More Funny Family Photos

How many family photos have been taken under the Cozy First and Last Chance??

This isn't particularly a funny family photo - but it is pretty funny of Eliza. I was thinking I could probably find a family picture where at least one of us looks a bit goofy.

This was the weekend Phoebe and David came down to have an engagement photo taken - or it was the weekend David came to meet us.

Either way, Harry wasn't there.

It's from 1998 anyway.

Funny Family Photos

It's not that this is an especially funny family photo, but it does capture a "moment in time" - one where just about everyone got a short haircut - notable exceptions being Harry F. and Bruce.

I didn't like my haircut - I showed the guy a picture of a hairdo I wanted and asked him if he could do it with my hair. He said if I straightened my hair it would work. So I went through the expense and hassle of getting my hair straightened - and it didn't work!!

Which is why I'm growing my hair out for now - my regular hairdresser had a baby and isn't going to be doing hair anymore. So until I find someone I trust, I'm just getting "trims."

Long ago and far away

When you are caring for young children, those days inevitably come when you feel like you will never have a moment to yourself. You will never eat a meal in peace, go to the grocery store alone, soak in the tub to your heart's content, have a tidy house, or read a book straight through with no interruptions.


You truly feel like there is only today. Tomorrow will never come.

But I am here to tell you that tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow just keeps on coming - and as the years march on, tomorrow seems to come with alarming frequency.

And you look back on those crazy, noisy, dusty, grimy, whiny, sloppy days with a feeling approaching nostalgia and even some remorse - remorse for wishing them away and not always savoring them.

Having all the "kids" here for the weekend was a little blessing from heaven. As Bonny so aptly put it in her sweet testimony, it was a "Terrill Moment" that I think we all treasured.

After church, we all had lunch here at home and then had a Family Home Evening. We sang, we had an activity (writing additional verses for "Because I Have Been Given Much"), and then Dad gave a lesson. It was good to relate to one another in that way.


Sunday night we had a birthday party for Noah, and on Monday all the "kids" went to the beach. By Tuesday noon everyone was back home or on their way there, and the weekend was over.

But I think I knew enough not to worry about the inevitable messes in life and just enjoyed everyone being here.

I suggest it to everyone - savoring the moment!

Carpe diem!

Maybe you can't go home again, but you can have a great time talking about it!

This is me in the 9th grade at Patrick Henry Junior High School - 1959

This Judy Vergine, my next door neighbor growing up - we were comrades in exploring with our imaginations during the fifties. This is lunch hour at Patrick Henry Junior High in 9th grade.

And this is Mom, Judy and me having a little "mini-reunion" when she came to see what had happened to the old homestead next door (it's been torn down and replaced with a "mini mansion" but the garage-turned-granny-house where her own grandma lived is still there.)

We enjoyed going over the old days - how she'd come to the fence and call me in my room - usually to wake me up, how we fought once and our moms made us come to the fence and make up, how we collected paper dolls and made houses and cities for them to live in, how we'd save our allowances and go to the By-Lo on Chatsworth to see what was new in the paper doll world, how we walked to the Union station by the Women's Club in the summertime to visit the traveling library, how we walked to StarDust Liquor store for popsicicles, how we both didn't like the new girl in the neighborhood who took baton twirling lessons and was pretty stuck up - at least that's what we thought, and how even after all these years, we felt a connection.

Let's hear it for best friends in childhood!

Achievement Day Girls

We don't have an Achievement Days leader in our ward, but Dawn is the counselor over it, so she makes sure it happens regularly. I offered to be a "guest lecturer," and she took me up on the offer.

The theme was Literacy, and we did kind of a cross between a Language Arts lesson and a book group. We read a story from They Walked To Zion about Mary Goble Pay, the grandmother of Sister Marjorie Hinckley.

It was fun to see what caught the girls' fancy. Sister Pay talked about a shark following their ship as they were crossing to America. Then she mentioned that a man died, and they had to put his body overboard - and then they never saw the shark again! They thought that was pretty compelling info!

After we read the account, I had them do a "storyboard." This is a paper divided into 6 sections. The idea is to draw pictures depicting parts of the story. Most of the girls - and there were only 6 of them - had a square for each death recounted - starting with the shark! (Sister Pay's baby sister died from exposure at Council Bluffs, a newborn sister died on the trail, her brother died towards the end of the journey and finally her mother died.) It was instructive to see how much the thought of death as an everyday occurrence seemed so striking to them. We treat death as such a "separate" kind of event, but it truly is a part of living.

Hopefully they took something of value from the experience. Sister Pay had been told by Brigham Young that she would not lose her feet - and she had faith in what he said. One little girl said, "Was he the prophet then?" When I said yes, she seemed impressed.

At the end I gave them each a reading journal and told them to record the books they read. I said, "You won't always remember the title, let alone the author, of every book you read, so write them down."

They took it to heart and were busy listing books they'd read as they were leaving!

I love teaching, and I love encouraging readers!

Notes From the Field

We got to D.C. on Saturday night and it's been a whirlwind of activity. When we return I will post many more pictures, but this is to let you know that we are all alive and well and having a wonderful time - and wishing you were here!

Let's play catch up - not ketchup!!

It has been a while since I blogged on my own blog. Life has indeed been hectic - at home, at school, at play!! Hasn't been too hectic at church, thank goodness. Being Stake R.S. President has the major perk of having the busyness somewhat concentrated in certain time frames - that so far have not conflicted with other stuff.

I did get asked to speak at another's ward Enrichment last week - but I was pretty last minute about putting it together, so I didn't stress much. I did think about it a lot, so it came together well.

We've been to Moab for the race - and I did the 5 miler - mostly walked, but I did finish! It was so great to see everyone - reminds me how much I miss everyone. I can see why women always want their families to stay in town after they grow up - I remember noticing that when we lived in Centerville - these women would loudly lament a son or daughter moving away. It never occurred to me that maybe my folks missed me! (Maybe they really didn't!!) We need to seriously consider Moab as a mini-reunion choice for Claytons/Terrills/Kerksieks!!

School is crazy as usual - I seem to be out a lot for school business so I feel like I'm always making sub plans - my least favorite thing to do. I know now why most teachers show movies when they are gone - I try not to. I've been doing some cooking with my SDC kids - to help with some science concepts - the properties of matter, for instance, can be demonstrated by making cupcakes! (and eating them too!)

We have had Harry and Dawn move out - with all its attendant stress and strain!! They were here for almost a year - they moved in last April when we went to the marathon in Boston. Moving households is always work. But satisfying work! And the baby' s blessing, which brought Bill and Marjorie to town - always great to see them. It really was a good experience to have them all here - one I will always treasure.

