I just finished reading "The Summer We Read Gatsby". It was about two half sisters brought together to settle the affairs of their eccentric aunt. It was an interesting, in that it brought the two girls together after an extended period of time to enlarge their points of view on the people they loved.
Now that I'm older I have conversations with those that have experienced the past with me. Not only am I getting to know them better and loving them more, I am coming to understand things that as a child I had only seen from a child's point of view.
In this story the two sisters grow closer and learn to enjoy each others uniqueness. One is sensible and shy, the other artistic and extravagant. At first they get on each other's nerves but each brings the other something new to think about. They discover things as they are sorting about other family members and come to learn not to judge. They find there is much more to the web of life that surrounds them than they had ever supposed.
I love family, the past, present and those things hoped for in the future.
26 October 2011
17 October 2011
Forget Me Nots
In October 2011 Dieter F Uchtodorf gave a wonderful talk on forget me not flowers.
He explained their meaning and history.
Then he challenged us to use them as a symbol to remember these five principals.
- First, forget not to be patient with yourself. We sometimes are more generous with others in this respect than with ourselves. Life is our time to improve. God knows that we are not perfect.
- Second, forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice. Ask yourself the question, "Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?".
- Third, forget not to be happy now. The lesson here was that if we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.
- Fourth, forget not the "why" of the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel is the light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us.
- Fifth, forget not that the Lord loves you. God loves you because you are His child. He loves you even though at times you may feel lonely or make mistakes.
This was the talk I've decided to focus on for the next six months.
My goal is to become a better and more attentive visiting teacher.
13 October 2011
Fingernails
Fingernails are the greatest invention ever. They can:
open locked doors (at my house)
pick up straight pins off the floor or pull them out of fabric as you sew
part hair that has gone astray on a small children's heads
push that little tiny button that changes the source on my car radio
grab that screw that just keeps getting away
make music on any hard surface
be painted for fancy hand jewelry
and not last, but today's use- wall paper and glue remover
You are more than welcome to leave any uses you have for them in the comment box.
Thanks.
I'm sure there are some very creative uses out there.
open locked doors (at my house)
pick up straight pins off the floor or pull them out of fabric as you sew
part hair that has gone astray on a small children's heads
push that little tiny button that changes the source on my car radio
grab that screw that just keeps getting away
make music on any hard surface
be painted for fancy hand jewelry
and not last, but today's use- wall paper and glue remover
You are more than welcome to leave any uses you have for them in the comment box.
Thanks.
I'm sure there are some very creative uses out there.
09 October 2011
Bermuda
I love Bermuda grass. Sure it dies during the winter but with a little TLC back it comes when it warms up.
When we bought our house the owners had not watered the plants consistently for a year or so. This caused a lot of stress on the plants. Then I came and it was not much better. Over time I lost many of the trees. There were 17 trees on this lot. Some of them died because they were eucalyptus and became sick and full of termites. The citrus died because I just did not give them enough attention. The pine trees out front were butchered by the neighbors and so we pulled them. There were three trees/bushes full of blue berries out front that attracted flies like crazy. I pulled them out just to maintain my sanity. (House full of children and flies, no, no ,no.)
We added soil to the front yard and then laid sod down after installing a sprinkler system. We also planted the apple trees, the grape vines and a few rose bushes. All of this gets watered on a timer so no matter how distracted I am they survive. Before the timer is was feast or famine. I would forget to water or it was running down the street two blocks away.
In the back the children have dug and rearranged the dirt to their whims. Sometimes with my permission and sometimes without. We rototilled it one year, Emilee did it. Then we watered and mostly weeds came up. Then last winter I put a timer on the back spicit to water a small garden. Julia and my project. It leaks a little and lo and behold, here comes the Bermuda.
Last weekend we moved the garden and re situated it. We are using the weed eater to mow the grass down it is so tall. Maybe over the winter we can install a small sprinkler to water some grass to play on. The children love the dirt but I love the feel of a little grass. I just have to keep in mind to balance my love of grass with my love of a small water bill.
When we bought our house the owners had not watered the plants consistently for a year or so. This caused a lot of stress on the plants. Then I came and it was not much better. Over time I lost many of the trees. There were 17 trees on this lot. Some of them died because they were eucalyptus and became sick and full of termites. The citrus died because I just did not give them enough attention. The pine trees out front were butchered by the neighbors and so we pulled them. There were three trees/bushes full of blue berries out front that attracted flies like crazy. I pulled them out just to maintain my sanity. (House full of children and flies, no, no ,no.)
We added soil to the front yard and then laid sod down after installing a sprinkler system. We also planted the apple trees, the grape vines and a few rose bushes. All of this gets watered on a timer so no matter how distracted I am they survive. Before the timer is was feast or famine. I would forget to water or it was running down the street two blocks away.
In the back the children have dug and rearranged the dirt to their whims. Sometimes with my permission and sometimes without. We rototilled it one year, Emilee did it. Then we watered and mostly weeds came up. Then last winter I put a timer on the back spicit to water a small garden. Julia and my project. It leaks a little and lo and behold, here comes the Bermuda.
Last weekend we moved the garden and re situated it. We are using the weed eater to mow the grass down it is so tall. Maybe over the winter we can install a small sprinkler to water some grass to play on. The children love the dirt but I love the feel of a little grass. I just have to keep in mind to balance my love of grass with my love of a small water bill.
