Happy Day to my sister Mary!!

Today is my sister Mary's birthday.  She's only about 6 years younger than me, but I don't have lots of memories of a childhood with her.  But once she was older, and going to school at Ricks, she would come to visit and help out and that was the true beginning of our relationship.

She and I hung out together the day before I went into labor with Bonny.  She had come down from Ricks - hoping I think that the baby would be born.  I was overdue, so we walked from our apartment near the U in SLC to Temple Square - hoping that it would start some action.  I didn't go into labor for another day, but we had a nice walk.  It was General Conference time, so we actually ran into several people we knew.

After Bonny was born, she'd come down and volunteer to babysit.  We had ballet tickets one night, so she stayed home with Bonny.  I worried all through the performance that Bonny was crying and fussing - since she did a lot of that.  But when we got home, Mary disappointedly reported that she'd slept the whole time!

I have 5 sisters, and Alice and I had a close relationship growing up, but it's been our adult years that have seen the growth of the love and friendship that we all enjoy with one another.  I can't imagine not having sisters - it's a real blessing.

Mary is sweet and always helpful.  She is a talented cook and seamstress.  She has been through some tough times, but she always comes out smiling.

Here's wishing her a happy day and a great year ahead!!

When I count my blessings,

I count my sisters, one by one!!  I hesitated to write this - wondering if my brothers would be offended.  But then I figured out that my brothers probably don't even read my blog!!  Besides,  I'm thankful for them too, but there is something unique and special about sisters!!

Leslie is here from Nebraska for a few days.  Mother, Mary, Donna, Leslie, and I were sitting around in the living room and chatting and it was just great.  (We missed Alice and Joan!!)

Some of my sisters are younger than me, and I really didn't develop a significant relationship with them until we were all adults.  But that doesn't detract.  Growing up,  Alice was pretty much my best friend - I have often wondered how women grow up without a sister!!  Obviously lots of them do, but the Lord must have known that I needed one!!  (or two or three or four or five!!)

My own daughters are loving sisters too - and that is a blessing.  So are my granddaughters.  I never tire of telling the story of when Annika was born.  Ara, Ella, and Esme were staying with me while Bonny was at the hospital.  They hadn't found out the gender ahead of time, so the plan was for Bruce to call and tell Ara, and she could then have the privilege of telling all of us.

Bruce called, talked to Ara, and she then turned from the phone and said, "Well, now we are our own Little Women."

It is no coincidence that we all love Little Women too!!  (At least all my daughters do!!)

Happy Birthday Alice and Maddy!!

Happy Birthday today to Alice and Maddy!!

I've often thought it would be fun to share a birthday with a daughter - and Maddy and Alice seem to enjoy it!!

Here's to a great day for both of you - and a wonderful year ahead!!

A couple of "bag" ladies!!

Frances and I go way back. You can tell that from this picture alone!! But from the moment I met Frances, I liked her friendly, easy-going, very sensible manner. When we have cooked together, or sewn together, or took care of kids together, or cleaned together, or just sat and talked together, I am always impressed at her excellent advice on a variety of topics.

Camping with Frances in 1971

She and Dee were here last week, and I was folding some laundry while we visited. I commented on a pair of frayed pillow cases that I was loathe to toss because I loved them. She immediately said, "I know what you could do with them.We were told this in a meeting I attended. They said to put a pair of pillow cases in your top drawer and if you had to leave quickly in an emergency, you could stuff clothes and things into a pillowcase and just carry it with you."

That's just one example of how Frances continues to be someone I love to hang around with!! (Dangling preposition or not!!)

Sisters!!

Our friend Evan is here from Pittsburg - watch for a blog post on that - but at dinner tonight he said that a study he'd read about reported that those who have sisters live longer!!

I knew it was great to have sisters!!

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

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!