And now adjusting to a truly "empty nest." Harry and I are having fun walking around talking about all the home improvements we're going to do.

We'll keep you posted.

Pi Day in Monrovia

We had Pi Day today at Clifton. The Math Department had a "Pi Eating Contest" at lunch. And you could have a chance at drawings for prizes depending on how many of the numbers of Pi you could repeat from memory.

Made me almost wish I was still teaching Math. (Just almost, not entirely!!)

When I told Dad that Pi Day was coming up, he Googled it and found this great site, right here.

Giving blood today

I think I've posted about this before. Maybe even posted this poem by Carol Lynn Pearson. But it bears repeating:

Giving

I love giving blood.
Sometimes I walk in
Off the street
When no one has even asked
And roll up my sleeve.

I love lying on the table
Watching my blood flow
Through the scarlet tube
To fill the little bag
That bears no address.

I love the mystery
Of its destination.
It runs as easily
To child or woman or man,
Black or white,
Californian or Asian,
Methodist, Mormon,
Moslem or Jew.

Rain does too.
Rivers do.
I think God does.
We do not.

Our suspicious egos clot
On the journey
From "Us" to "Them."

So I give blood
To practice flowing,
Never knowing
Where it's going.
And glad.

I gave blood today after school. They call me all the time. I usually don't show about 10 times before I finally go - guilt drives me. But I just went - and it wasn't a hassle and I didn't have to wait.

It's good to do something just to do something good.

All in a day's work

I talk a lot about the "daily grind" and how I hate going to work some days. But that's probably not a true portrait of me or my job.

The girl in the center is Molly, she is not an RSP student, she is my TA. And she won the Partnership Spelling Bee - and my students in 4th period were pretty excited for her. I had taken them to see "Akelah and the Bee" so I think they thought that she was living the Hollywood dream or something. (The boy just in front of me is my other TA - and he's an active member of the ward too. Molly's parents are members, but they are not active.)

Some days I do not like my job - or at least I don't like going to work. But most of the time I feel, as Beverly at SMCNS so aptly put it, "It's work worth doing."

I see progress. I see kids get excited about something I teach them. I see growth and development. I see maturity inching its way in to a child's demeanor. I see genuine expressions of fondness and caring. I see what praise can do for a child who hasn't had much of it. I see lives change.

(I won't mention some of the other things I see - that would be for another post. I want to emphasize the positive!!)

And every day we have 20 minutes of SSR - Sustained Silent Reading - right after lunch. I would have thought that I'd died and gone to heaven if they'd told us we had to read for 20 minutes every day at school. (What I mostly did was hide my book inside the textbook so I could read during boring lectures!) Reading every day like that in the middle of the day is very rejuvenating for me.

It really could be a lot worse!!

But it's hard to make sub plans to be gone for a day or two. And then when you get back, it takes another couple of days to sort out what happened while you were gone.

So I complain!

Hanging Out With Hannah

I had a lot of fun hanging out with Hannah for part of a day anyway!

She led us on a tour of the BYU Museum of Art "Images of the Saviour" exhibition - a wonderful exhibition by the way - I recommend it highly - it's there until June I believe.

(And Hannah did a great job being our guide!)

We had lunch at the MOA Cafe - also excellent - and I recommend it too.

I went to class with her - and the teacher's mom was there also! Seemed like everywhere we went, we kept running into people Hannah knew - that's my girl - the Queen of Provo!!

It was very cold - and we walked home - at least home to her little house. Down all 147 Maeser steps - oh, that brought back memories! Much has changed on the BYU campus - but much is still the same. Thank goodness!

It was fun to see Melanie too! And it was fun to see Hannah K. at the reception - I've included another in the collection of "The Hannahs Shots." And the bed Hannah is sprawled on is in my hotel room - she's showing off her ace bandage!

It was a cold, snowy day, but being with Hannah certainly brightened things up!

Teachers I have known - Chapter 3

Since it's Sunday, it seems appropriate to write about another favorite Sunday School teacher.

George Woods moved into our ward with his family and indeed seemed to be a man of many talents. In addition to being an excellent Sunday School teacher to us 16 years olds, he played the organ really well and played often for Sacrament meeting. He was an excellent speaker too.

He also hired me to come to his home office on Mondays after school to file - I loved feeling like I had a real job! (Although I hated filing as much then as I do now!!)

But soon everyone found out about his exceptional talents and abilities and he was called to the High Council. I remember my mother saying that good teachers for the youth always got hauled out for some executive or administrative position. The lousy teachers stayed forever!

I have found this to be sometimes true. Often very good teachers are very good at many other things too - and they are needed in other places.

I would certainly hesitate to classify any long-standing teacher as lousy. Sometimes, however, someone sees the potential in a prospective teacher and keeps them on the job so that they can learn.

And learning is what the gospel is all about.

But we did sorely miss Brother Wood! (And I don't remember who took his place!)

Teachers I have known - Chapter 2

After listening to Elder Monson last week, I realized that I couldn't remember the name of one Primary teacher I ever had! I remember loving Primary. But I can't even pull up a description!

I can, however, distinctly recall a Sunday School teacher I had when I was 12 or so.

Lydia Buck was a teacher by profession. She was tall and imposing - at least I remember her that way. She had black hair pulled back in a bun. And she usually wore a black dress.

She taught us the Old Testament I guess, because I remember memorizing the Ten Commandments . And our ward took a trip to Grauman's Chinese to see The Ten Commandments when it opened there.

If you memorized them, you got a gold-tone charm bracelet with charms for each commandment. I coveted that bracelet and worked hard to get it. And I wore it happily for years.

Her son was my age and was in our class. And I can't remember much about him. Her daughter Carol was two years older, and I wanted to be smart and funny like she was. She is still in Mom's ward - and she's still smart and funny. When I visit, I love to exchange banter with her.

Best of all, she reminds me of her mother.

And there a no pictures of her that I have.

Teachers I have known - Footnote to Chapter 1

Lest I leave the impression that Mrs. Lazurus was not one of my favorite teachers, let me say that even though she nipped my tennis career in the bud, she did lots of other good things for me.

And I really wish we had made the Grandma Terrill connection earlier, because once I figured it out, Mrs. Lazurus had died. It would have been a real opportunity to tell her how much I had learned from her. And how the things she taught me were things I used my whole life.

(Which is a good argument for telling people how important they are to you now, not later!)

