class!!

Month of Gratitude

After the Sacrament today, Eve leaned over and whispered that the Young Women had made the bread they had used for the Sacrament. She was pretty excited and pleased.  

Much has been written of late - at least in LDS circles - about helping women and girls in the church feel a more direct sense of involvement in the running of church activities.  Women actually do a lot of the work, but often do not feel acknowledged.  I was pleased to see the Young Women involved this way.

I have noted previously during the month of gratitude that I am grateful for the Young Women program, but tonight I am feeling especially grateful for the program and the very real, valid opportunities for service that come from wise, in tune leaders.

Let's hear it for the girls!!

Month of Gratitude

For the last 12 or 13 years, Jen Knudsen has been coloring, cutting, and styling my hair.  As we all know, getting the right haircut can make all the difference in the world.  

This is getting ready to change for me, because Jen is no longer coming out to Monrovia once a month to serve the clients who came to depend on her! (She several years ago moved away to Murrietta but came back monthly.)  She is actually finishing her degree, and I support her 100% in that effort.

But I will have to find someone new.  Or just let my hair grow unchecked.

Except for the ridiculous spiral perm phase, I pretty much either have had short hair or long hair or in-between hair.  Actually, they covers all options doesn't it?  And I don't go in for complicated "do's."  But I have thick, wavy, opinionated hair - and Jen seemed to understand it!

I'm sure I will survive.  But I am certainly grateful to have had an excellent stylist - and wonderful friend and conversationalist - for these past years!

Month of Gratitude

 I am eternally grateful to my sister Donna who has taken such wonderful care of our mother for the last many years.  My dad died in 2000 and she helped care for him too, so she's been "on the job" for a long while.   She pays close attention to all the details that make life pleasant and purposeful for Mom.  She loves everyone, and usually puts others ahead of herself.

My mom often says, "I couldn't be here and live in my own home this way if it were not for Donna."

Amen to that!

And thank you Donna!

Month of Gratitude

I don't have albums full of photos, but I do have some "snapshots" of my life.

I appear to have taken random photos at random moments.  I actually have thought of many times when I wish I'd had a photo of some event or item.  I don't even have photos of our kids on their first day of kindergarten - except Noah - and I think Linda took that one! 

But I love the photos I do have hanging around from years past - and so I am grateful for cameras - and the photos they take that help keep us connected to the past.

Month of Gratitude

This summer, Eliza indulged my whim and found the grave of F. Scott Fitzgerald, so we went and visited.  (His wife and daughter are also buried there.)  I have read every book he's published, and I enjoy his writing.  (I used to pick authors and then read everything they wrote!  I kind of do that now, but not as often.)

I'm so glad that somewhere along the line, I came to love reading and literature and words and writing.  I "accidentally" became an English major - and I'm glad about that too!  (My roommate Pat said, "What are you majoring in?"  And I said, "Oh, I don't know, what's a major?"  She said, "Well, what did you take in high school?"  I said that I'd taken a lot of math but didn't think I wanted to major in math.  I said I'd taken Latin, but I was pretty sure I didn't want to major in Latin.  Then I said I'd always wanted to learn French, so maybe I should major in French.  She said, "Language majors are too hard.  How about English?"  And that's how it happened!)

I love a good book!  So thankful for books and libraries and reading - and my Kindle!!

Month of Gratitude

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The above poem was written by John McRae, who was a doctor in World War I.  He ended up being asked to conduct a funeral - on the battlefield - because the chaplain was busy elsewhere.  It is believed that that night he began the draft that eventually became this poem.

I think about it every year on Veteran's Day - I am not a believer in war - "proclaim peace, not war" is my mantra. But soldiers who have died defending us deserve our undying respect and honor.  I believe this poem exhorts us to do our best to make sure no one dies in vain.

I am grateful today for those who have given their all - and those who have served and continue to serve to defend and protect us all.

Month of Gratitude

While we were in Utah, Leslie arranged things so that my mother's good friend Kay Gavin could come and visit.

 

Kay's daughter Nancy and Leslie have been good friends since junior high.  Leslie introduced Nancy to the gospel and later Nancy's parents joined too.  Nancy married and settled in Utah and after her father's death, her mom joined her there.

Before she moved away, Kay became ill and needed care.  So she came and stayed with our family,  and Mom cared for her.  That truly cemented their friendship.

Over the years we have all maintained contact, so seeing them was a treat for everyone.  Kay is 96, and it took both Charlie and Nancy to get her mom in the door and settled down.  But I wish I'd had a video camera - or at least thought to take a video with my iPad.  Mom was sitting on the couch, and when Kay got near enough, she flung her arms around Mom and squealed delightedly, "Oh, Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary!"  It was wonderful to behold.  And they visited for a goodly long time!  (It had been years since they'd seen each other.)

