Advent - day seven

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love brought to me, seven certain suitcases, six singing souls, five Yulenissers, four Christmas stockings, three special wishes, 2 rollers skates, and one very large sea kelp.

If you were one of the Clayton girls, you could wish for Samsonite luggage for Christmas - and your wish would come true. Samsonite luggage was available in the S&H Green Stamp Catalog. And it was nice luggage. Below is a picture of the kind I had. It was "hard" sided - and they really don't make that kind of luggage anymore - although I see a piece now and then. I'm not even sure when I finally got rid of all mine - I believe it was after we moved back to California. For many years I stored fabric in it!


Mine was gray. You didn't get a whole set - you got a piece each year, usually starting with the "cosmetic case." I remember thinking when I got the first piece when would I ever take a trip that would use all this lovely luggage!! (The irony here is that by the time I took a trip of some magnitude - to France - the luggage was too heavy for international travel, so I had to borrow Lyn's suitcase from his mission!)

But it took me off to college - I'm not even sure how many pieces I had, but it might have been three - the cosmetic case, a large piece, and a medium sized piece. They were lined with a yellow silk-like fabric. They were quite deluxe. ("seven certain suitcases" was just for alliterative effect!)

Newer luggage came into vogue - soft-sided, much lighter, and more flexible. Like a lot of "must haves," "must have" luggage went the way of the Edsel!!

Note: Harry and I returned from Virginia recently and my large red suitcase was ruined - the handle wouldn't go down once we got it up. Harry took it apart and discovered that the metal tube that the handle went up and down in had been seriously bent.

That would never have happened with my gray Samsonite luggage!

Advent - day six

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, six singing souls, five Yulenissers, four Christmas stockings, three special wishes, 2 roller skates, and one very large sea kelp.

The Messiah has long been part of the Terrill family Christmas tradition. The first time I ever attended a performance was on our first wedding anniversary - December 22, 1968. The Salt Lake Oratorio Society gave an annual performance, free of charge, in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Our good friends Kay and Steve were going and invited us along.

We continued to go each year while we lived in Utah. At some point we started taking Bonny and Harry with us. When we moved to California in 1979, we discovered the Messiah Sing Along at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion - and a new tradition was born.

The first time Dad and I went alone. Coming out after wards, the patrons heading down the stairs began singing carols - and another tradition was born. In the ensuing years, we began inviting others to join us, gathered for a meal beforehand, and occasionally attended the Sing Along Messiah at the Foothill Building. One year Harry invited Dawn along - this was before they were engaged - and she made eclairs that we ate afterward while seated by the lighted fountains

Like lots of things we do and enjoy, the Sing Along got more expensive to attend, eating beforehand became logistically more difficult to do, and the powers that be change the dates in what appears to be a random manner.

But we keep going and we keep enjoying it. I remember that first year thinking that the program would never end. Now I always feel like it ends too soon.

Hallelujah!!

Advent - day five

On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, five Yulenissers, four Christmas stockings, three special wishes, 2 roller skates, and one very large sea kelp.

When we lived in Centerville, we had a dear friend named Else. She was Danish. Her son was a less-active member of our ward - she was not a member. Her husband had joined the church in Denmark as a boy, but was never very active. When he married and immigrated to the United States, he and his wife decided that if they had sons they would raise them LDS, and if they had girls they would raise them Lutheran. They had sons, so we got to know her through her son Ed.

Else would go to Relief Society with me. She lived with Ed and his wife, and they both worked all day. She enjoyed getting out and loved coming to Relief Society - back in the day when we met mid-week. She often went with me when I ran errands or drove in to Salt Lake City. She loved Bonny and Harry, and they seemed to return the feeling.

On one of our treks to Salt Lake City, we went to the Scandinavian House, a wonderful store that had all things Scandinavian in it. That might not seem like much to those of you who are part of the Ikea generation, but it was a very big deal to all of us. Else told me stories about Denmark, taught me to make Aebelskivvers, gave me treasured heirlooms from the old country that she said her family simply did not value, and taught me to make Yulenissers. (I'm not at all sure about the spelling on this one. You Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians will just have to forgive me!!)

Yulenissers are small little gnome-like characters that look a little like Santa, a little like an elf, and can be made of red yarn, cotton, and felt. I was the Cultural Refinement teacher and wanted to make one for each of the sisters who came to the lesson I was giving on Denmark. Else taught me to make them. I was working on them, but even though they are tiny and simple to make, I wasn't making very rapid progress. It had taken me all night to make about 5 of them.