She seemed to understand my frustration with P.E. In spite of dressing daily, getting A's on the rules' tests, and having clean, ironed gym clothes every Monday morning, I still always got a C in P.E. because the skills' tests had the greatest weight. So she qualified me for Corrective P.E. on the basis of my pronated ankles. I got an A in Corrective P.E. (That's a blog posting of its own!!)

And when I signed up for her Modern Dance class, she wondered if the B I'd earned would "ruin" my GPA!!

(Of course, those years, math started getting harder and harder and Trig and Algebra 3 were my C grades instead of P.E.!)

But as a high school 10th grader (the year high school started in my district - we had the 3 year variety) she addressed my P.E. class and gave me some of the best advice I've ever received. She said, you know, ladies, your periods are a fact of life - and they are going to be a regular part of your life for a long time. So you can shut down every month for a week or so and just lose part of your life. Or you can get out there and run around and feel better in the process.

My Grandma Connie gave me similar advice one summer when I was moping around. She said, go take a walk, you'll feel better. And you know, to this day, a walk makes me feel better!

I combed my high school yearbooks for a picture of Mrs. Lazurus - and they are not to be found. I don't know if she had some metaphysical objection to being photographed, or if she just wasn't there on picture day.

So just take my word for it - she was tall, striking, blond, and when she wasn't in P.E. clothes, she looked sort of earthmotherish. And her first name was Keo.

Teachers I have known - Chapter 1

I attended the Worldwide Leadership Training meeting Saturday. The focus was on teaching. Elder Holland led a great discussion on teaching. But I found myself pondering on President Monson's talk about great teachers in his life.

I started thinking about teachers who had made a difference in my life. I was surprised that the list was quite short. Maybe - and this is probably so - I have forgotten whole chunks of my earlier life!!

I hope it doesn't mean that I haven't had that many great teachers. (How else to explain who I am today!!??)

But more are from school than from church. In fact, I can't remember the name of one single Primary teacher!!

But the one Primary teacher I do remember, although not by name, actually didn't help me, rather she gave me an almost life-long complex about my ability to learn new things. Let me explain.

When I was in Primary, the older girls' class was called "Seagulls." In order to move on to "mutual" you had to make a piece of needlework - either knitting or crocheting. I couldn't seem to get the hang of either one of them. I did produce a pile of "chaining" which for the uninformed is how you start to crochet something. She let this "count" and I was moved on. She told me that some people just couldn't do certain things, and crocheting was something I just couldn't do.

I never learned to swim as a child, but when I was 14, my brother Charlie almost drowned at a Cub Scout activity. After that my mom took us all over to the public pool and signed us up for lessons. It's a little tough to learn to swim at 14 when the class is full of children much younger than you. I didn't do well. The teacher actually told me that maybe I was too old to learn. And I believed her. (And everyone who knows me knows that I'm not much of a swimmer.)

Then in high school, we had tennis in P.E., and I did badly. My teacher, Mrs. Lazurus, told me that some people just couldn't play tennis, and I must be one of them. I liked Mrs. Lazurus, and she once gave me some excellent advice that I have remembered my whole life. But her assertion in this case was probably not helpful. (And certainly everyone knows I'm not much of a tennis player.)

Many years later, a friend made some charming little crocheted Christmas tree ornaments, and I wanted to buy some from her. She said she'd show me how to make them - they were a cinch. I said, oh, I can't crochet. Well, I will teach you she said. You don't understand I said, I'm one of those people who can't learn to crochet. To this she asserted that there was no such thing as someone who couldn't learn to crochet - and she proceeded to teach me how!! (And I've been crocheting ever since!)

I guess you could say that she was an excellent teacher!! (Her name was Lorraine Gould.)

I thought I'd do one post of "Teachers I have known" but maybe this will be Chapter 1!

Thinking about Annie

Walking home today, I found myself thinking about Annie Burnham. For the uninitiated, Annie was a very large presence in our lives for a few years, until she died in 1990.

I first met Annie when I was assigned to be her visiting teacher in 1980. Saying she was hostile doesn't describe the situation very accurately. Louise Childers, an elderly sister in the ward, was my companion. The first time we went, Annie wouldn't let us in. She talked to us through the screen door. Both Louise and Annie were Southern, and I think Ann might have been sharper with us, but the accent stopped her. In fact, I was told that the Ward Mission leader had gotten in to see her once on the strength of his recognition of the county she was from in Georgia by her accent. (He was from a neighboring county.)

We kept going - and developed a pretty good rapport with her grandson Dwayne!! One time, however, I think she forgot and let us in. After that I think she realized she couldn't very well not let us in the next time. Over time, she talked about her issues with the church. It turned out that she had been baptized as a child when her parents joined the church. Her parents had been very controlling and dictatorial, and they would only let her associate with the other LDS kids in their ward. But there weren't a lot of members in Georgia, and at age 16 Annie rebelled and ran away and got married.

She was gone for 9 months - and then her husband dropped her off at her mother's house - and Annie was in labor. She gave birth to a son - a son her mother appropriated by telling Annie to go to the city and work and they'd raise the boy. And Annie did just that.

A few years later, she married again and gave birth to a daughter. She and her husband headed for the west. At one stop, their baby daughter seemed very ill to Annie, so they went to the ER. They told her the baby was fine and sent them home. That night the baby died - Annie always believed the doctors knew her little girl was not going to live and just didn't tell her.

That marriage didn't last either, but Annie did make it to California. She married again and had a son and a daughter. She told me that she occasionally went to church and even had her children baptized. But once when she asked for some assistance, she was insulted when the Relief Society President came over to assess her needs. When the Bishop and R.S. President found out that they had offended her, they came over and apologized. They tried to explain to her that it was just Church policy to be sure that aid recipients were truly in need. However, Annie was not convinced.

Years went by, and Annie had visiting teachers and home teachers of varying degrees of diligence. And then I met her.

As years and months went by, Annie came to trust me. And she was blessed with a great home teacher and a Relief Society President who understood her needs. Annie needed work - and I needed a babysitter, so she started babysitting for me one day a week. What a treat that was. It was the year I was pregnant with Noah, and it was such a treat to go off every Wednesday and do whatever I wanted to do, knowing that Eliza and Hannah were in good hands. I remember one time I went to the show all by myself - saw "Three Men and a Baby," and I was wondering who would be in the theater at 11 in the morning. I soon found out just who goes to the show at 11 a.m. - the Senior Citizen Set!!