 

I have wonderful friends. One especially who goes "way back" is Joy.  Summer of 2013 we managed to meet up in St. George.  Joy squealed almost as delightedly as Kay did.  (I guess I'm not a squealer!  But I was very happy to see her.)

I am eternally grateful for friendship and all it has meant in my life!

Month of Gratitude

I come from a large family.  Family gatherings have not always historically been peaceful.  We have all followed different paths, had different experiences, and we are separated by age also.  The youngest child in a family of 12 might feel more like a nephew sometimes.

So at  first I was concerned that if we were all together for such an emotion filled weekend, there might be misunderstandings or dissension.  I should not have worried, because having us all there together created love and unity.  It was a good experience, and our attendance brought a measure of peace to Richard and Julie.

I'm grateful for lessons learned!

Month of Gratitude

Today we are all in attendance at my niece Robynn's funeral.  We were all together in 2000 for my dad's funeral.  And we were all together in 2010 for my mom's 90th birthday.  

Sometimes it's tough to have so many siblings.  The more people you have in a group, the greater the chance for conflict or disagreements.  But when times are tough, there is nothing quite like having a crowd with you to circle those wagons and get through the trial.

I am grateful for my siblings - all 11 of them!

Month of Gratitude

Today is my dad's birthday.  He was born on November 7, 1916 - the day Woodrow Wilson was elected president.  He told us that every year - and now I do too.  Some things are worth repeating.

I am grateful to have had such a loving and supportive dad.  Not everyone is so fortunate.  We live in a world where many kids don't have much contact with their dads - and may not even know who or where they are.

Thanks, Dad!

Month of Gratitude

In my early married years, I always wore aprons.  Then they sort of went out of vogue, so I didn't wear them as often.  Then they came into vogue with a vengeance, and they are still in fashion.  And I usually wear them - especially on Sundays when dinner is at our house.  And since I have such an extensive wardrobe of aprons, I need to wear them or they stare at me accusingly!

I love to make and give aprons away too.  They always seem to be appreciated, and that is one of the perks of making them.  I love to browse through fabric stores looking for great apron material.  And I love to sew them and watch old movies on my portable DVD player - it's a great way to pass an otherwise empty evening and not feel abandoned.

I am truly grateful for aprons and all they represent in my life!!

Eve came home excited and happy this evening after a YW activity.  I am so grateful that my daughters and granddaughters love Young Women.  It certainly wasn't the program it is now when I was in Young Women, but I loved it then.  And I love it now.

I'm grateful that there has always been a place for girls to grow and develop into wonderful women.  I loved being a Beehive, a Mia Maid, and a Laurel.  I loved seeing my daughters go through the program.  I love watching them work in the program in their own wards.  I loved serving in the Young Women as an advisor, a counselor, a ward president and a stake counselor in the YW presidency, and of course I always loved Girls' Camp.

A caveat here:  In Centerville, Utah, while I was still pretty young, I served as Camp Director and as Mia Maid advisor.  I had less than sterling experiences.  But I love that I survived the experiences so that I could do a better job later on!!

So grateful for the Young Women programs!!

Month of Gratitude

We don't really have fall in California - at least it's not a very distinct season.  The leaves turn, but slowly.  They drop too, but that's slow also.  Flowers die, but in SoCal new ones are always coming up. 

The mornings are cool and crisp - sometimes even chilly if you get up early enough.  And when the sun goes down, so does the temperature.  These things matter because we continue to have hot, hot days throughout the fall months.  And someone once pointed out to me that if you have shorter days, you are experiencing less heat!!

I have spent most of my life relating fall to school - starting, Back-to-School Night, colorful bulletin boards.  But now that I'm retired, it still feels fallish and school is not part of the mix!

Maybe I like the idea of old things going, winter coming, the promise of spring.  Or maybe it has more to do with holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year"s!

But I am grateful for fall - it does seem like the year's last, loveliest smile!

Month of gratitude

Monday the 3rd we received the news that my sweet niece Robynn had died in a horrific car accident in Utah.  Monday the third was also the 1st birthday of our sweet granddaughter Rhoda.  The spectrum of life never seemed more dramatic to me.

I'm already behind in my gratitude posts, but I am truly grateful for the plan of happiness, the plan of salvation that binds us together as families forever.

Robynn's brother Ryan posted the above photo of him with his sister.  Grateful for familial love that is here for us on earth - part of the great plan of happiness.

A month of gratitude

Today was Fast Sunday, which means that I fasted, paid a fast offering, and attended Fast and Testimony meeting.  It's what I've done for at least the last 61 years, since I was baptized at 8 years of age.