Harry and my brother Richard were working on a cabin in Smith-Morehouse, which is close to Kamas. One night as I sat making Yulenissers and waiting for Harry to come home, I started to worry because it was getting really late - like after 11 p.m. I was worried enough to call the Elder's Quorum president, who made a few calls - a counselor in our Bishopric was from Kamas, so he got the "search and rescue" guys out looking.

Meanwhile, Brother Walker offered to come over and sit with me while we waited. He was a 6th grade teacher at the local elementary school and was immediately interested in what I was crafting. He offered to help me, and soon we had a respectable pile of little yarn elves on the dining room table. Harry eventually got home - they had slid off into an embankment and were going to wait until daylight to hike out - the engine was running to keep them warm - and this was not the era of cellphones so no one knew what was going on with them.

Later Brother Walker told me that he had gone home and the next day had made enough Yulenissers to cover the tree in the hall of his elementary school - and his own tree at home!! For many years after, I made lots of the little guys to tie onto gifts. We have a few still that go on our tree each year. And over the years I have seen many other versions of them.

My favorite "reincarnation" of them is in the Tomten books - but that's another post in itself.

Many hands make light work. And busy hands can keep scary thoughts at bay too!

Advent - day four

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, four Christmas stockings, three special wishes, 2 roller skates, and one very large kelp.

Christmas stockings meant something very different in the Clayton household. I think I was married before I realized that most people had a specific Christmas stocking, not one of their dad's old work socks!!

The way it worked was you went and got one of Dad's work socks and pinned it to a spot on the couch or one of the overstuffed chairs. You wrote your name on a piece of paper and pinned that to the sock. The next morning, your stocking was stuffed and your gifts were stacked up next to it. Sometimes a sheet of tissue paper was draped over your gifts - to add a bit of mystery!!

I know that at one point, I wished that the gifts could be wrapped and piled under the tree. But after years of staying up late myself on Christmas Eve wrapping gifts, I understand completely why parents with 12 children would not do that for very long!!

The stockings always had the same contents: an orange, an apple, a banana, walnuts, filberts, peanuts, Life-Savers, a new box of crayons if you were a kid, and some Viviane Woodard cosmetics and toiletries if you were a female teen or above!

There is comfort in consistency!! And happy memories too!

Advent - day three

On the third day of Christmas my true love brought to me, three special wishes, 2 roller skates, and one very large kelp.


I always believed in Santa. That is, until Joan let the cat out of the bag!! I remember in the little house, she opened the door a crack and said, "See, there are Mom and Dad putting out the presents." I was crushed. But I kept on believing anyway! At least I kept on hoping and wishing. I would make lists of things I wanted for Christmas, knowing full well that I would not get them. Somehow the wishing was fun anyway.

We could safely wish for just about anything in the S&H Green Stamp catalog - but that wasn't the same as really wishing. Or you could wish for Vivianne Woodard cosmetics and be sure you'd get it. The boys could wish for Levi's or Pendleton shirts too.

I remember wanting a cashmere dyed to match sweater set. And a wool slim skirt to match. I never even came close to getting that, but that's what I wished for throughout my teen years. Many years later as an adult, I bought myself a sweater set - but not a cashmere one - I live in SoCal for goodness sake. But I was disappointed because I didn't really like it - and didn't think it looked very good on me either!

Maybe it's better just to wish for something and not find out that it's not as great as you think it's going to be!

Advent - day two

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 2 roller skates and one very large kelp!

Another Christmas memory I treasure is the year I got a pair of roller skates. Unless you're as old as I am, you probably don't remember roller skates that slipped on over your shoes that you tightened with a skate key. And then you wore the key around your neck on a string - because you had to stop often to tighten them.

I don't know if Santa brought me the skates or if my Grandma and Grandpa Stevens gave them to me. As a young child, I remember my grandparents always coming out on Christmas day and bringing nice gifts - almost as good as the ones Santa brought.

But the part of the memory that I treasure most is the memory of my Grandpa Stevens patiently holding on to my hand as I put my other hand on the outside walls of the house and practiced riding on my skates. (Our house was tiny and square - truly lent itself to being a roller rink in training!!) He stayed with me until I could do it on my own with confidence - I'm not sure I have that kind of patience today!!

When Harry (my husband) was a boy, he cut through his knee with a skill saw. His father grabbed him up and drove him to the hospital. He didn't scold or tell Harry he should have been more careful. Rather he stayed with Harry until he was stitched up and home in bed, comforting him and assuring him that all would be well.

Harry has often commented that this was a seminal experience for him. In spite of any differences he had with his father, he truly knew, had truly experienced, the love and tenderness of a devoted father. His father had not been a demonstrative man, and was somewhat stern and strict. But Harry knew that his father would not let that stand in the way of truly being a loving father to Harry.