Word got out, and soon other women in the stake and neighborhood hired Annie. She enjoyed the money and the work. It was a win/win situation for all of us. After Noah was born, Ann absolutely adored him. He could scream and cry and fuss and she would just hold and comfort him. One time she was playing with him and he laughed out loud - he was only a few months old too. She was delighted - and it was delightful to watch her joy!

Annie had smoked for many years. She did quit, but the damage had been done. She suffered from congestive heart failure, and she continued to get worse. Soon she was getting hospitalized often. Many times I would feel impressed to call her. But I wouldn't always call. And every time I didn't, she would turn out to be in some kind of crisis. One time her son - who was exactly my age - was dying of cancer at County USC. She'd had surgery and couldn't go visit. I had just given birth to Eliza, so I wasn't up to the trip either. Her son died - Eliza and I went - along with the home teacher and the Relief Society President. Ann came - as did her son's former wife and his two daughters. And that was it. I couldn't believe someone could live for 38 years and no one seemed to care when he died!

At the end, I had figured out that when the spirit prompted me to call Annie, I needed to act on that prompting. I got a call from her home teacher one night. He'd just been to see her and suggested I go over in the morning. I felt I should go right then - but it was after 10 p.m. I finally went - walked in to Santa Teresita and no one said boo! And I found Ann and sat with her for a time. She couldn't talk, but she could squeeze my hand. I left around midnight.

I got a call the next morning that she had died at 2 a.m.

I once asked Eliza, Hannah and Noah if they remembered Ann. They all said they didn't really remember her but that I had talked about her so often that they thought they knew her.

Maybe that's why I wanted to write this - I want to always remember Annie Burnham and the many lessons she taught me. I don't have a single photograph of her - but I will never forget her.

The Birth of a Mother

I've been home for almost a week now - and had intended to write this post when I first got home. In fact, I thought about it while waiting for my plane. But life happens when you get home. And this week my life included a few major events like a women's conference, some pivotal IEP meetings and an articulation meeting with the elementary RSP teachers.

But today was an inservice day, so even though I had to go to work, I didn't have to deal with students. That makes life easier! And I thought some more about this post.

What started me thinking today was thinking about Ara's upcoming 10th birthday! Ara made me a grandmother, so I thought about how Bonny made me a mom. There is a process that goes on - and if you are careful and thoughtful, you can see it happening.

I think when Bonny was born, I was overwhelmed by all the tactile forces that come with motherhood. Like Olga Coleman used to say, "I feel like a sponge!" By the time my body got back to normal, I had an infant to care for, so there wasn't a lot of time for reflection. And then motherhood just marched on, and I just took it as it came.

I was so excited to be a grandma and there was lots to do caring for Bonny and Ara - and Bruce too I suppose, although he is pretty self-sufficient. It was the kind of "lots to do" that you love doing. We read and talked and took care of Ara - and snatched naps whenever we could. We weren't too philosophical.

When I came with Ella, Ara was a toddler who needed a lot of time and attention, so we certainly didn't sit around feeling philosophical.

When Henry was born, the emergency c-section added an element of urgency to the situation. Phoebe was a trooper, but she needed to heal, along with all the other stuff that comes with first time motherhood. Needless to say, we didn't spend much time being philosophical.

This time around though, with Eliza, I found myself reflecting on the process of becoming a mother. I noticed many things that either didn't happen with the other girls, or they happened and I didn't notice. For one thing, Matt and I kept trying to get Eliza in to nap - and she resisted. Finally she said, "I don't want to go in the bedroom alone while you're all out here with Theo."

A light bulb went on in my head. This was a mom who had been denied some of the "bonding" moments because of her surgery. She hadn't even changed Theo until he was nearly a week old. She wanted to be with him - not off in the room resting without him. This was a mother coming into being.

And when I started seeing these feelings at play, it became easier to know what to do and say. And it afforded me the opportunity to truly observe the love and devotion Eliza was ready to give this wonderful little boy.

The birth of a mother is really almost as miraculous as the birth of a baby.

Anchored in Christ

IMG_3384
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

Here is the picture of me with our keynote speaker and the class teachers we had at our Women's Conference on Saturday.

I kept fiddling around and got it to post on flickr anyway.

Saturday night . . .

One of the things that I notice about having Harry, Dawn and kids here is that I'm reminded of my own life a few years ago.

Saturday night is a case in point - Dawn was rolling up Eve's hair in curlers - an activity I was often engaged in on a Saturday night! Actually I have many memories of Saturday night hair rolling from my own childhood - I loved sitting on the floor in front of the couch while my mom either put curlers in my hair - or pin curls - I'm that old!!

This Saturday night featured Dad working on his new computer, Eve and Porter snacking on cookies and milk, Dawn snacking on cookies too, and yours truly sweeping up sand from the laundry room floor! (We had sand on the tables at the Women's Conference - and I took home some of the table cloths to wash - and someone who gathered them up neglected to dump the sand first!! But we're not naming names!!)

After all, Saturday is a special day!

"Each life that touches ours for good . . ."

I had a sweet experience in the temple on Saturday.

A little background though. I have a dear friend in the ward. She was the R.S. President just before me. We are in a book group together. We have traveled to the BYU Women's Conferences together. And we've had lots of great discussions.

While she was R.S. President about 5 years ago, her daughter Marla died a week after giving birth to her 7th child. It was a great shock, and a great loss for Carolyn. I didn't know Marla extremely well, but we exchanged Christmas cards. Marla's daughter Ashley was getting ready to enroll at BYU - which she did.

Ashley got married on Saturday. While I was waiting to finish up the session I was attending, I saw Ashley sitting with her groom and the sealer. I went over and said, "You don't know me, but I was a friend of your mom's and I'm a good friend of your grandma. I want to wish you all the best."

Then the sealer said, "She left their rings in her locker downstairs." So I said, "Would you like me to go get them for you?" And he said, rather enthusiastically, "That would be great if you wouldn't mind."

So I scurried down the spiral staircase to the Bride's Room and the ladies there opened Ashley's locker and we rummaged around and found the rings.

I hustled back to the Celestial Room with my precious cargo - and the bride and groom were genuinely pleased to have their rings.

And I was genuinely pleased to have been of service. The sealer could have very easily asked any temple worker to go get the rings. There are many of them, and they are always anxious to be of service.

But I enjoyed feeling that I was "looking out for Ashley." I enjoyed thinking about Marla and Carolyn - and how I would enjoy telling Carolyn about it.

We try to go to the temple each week. All the issues with Noah seem to derail me mentally and spiritually - a trip to the temple helps. As does fasting, praying, writing letters to Noah and sending him packages.