And I am grateful for practices and principles that I have observed as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am grateful that there have always been safe parameters to guide me in the directions my life has taken.

I'm not sure how I would have chosen without that guidance and direction.  So I am grateful for the guidance that defines me and my life.

A month of gratitude

Checking the blogs, I saw that Eliza had resumed her yearly habit of posting a note of gratitude each day in November.  I can't even remember if I did that last year or any year, but decided to try it this year anyway!

As I was driving home from the market today,  I noted the dark clouds banked over the San Gabriels, and I thought about how today I am truly feeling thankful for the rain!  Not sure what has prompted this response, but there could be a few reasons.

First of all, we just got back from a road trip up to Oregon.  Along the way, it's pretty obvious that we are in a drought.  Fields are dry, lakes are low, and in the farming regions, there are signs galore pointing out the drought conditions!

Also, while we were at Phoebe's, it rained just about every day - and it was glorious!!  So green and fresh as we walked along the forest trails that border Phoebe's home!

I am so grateful for the rain!!

(The above photo was the only "rain" photo in my collection - when it rained, Andrew and Noah loved to go out and stand in it with their ponchos and umbrellas.)

Halloweens now and then!

Some classic Halloween shots over the years - and even a Halloween Christmas for your viewing pleasure!!

Every year I fantasize about some very cool Halloween costume.  I never get past just thinking about it.

Someday - maybe!!

You'd think I'd had enough of "the teacher wars!"

Even if you are not a teacher,  this book would be interesting to you I think.  The first couple of chapters just about teaching in the United States was fascinating - I'm wondering why they don't go over this when you are earning your credential!

At the point where I am now, they are giving the history of the unionization of teachers - and that is a pretty checkered past!  Of course, women's suffrage and women's rights - as well as the civil rights movement - figure heavily in the story.

It's a book you can pick up or put down, but it's worth the read.

What I'm reading - actually what I just finished reading!

Eliza and Hannah have recommended this book to me - so I got it on my Kindle and read it this week.  I wold love to discuss it with my daughters - I imagine we'd have an invigorating discussion.

Years ago, I subscribed to Exponent II, a modern take on the old Exponent that was published for years for mostly Utah Mormon women.  At the time, I think I felt a little isolated emotionally from many of the women around me. It seemed that I didn't have others around me who read the same books I did or had the same concerns I did.  Exponent II became that circle of friends.  In addition to writing about issues that concerned me, I found myself exploring issues I'd never even thought about.  

Reading the magazine opened up avenues to books, articles, poetry, and true-life stories that I found compelling.  One month the discussion focused on the issue of women holding their babies while they were being blessed.  Women pointed out that, at the time, non-member and non-Melchizedek priesthood holders were allowed in the circle when a baby was blessed, but an active, recommend-holding woman could not be there and hold her baby.

I'm not sure why, but that issue truly resonated with me.  I recall asking Harry what he thought our then Stake President would say if I asked him if I could hold Hannah while she was being blessed.  (My years of reading Exponent II coincided with my "second family" - that is, the years when I had Eliza, Hannah, and Noah - while I also had "big kids" in high school and middle school.)

Harry's response was a thoughtful one.  He said he thought President Merkely would want to know my motive.  Did I truly feel left out of the event?  Did I want to "make a statement?"  Did I want to "shock" or "impress" others with my daring?  Was I thoughtful and prayerful about the idea?

Upon reflection, I realized that I was mostly intrigued by the novelty of the event.  I had sat in the congregation and listened to the blessings Harry gave each of our children - and had found it a spiritual experience.  I guessed I didn't need to "make a point."  But I also understood at some level that for some women, it would be a make or break kind of deal.

In this book by Neylan McBaine, the author explores the role of women in the LDS church.  Her research is thoughtful and thorough.  Many of her suggestions are excellent - and not earth-shattering.  She does not advocate any kind of rebellion or "stirring of the pot," but instead she has gathered, through interviews and others tools of research, a lot of data that is full of possibilities and ideas for improving the way women are represented in the church.  

Her major thesis is that as a majority in the gospel kingdom, women often do not have any "presence" or influence.  She sees this not as a condemnation of men, but as a natural result of cultural and social influences.  And she sees the need for women to look for ways to increase their visibility in the gospel setting.

She has interspersed her commentary with stories and quotes of members of the church - men and women - that lend credence to her thesis.  And many of her proposals and suggestions have apparent merit - and as she often notes, there is nothing in the official handbook preventing them from being done.

One practice she reported on especially touched my heart.  She said that in a ward she attended, when the bishop was released, the stake president had the bishop's family stand also for the vote of thanks.

I thought that was a nice touch.

Let me know what you think.  I truly wish I could have a big group discussion with all of you!