My grandpa was critical of my mother. He thought she had too many children. He thought she spent too much of her time and energy and resources on church. He thought women didn't belong in college and would not support her desire to attend. My grandpa was also strict and not very demonstrative. My journey around the little house, holding on to the rough plastered walls while he held on to me persuaded me that my grandpa loved and cared about me.

From that point on, I found myself very comfortable with him. I could speak frankly to him and he would speak frankly back. And I knew he cared about what I thought and said. I felt that I had a relationship with him - and I look forward to meeting him again someday.

I loved my roller skates. We played with them all the time - up and down the neighbors' driveway. Roller skating filled our summer days and nights. And most other days and nights too.

But I love the experience I had learning to skate even more - it was a priceless gift.

Advent - day one

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, one very large kelp . ." Somehow that just doesn't seem to quite cut it does it?

While we were in D.C. this last week, we attended the National Cathedral for Evensong - something that occurs each day at 4 p.m. Last Sunday was the first Advent Sunday, so we got in on the whole Advent program, at least as practiced in the Episcopal Church. Apparently each Sunday until Christmas, another portion of Advent will be celebrated.

It was a moving program - and we got to sing some hymns and carols together. There were readers who read through "lessons" that were talking about the coming of Christ. The choirs were beautiful and the organist was one talented guy. The pastor of the church gave a very thoughtful sermon about the whole concept of Advent and "waiting and hoping in faith" and it was truly food for thought.

So I thought that I would reflect each day until Christmas on what Christmas means in my life - past and present. Hopefully, it will give me some insight that will make this Christmas season more meaningful - and joyful.

I was trying to think of what my first Christmas memory was about. I know we were living in the "little house" and I was quite young. There were two bedrooms in the house and we children slept in them. My parents slept on the hideabed in the living room. I remember arising way too early and watching the hands move ever so slowly on the face of Lyn's lighted Mickey Mouse watch.

So I guess my first memory wasn't about the birth of Christ - it was more focused on the aspect of Santa. Not so surprising - but I do know that I knew what Christmas was truly about. I just seemed to be drawn to Santa more than service or sacrifice!

I was young though. Hopefully time has altered my focus!

Daily Gratitude Journal

All good things must come to an end - and with the 30th of the month, my Daily Gratitude Journal will come to an end also. Not that I don't have things to be grateful anymore now that November is ending, but I would like to move on to the concept of Advent and counting down until Christmas.

So on this final day of my journal, I will note that I am grateful for our visit to the East coast to visit our kids and grandkids there. I am grateful that they want us to come - and grateful that we want to be there too. I hear too often from people who really don't like to be with their families - especially people who don't like to be with their mothers - and my heart aches a little for those people - all of them!

I believe that there truly is "beauty all around" when loving families are together - in fact or in spirit!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am certainly grateful today for the very lovely visit we have had with Eliza, Matt, Theo, Ida, Hannah, and Robbie!!

And sorry to see it end!!

But grateful for beautiful memories - and that we will be together again very soon for the holiday festivities!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I thought I'd posted up until the 30th!! Alas my memory is going.

But it seems pretty obvious that I would be grateful for spending today with the Selanders and the Hamills - and for having spent the day with all of them yesterday.

I'm also grateful for digital cameras that are storing up my visual memories that I can always peruse!!

Not so grateful for the freezing cold weather and the north wind that has been blowing - but grateful indeed for warm clothes and central heat!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am grateful for family reunions!!

Mark your calendar now for 2011!!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am grateful for opportunities to serve in the church.

And good people to serve with!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am grateful for college roommates - who are still a part of my life.

Can it have been so long ago??

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am grateful for Harry's family.
And that it is a forever family too!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I am grateful that Harry was born of goodly parents too.

A blessing that goes on and on!

Daily Gratitude Journal

Today is the 47th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Regardless of your political viewpoint, his murder was a crime, a dark page in the annals of American history.

I was a freshman in college, and we were stunned and horrified at the news. It was like an end of something innocent, and an introduction into the sometimes bleak world of adulthood.

But I am grateful that our nation has a system in place so that the violent death of a leader does not spell anarchy and doom. Grateful that we can count on order amid potential chaos.

God bless America!

Daily Gratitude Journal

We are off to Virginia to be with some of our favorite people - and leaving others of our favorite people behind.

I am grateful for Ara and Ella - the oldest grandkids. I just spent a long weekend with them - and loved every minute of it. Such bright, hard-working, generous girls.

I am truly blessed!

Daily Gratitude Journal

I was born of goodly parents.

And I am grateful for that blessing in my life.

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!!