I hope whoever crosses Noah's path is able to "look out" for him too.

More "Vingtage" Baby Stuff

More Vintage Baby Stuff
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

I had forgotten about this bouncing chair, because the one I have now is the plain blue one - which works beautifully - and it was one piece of baby furniture that Bruce approved of - undoubtedly because of its minimalist nature!

I think this plaid one was a shower gift with Eliza - and I think it might have "worn out" so I got the plain blue one with Noah.

And even though this fabric has a pattern, compared to the models they have now, this one could also be deemed "plain!!"

Regardless of the fabric, these bouncing chairs were a personal fave of mine. They worked better than a swing for my kids - a little tap with my foot and the boucing started!

And unlike the plastic carriers that were all the rage when Bonny and Harry were born, they molded to the baby's shape like a hammock or sling - a plus in my book.

This little sunsuit Eliza is wearing was another personal fave of mine - it was printed terry cloth - soft and absorbant.

"What do you think . . .?

I have observed that many bloggers are given to "lists" like "ten things that drive me nuts" or "ten tunes to tickle your toes." Ten seems to figure prominently in these endeavors.

I usually have a hard time coming up with more than 3 of anything. Probably because I was trained in Advanced Comp in 12th grade to give three supporting details when writing an essay. Of course, I could probably come up with "ten places I've visited" or "ten people who have had an impact on my life." But I think that's been done.

I walk to and from school. It's maybe a mile - it takes 20 minutes going and 25 coming back - back is uphill!! I walk in the morning with my friend Rene, and we never run out of stuff to talk about. But I walk home alone. And I find that I never run out of stuff to think about.

So I started thinking about what I could put on a list of ten. I thought maybe I could write about "The Best Advice I've Ever Received." I thought it had a nice sound to it, and could be elucidating and maybe even helpful. Especially since advice is often helpful - especially when we take it!

I was surprised to discover that it took awhile to come up with ten. And I know that bloggers often start with the least and go to the biggest or best. But my walk wasn't long enough for that So here they are, the ten best pieces of advice I've ever received or given - in no particular order - although I am starting with the one I thought about first!

1. Whenever I go to a baby shower and they ask you to write advice for the mom-to-be, I always share the advice my mom gave me many years ago: Never do anything when your kids are asleep that you can do when they are awake. (Advice she often took - I have many memories of coming home from school to find my mom stretched out on the couch reading - while the unfolded laundry sat on the hearth - or was still on line for us to go bring in!)

2. In that same vein, wheneverI go to a bridal shower and they want you to give advice to the bride-to-be, I always share this advice that Ida S. shared at someone's bridal shower a number of years ago: Never learn to mow the lawn - if you do, it will become your job.

3. Once Eliza wrote and asked for advice about some future choices she was facing. I was thrilled to be asked, but found that I was giving her some pretty standard - but nonetheless excellent - advice: It will never be easier and cheaper to do than right now.

4. I ended up an English major in college when my roommate Pat said, after asking me what I was going to major in, and I replied maybe math or French (don't even ask why I said math, because I have not had a math class since 11th grade, but I said it anyway), "Major in English, French takes too many units and math is too hard." I've never been sorry I followed her advice.

5. Harry's 2nd counselor when he was Bishop once said, "Have you taken the CBEST?" I said no. He then said, "Take it and I'll get you all the work you need." (He was the principal at Clifton at the time. Another excellent choice in my life.)

6. When Bishop Cornwall called me to be Ward Relief Society President, I was trying to think of some compelling information to share with him that would cause him to say, "Oh of course I'd better retract that request." Of course I came up with nothing of the sort. So I looked at Harry and said, "What do you think?" And he said, "Yes is always a good choice."

7. Back in the day when diapers were cloth and were atttached with pins, the best advice I ever got was to keep a bar of soap handy to stick the pins in - they slid in and out like a dream! (Running the pins through his beard worked well for Harry!!)

8. My sister Alice once said that her mother-in-law - or maybe it was her sister-in-law - said that if you wanted to sew, you had to learn to do it a seam at a time. It's true - and it works for me. (Of course it really only works if you have a sewing space you can close the door on.)

9. Speaking of sewing, my old roommate Marlene, said that if you wanted to get any sewing done, you just got up in the morning and started sewing - and don't worry about getting dressed or making the beds - if you stopped and did that, you'd never get to the sewing. And I believe that's true for just about anything you want to get accomplished.

10. And to wrap things up - some baby advice - which seems to be the kind we women hear the most often: Never tell anyone what you are naming your baby before it's born. Somehow no one minds saying "I wouldn't stick any kid with that name" when the baby's not here. Once here, it really is too rude to say "Your baby has a terrible name."

Except when my dad called after Phoebe was born and found out that we were naming her Phoebe Elizabeth, he said, "I'll call her Betty!"

But he always called her Phoebe! And we all know Phoebe's name is a perfect fit!

More "vintage" kid stuff!!

Umbrella strollers are almost a fact of life now - like microwaves and VCR's and cell phones. But I was there when they invented them!! And we had one of the first ones!! And we thought it was the proverbial "bee knees" as they say.

(Which reminds me that we were among the first on our block to have a calculator - and it took 8 double AA batteries and only had a red LCD screen - no tape, no memory, just added, subtracted, divided and multiplied. And we thought we were so hip and with it!)

And it cost $69.00 at Sears!!

But I digress. Here the little plaid umbrella stroller features Bonny and little sister Phoebe in front of the Cook Apts. in Centerville in 1978.

Rockin' Down Memory Lane

This baby equipment photo shows the kitchen of the Rock House - and the window that looked out onto the glassed in front porch - where I sat and had many a conversation with Alice on the phone - note the phone cord!!

And it's Harry and his Raggedy Andy - about 1973.

But the post is about the Cosco highchair, circa 1971. My dad "bought" it for us with S&H Green Stamps. It lasted through 5 kids - and only had to be retired because the attaching mechanism on the tray wore out!!

I loved how it could be hauled outside and scrubbed and hosed off and brought in all shiny clean again! And there wasn't even a tear in the plasic covering the back or seat!!

They just don't make things like they used to.

The other photo comes from the kitchen of the Cook Apts. And it's Bonny feeding Phoebe in early 1978.

Do you notice that we have Proper Nouns for the places we've lived? The House of Do Chung, Johnson's Place, The Douglas Basement, The Portia Apts., Butterfield Arms, The Rock House, Harris' House, The Cook Apts, The Duplex, The Nauvoo House, The House on Lime, The Primrose House?

I'll bet Harry P. is the only one who knows all of them!! There's a post lurking in that last paragraph!!

Help, get me out of here!!

Baby Port a crib 1977
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

It's 1978 and Phoebe is in the portacrib - the very one that I hauled home from JC Penney in 1970 and I hauled it home on the bus and I was carrying Bonny at the same time. I'm not sure how I did it - but I remember doing it nonetheless. I think lots of kind Good Samaritans helped me along the way.

Here we are at "the property" by Mantuay - went up with the Goulds - had a little picnic as I recall.

I think Phoebe wants out. And the best thing about this portacrib was that no child of ours ever managed to climb out of it without assistance.

A Little "Stroll" Down Memory Lane

Baby Stroller 1973
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

I started out doing a rather excellent post on baby equipment over the years. And I had researched through my photo stash to find as many shots as I could that included ancient baby gear. There were 9 or 10 of them at last count.

Blogger on Firefox has been having beaucoup problemos, so I went to Internet Explorer and up until I tried to do this post, it worked. But it wouldn't work this time.

So I gave up and went to flickr. But of course, the beginning is now at the end - because I didn't think it all through. And frankly, I'm ready to call it a night, so I'm not going to change it.

So I will just post a photo or two a day until I've got them all done. And when you read this one, you can scroll down and read the next two - and when you get to the last one, you will know how I planned to begin my excellent post that wasn't.

This is Bonny and Harry in 1973, in the backyard of the 4plex we lived in on 10th East in SLC. Joan bought us this stroller when Bonny was born, and it was the Cadillac of its time. It had a detachable car bed - that was very handy for car trips. It also had a wire basket and a canopy that I didn't use very often, because I would have Bonny stand on the back when we went for walks.

We went for a lot of walks in this stroller - especially because we didn't have a car for a while after Bonny was born. And the car bed worked on many levels - when attached to the stroller, it was like a buggy.

I made Bonny's little pink dress - and knee socks were all the rage.

To Baby Chair or Not to Baby Chair

Baby Carrier 1970
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

The controversial buzz in the mother's rooms of the late 60's and 70's involved the question of whether or not to use a baby carrier like this one.

Harry was pretty much opposed to them philosophically - they were all plastic and babies got left sitting in them a lot. Actually, it was a fairly new concept in baby gear and not everyone used them.

We got this as a gift - and it proved to be handy for a number of things - not the least of which was putting the baby up on something so they could look around at the world and see you as you went about the house.

Baby Equipment Over the Years

Baby walker - 1978
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.

Eliza's recent post on recommendations for baby equiment struck a responsive chord in the blogger audience.

It got me thinking about all the baby equiment I have known and loved over the years. Gone are the days when you just padded a bureau drawer to make a bed for baby - although we actually had friends who did just that.

This photo shows Lyn with Harry F. and Betsy in 1974 I think. And the featured equipment is a baby walker! Not a watershed piece of baby gear - but it did provide some diversion in the kitchen when you were fixing dinner.

It wasn't mine - and I'm not sure where this photo was taken or whose walker it was. But I did have one once - probaby a borrowed one though.

Taking care of number one!

Over the past year or so, I have been given gift certificates for a facial, a massage, a manicure and a pedicure - luxuries that I have heretofore not participated - or should I say - indulged - in.

So I thought I ought to use them - everyone I mentioned this to said something like "I got a gift certificate for a facial two years ago but I've never used it." and I was afraid I would end up in that category.

So Friday I had a facial - and the esthetician persuaded me that I'd want to add the hydration treatment and foot massage for only $10 - so Friday night I was feeling pretty soft-soled and hydrated!! And I truly enjoyed basking in the ministrations of someone so skilled in making me feel pampered and relaxed.

Then Saturday I had a manicure - I'm not really a pedicure person and they said I could use the pedicure for another manicure. I have indulged in manicures, and I enjoy them. Not fake nails, just a paint job - with the pampering ministrations included!

And then today I had a full body massage - very relaxing, yes and I truly enjoyed it - I have had one before and swore I'd figure out a way to make it a business expense and have one monthly!! But that really didn't happen.

I'm ready to settle for a weekly foot massage - it would be cheaper!

So I'm feeling fairly decadent - and I will state unequivicably that I could get used to such a life as this!!

On to a new job!

I was officially released on Sunday as the Monrovia Ward Relief Society President. I had been doing double duty for a few weeks - but it really wasn't so bad - not much was going on and we had General Conference in there too.

I wasn't there for the event(we were in Malibu for Ella's baptism)- so it was kind of a non-event for me. But I had been meeting with Jennifer, the new President, several times, so I had a chance to reflect on the past almost 3 years that I have served.

As I went over things with Jennifer, I thought about what I hoped my legacy would be. I finally decided that there were 3 facets to my years of service that I hoped would continue.

One was the weekly newsletter. Harry likes to laugh at me about my obsession with newsletters, but they truly are a great tool. The idea is not original with me. When I served with Polly Bourgeous many years ago, she did one. And at the end of each R.S. meeting, she handed me a bundle with a list of names of women who weren't there that day and told me to deliver them and find out why they weren't there! And she asked for a report when we met each week for our presidency meeting!

The previous R.S. president asked me to do it about 6 months before I was called. So I now have a fat 3 ring binder full of newsletters - from July 2002 until the present - and it's like a ward history/life history combined. They have a great value - they keep women connected, they give you something to send to those who can't or don't come, and they provide a record of what you have done.

The next tradtion I valued was the implementation of birthday visits. My mom actually suggested this plan when I was a counselor to Polly and we did it with her. Once again, it's a way to connect. No one turns you away on their birthday - at least no one ever turned me away! I had wanted to meet every sister in the ward - but I missed about a dozen of them who just were never there when I called - but those I did meet were friendly - I could run into them at the street fair and feel comfortable saying hi! (Obviously I'm referring to less-active sisters - I had my counselors mostly take the active sisters.)

The final program I tried to implement was All Sister Sundays four times a year - March for the birthday, May for Mother's Day, September for a parenting lesson and December for the holiday. The Elder's Quorum would cover Primary for the last hour and a member of the bishopric would teach the Young Women. We just had our regular lesson - it was the getting together that was so great. In March, I had 9 former ward Relief Society Presidents each take 3 minutes to share something about their experience - that was a first Sunday lesson - and it was a spiritual feast. We are 2 wards that have been combined to make one, so we needed to connect - and this was a way to do so. When it wasn't Fast Sunday, we ended with muffins and juice in the cultural hall. Breaking bread together is always a good idea!!

So a chapter in my life closes - and a new one opens. We are doing a brunch on Saturday for the outgoing Stake Relief Society Presidency. And there is a Stake Leadership Meeting on the 19th. And we have a Women's Conference in January. And there are wards to visit.

And maybe I will figure out how to do a Stake Relief Society Newsletter!!

There's really nothing general about Conference!

Once again I loved listening to Conference. And I thought about how I have been listening to Conference for many years - under many different circumstances.

As a child, I remember that Conference was something that sounded very adult and boring. We would sit on dining room chairs in front of the radio in the living room and listen to the Sunday morning session - which was the only one you could get here in So Cal. And then after, we would go to Sunday School at the ward! That went on for a lot of years.

The next Sunday, at Sacrament meeting, (which was in the late afternoon or evening - before the "block!") those members of the ward who had attended conference in SLC would get up and "report" on the talks they had heard. One man in our ward, Brother Petty, went each year and worked as an usher at the Tabernacle. He always had a lot to report.

When I went off to BYU, I discovered that Conference was available all around me - on T.V. sets in the Y Center or my dorm (not many of us had T.V.'s in our rooms.) In April of 1964, we actually went up to Salt Lake and attended a session in the Tabernacle. I'd like to report that I was overwhelmed spiritually or something, but if I didn't have a picture of the day, I would not remember that I had gone!! I don't even know who we went with - probably Joy and Krenzer - he had a car.

During the years we lived in Salt Lake, I came to enjoy and appreciate the blessing of having conference available in the comfort of my own home. And I would use the time to catch up on my ironing as I watched it on T.V. KBYU rebroadcast it at night, so Harry and I would watch it then if we'd missed something during the day. I did a lot of crocheting then too!

On beautiful fall days during October conference, we often took drives to see the leaves and then listened to Conference as we drove along.

The first year we were back in California, I think we got one or two sessions on the T.V. - and I don't remember when the broadcasts started being available by satellite. But I enjoyed going to the stake center and watching it on the big screen rather than staying home to watch it. However, it really worked better to watch it at home with little kids - especially when you could co-ordinate naps with sessions! So sometimes we took turns going to the stake center and staying at home.

I remember the last year Bruce R. McConkie spoke - I was in the Stake Center - whenever anyone quotes that great talk, I am transported to the chapel there and I can see it in my mind's eye. Whenever we sing "I Believe in Christ" I think of that conference talk too.

When Harry was the Bishop and I was the YW President, we took the Priests and Laurels to Salt Lake for Conference twice - and those were fun, great experiences. One year we went up to Wrightwood with the youth and had activities centered around conference. We stayed in cabins and it snowed and everything. It was lots of fun - and I think many of the youth came to see how relevant conference could be. We had a testimony meeting after the last session, and it was very moving.

About 2 years ago we finally managed to go to the Conference Center - at least Harry,Matt, Eliza, Hannah, Noah and I did! It was a great experience too - I had thought that the largeness of the building would somehow detract, but it did not.

For the last 2 years, Harry and I have been gone over Conference weekend - twice for the St. George Marathon, once for Nebeker's wedding and then I was gone up to Phoebe's one April. It was nice to be back home and attending every session in the Stake Center once again.

Every session is wonderful - and these last sessions were no exception. I truly felt that the speakers were speaking to me personally - right from the first talk. And as I listened, I was thinking how the words I was hearing were words I needed to hear.

The Lord does indeed speak to us in the latter days - and knows what we need to hear.

"Sew what?"

Last Christmas I made aprons for my daughters. I had a couple of friends who were into vintage aprons, and Phoebe had clued me into eBay. The old aprons on eBay were sometimes overpriced. At some point I thought, "I could made an apron like that."

I then remembered a pattern my mom had used to make me an apron 30 years ago. And I not only located the apron pattern, but it turned out there were 3 of them - small, medium and large!

So I started making aprons, and it was a lot of fun. I started thinking of all kinds of people I'd like to make one for - birthdays, new babies, bridal showers - the list was endless.

I have made probably 25 or 30 aprons since December. I am always on the lookout for vintage or retro fabrics - even traditional fabrics catch my eye. So do good deals!

And I've gotten pretty fast too - I can make one in under two hours now.

The best thing about it, however, is the fact that I have made enough of them that I'm pretty much on AutoPilot when I sew. So I can think and ponder and compose letters and blogs in my head!! And when I'm done, I have something to show for my time.

I can see why people have hobbies!!

"Giving" to Remember 9/11

I had been contacted by the Red Cross to donate blood today. They've been calling me all summer - and I kept forgetting my appointments - on purpose and by accident.

But today I remembered - and thought, "I won't forget this time - I can do this to honor 9/11."

So I went and had to wait an hour - and I had an appointment! Then they tested my blood and it looked like I might not have enough red blood cells! So the nurse said, "Well, we will have to spin it and see if it's okay."

And she came back smiling - assuming I guess that I'd be disappointed if I couldn't give blood. And maybe I would have been.

I thought about Carol Lynn Pearson's poem, "Giving,"

I love giving blood.
Sometimes I walk in
Off the street
When no one has even asked
And roll up my sleeve.

I love lying on the table
Watching my blood flow
Through the scarlet tube
To fill the little bag
That bears no address.

I love the mystery
Of it's destination.
It runs as easily
To child or woman or man,
Black or white,
Californian or Asian,
Methodist, Mormon,
Moslem or Jew.

Rain does too.
Rivers do.
I think God does.
We do not.

Our suspicious egos clot
On the journey
From "Us" to "Them."

So I give blood
To practice flowing,
Never knowing
Where it's going.
And glad.

"DIg, dig, "Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig the whole day through . . ."

The Seven Dwarfs were certainly workers of a high caliber. At least they stayed on task all day! (Better than me - although I did stay at the weeding this a.m. until it was done - at least it was a manageable task!!) (And I certainly stayed on task with my blogging!!)

I did a lesson in class on Friday about the origins of Labor Day. I have been doing that over the years - doing brief lessons on the origins of holidays. I do this mainly because is distresses me that most kids just think a holiday is a day to go shopping - or one created by Hallmark to sell cards! They look blank when you say, "Well, why is November 22nd important?" or "What do we commemorate on December 7th?" or "What is Veteran's Day and why do we always celebrate it on the 11th and not the 2nd Monday in November?"

Labor Day has more of a history than I realized. For one thing, there is not agreement on who started it. Some say it was Peter McGuire. Others say it was Matthew Maguire. (And they're not related - ha, ha - that's one my kids don't always get - but then when I was a kid I couldn't understand why Clayton Smith, who lived on Louise, wasn't a relative of ours!!)

Both of these men were early leaders in the labor union movement in the United States. And whoever really was first instigated a parade and picnic in New York on September 5, 1882. Other states and cities joined in over the years, and by 1894, Congress had made it a national holiday.

But I don't think they ever said anything about not wearing white shoes after Labor Day!!

School Bells

The school bells are indeed ringing around here - we start on Wednesday, but the teachers had to report to work today.

Unlike legions of kids who are gearing up for the first day - and in spite of protestations to the contrary - are actually pretty excited to get back to the routine of school - I am not excited!

Each year it gets worse - and I was wondering why. In my case, things keep changing - and not always for the better. I try not to be negative - and by next week, I will be in the swing of things and won't be reflecting on such things as much - but one of the first things I discovered about teaching was that it was all about change. You get used to a group of students, a place, a routine. But the next year there are new students to get to know, old students who are older and a little different, and sometimes a new classroom is assigned or the textbooks change or the bell schedule is different or your prep period is reassigned.

All of the above have happened to me on a regular basis. And I have pretty much acknowledged that it's going to be different each year. But something else is changing too. Something more fundamental. Harry says it's the Wal Mart Effect - and I think he's right.

The principal needed my much-loved classroom for the discipline room. I could understand that - it's right next to the counselor's office in the main hall and it's a good place. But she put the other SPED teacher and me into the two smallest classrooms in the school!

We've always had 2 student-free periods - one for testing and IEP's and one for prep. But now we have only one. For testing and IEP's we have one sub day a month and maybe I can make that work. But it will require a new approach, which means more work.

Then the principal wanted the other SPED teacher and me to share students so that the kids would get more variety in their day. So that means bigger classes, since I don't just have kids on my caseload. And in a smaller classroom, bigger classes is huge!!(Bigger in SPED means 15 instead of 8)

There was supposed to be another teacher hired, but for some reason they didn't. We are keenly disappointed, because more teachers mean fewer students in each class which means more opportunity to help more kids! It's really just basic math!

So you can see that the corporation (the district) is squeezing everything to get a better product for less. (I won't even go into the testing mania we are in here in America - no child left behind indeed - this madness seems to be leaving more, not less, kids behind - don't get me started!)

Wal Mart - who knew it could invade the classroom?!

"Where Nothing Is Long Ago"

is the title of a book about growing up in Utah. Virginia Sorenson, an author I admire, writes about her growing up years in a small Utah town.

I wasn't raised in Utah, but whenever I go there, especially to the Salt Lake/Provo area, I find myself reflecting on long ago events that seem to be in the present - at least they are alive in my mind.

The same was true this time also. When we walked into the Y Center (and it will always be the Y Center to me - never the Wilk! for heaven's sake!)I noticed the floors - and I said to Mom, "These are the very same floors I walked on over 40 years ago!" It's true, some things never change!

When I mentioned it to Harry, he said they are terrazzo - and terrazzo apparently is almost ageless. I'm glad - because those floors anchor the building in the past for me - and it wouldn't hold any memories for me if there wasn't some anchor there. Much has changed on the BYU campus - but much has stayed the same - at least in spirt if not in fact!

I enjoyed seeing old roommates this go round - my former roommates remain good friends - maybe I have forgotten all the negative and only retain the positive, but that's okay with me. These women were part of a very significant time in my life - and we can go years without seeing each other, and when we do see each other, the years melt away. It's the very best kind of friendship I can think of!

The Camelot Years

At Dorothy's funeral, an old friend, who also used to live in Monrovia, was one of the speakers. Her theme was "The Camelot Years." She went over all the things we used to do as young wives and mothers. She related it all to different aspects of Dorothy's life, but it brought back a lot of memeories.

My thought was that we need to cherish the moment - whatever moment it is. I reflect often on the past and enjoy getting together with old friends, but there is a present too, and I realize now that I need to preserve it also.

Another thought that came to me happened as we went into the viewing. Dorothy's son and his wife, the parents of little Jacob who drowned, were standing there. Sue hugged her and seemed to know what to say - or at least how long to hug her! I could only say, "I'm so sorry."

As we left the room, I said to Sue, "I am a woman of words. I value words. I love words. I think that words are the medium of choice. But right now, words fail me. There are no words to say right now."

Then today during Sacrament meeting, it came to me that there are many times when words fail us - and that is when we need to rely on the spirit - because the spirit can say what words can't say.

It has been an instructive weekend.

No longer waiting . .

On July 13th, I wrote a post about our friend Dorothy, who was struggling with cancer. We received an email today that she died morning. She had made it through her daughter's wedding, which was very important to her. The photo is from the wedding day at the temple, showing Dorothy on her gurney with her three grandsons.

Her husband has sent regular emails regarding her condition, and he reported that she was exhausted by all the wedding activities, but grateful that she had been able to be there for her daughter. The doctors had told him that she would rally to meet the occasion, then decline rapidly. That is apparently just how it went.

Her pain had increased and even morphine was not enough. She asked for her children who were out of state to come and say goodbye. She asked for a blessing that she could go in peace, and her family told her it was okay to go - they found it too difficult to see her in so much pain.

Her death apparently was not easy and peaceful - hospice had been there but they were short handed and so Don was alone with her as she struggled to breathe and slowly let go. It was comforting to see her at peace, but just prior to her death the family had been subjected to another tragedy.

Her three young grandsons, who had traveled from Utah with their parents, who wanted to be at Dorothy's bedside, were being cared for by a neighbor. While there, the 2 year old boy accidentally drowned. Don made it to the hospital to give him a blessing, but he did not survive. This happened on Monday and Dorothy died today, Tuesday.

I know the Lord tells us that we are only given as much as we can bear, but in his email, Don said, ". . .this is unbearable." I cannot even imagine such grief.

The family is taking comfort in the knowledge that Jacob and his beloved grandma are probably together, helping one another. Dorothy had expressed concerns about "dying well" and said, "What if I get lost and can't find my way?" Perhaps Jacob is helping her do just that.

On another sad note, Dorothy's mom suffered a massive stroke a few days after the wedding so her sister was staying with her. Neither of them were able to be with Dorothy at the end.

Don concluded his email with these words, and I find them inspiring, "I remain steadfast in Christ, willing to bow to Heavenly Father's will."

My trials are not the same as his - or yours for that matter. But we can all strive to "remain steadfast in Christ" so that our trials will not divide or destroy us.