08 October 2011
Good Things
There are so many good things to occupy ourselves with. It seems it is no longer a choice between doing good things or bad things but choosing between two good things.
Emma Smith stated that the good things were to increase faith, strengthen our home, and seek out others. Lots of activities fit under these categories. Occasionally I find myself running from one good thing to another, totally wearing myself out. Worse yet, I make a list of all the good things I want to do and then review the list, only noting the things I didn't get to.
Martha Stewart used to post 1 good thing a day on her web site. I learned lots of creative things. The best one was how to fold a t-shirt so my husband wouldn't have to unfold his whole drawer to find the one he wanted. Definitely a good thing, it has saved me lots of refolding time.
Now part of my morning prayer is to let me listen carefully to promptings so that I can choose the good thing I should be doing. Each day is a blessing in time.
Emma Smith stated that the good things were to increase faith, strengthen our home, and seek out others. Lots of activities fit under these categories. Occasionally I find myself running from one good thing to another, totally wearing myself out. Worse yet, I make a list of all the good things I want to do and then review the list, only noting the things I didn't get to.
Martha Stewart used to post 1 good thing a day on her web site. I learned lots of creative things. The best one was how to fold a t-shirt so my husband wouldn't have to unfold his whole drawer to find the one he wanted. Definitely a good thing, it has saved me lots of refolding time.
Now part of my morning prayer is to let me listen carefully to promptings so that I can choose the good thing I should be doing. Each day is a blessing in time.
07 October 2011
Peter's denial
During conference I heard the story of Peter's denial of Christ in one of the talks. It brought back to my mind that I'm not sure that I truly understand and that there may be more that one interpretation of the story.
In Mark 14:27,29-30 it states, "And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered.
But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, in in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice."
I often have heard the story painting Peter as a coward. What if Jesus was commanding them to deny him to preserve the leadership in his church so that his sheep would not be scattered.
Remember Peter was the one who ventured out onto the turbulent sea to walk on water. He was the one who took a soldier's sword and smote off the soldier's ear. He was to become the president of the Church of Jesus Christ after Christ's departure. So what if Jesus was commanding him to deny him and then giving him a time frame by which to follow. There is a part of me that feels that he was not afraid of death and that he would have done anything for his friend and Savior. Was he weeping afterwards because he was ashamed or because he wanted stand up with Jesus?
Just a thought.
In Mark 14:27,29-30 it states, "And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered.
But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, in in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice."
I often have heard the story painting Peter as a coward. What if Jesus was commanding them to deny him to preserve the leadership in his church so that his sheep would not be scattered.
Remember Peter was the one who ventured out onto the turbulent sea to walk on water. He was the one who took a soldier's sword and smote off the soldier's ear. He was to become the president of the Church of Jesus Christ after Christ's departure. So what if Jesus was commanding him to deny him and then giving him a time frame by which to follow. There is a part of me that feels that he was not afraid of death and that he would have done anything for his friend and Savior. Was he weeping afterwards because he was ashamed or because he wanted stand up with Jesus?
Just a thought.
06 October 2011
Minions
I've been watching quite a few shows with my grandchildren. In them I find a reoccurring thought or word. Minion, they use it to label the side kick of main characters.
In Spy Kids 1, Minion is the name of Floop's scientist, friend, and partner in crime. In the end he turns against Floop and then Floop inprisions him. In Despicable Me, the bad guy has a whole group of minions who love him for who he really is. In Mega Mind, we find Minion the fish. He is his true pet and friend. He states his sole purpose in life is to look after Mega Mind. This he does even after he is rejected.
Out with the Dictionary and the Thesaurus. Minion, right hand man, man Friday, henchman, and myrmidon are all synonyms. One of the definitions in the dictionary was "a favorite, a darling, one who gains favor by flattery or adulation". In one way or another it would seem it fits all three of the above characters.
In the end each of these villains finds power in doing good and loving others. Their minions follow suit. Just an observation.
In Spy Kids 1, Minion is the name of Floop's scientist, friend, and partner in crime. In the end he turns against Floop and then Floop inprisions him. In Despicable Me, the bad guy has a whole group of minions who love him for who he really is. In Mega Mind, we find Minion the fish. He is his true pet and friend. He states his sole purpose in life is to look after Mega Mind. This he does even after he is rejected.
Out with the Dictionary and the Thesaurus. Minion, right hand man, man Friday, henchman, and myrmidon are all synonyms. One of the definitions in the dictionary was "a favorite, a darling, one who gains favor by flattery or adulation". In one way or another it would seem it fits all three of the above characters.
In the end each of these villains finds power in doing good and loving others. Their minions follow suit. Just an observation.
05 October 2011
Words
Sometimes I hear a word and wonder what it's meaning could really be. I use the sentence clues and most of the time can figure out unfamiliar words. Then there are the times when I just want to know what the defined meanings are.
Long ago I purchased a 1836 Noah Webster's Dictionary. The insides were inserted upside down or I would not have been able to purchase it. I know there are many different dictionaries but I wanted one that was pretty close to the meanings I would find in the King James Version of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The meanings and use of words change over time and I wanted to know the intent of the translator of that time.
What I discovered is that words during that time period had much broader meanings and uses. For instance the word love fills one and one half columns in a book 12 X 8 regular print, three columns wide. I used to own a set of old encyclopedias for the reason that it listed more theories on scientific thought that just the the popular ones. Yes, many of these theories have since been proven wrong but the thinking behind them is interesting.
There is so much to learn and think about. Hopefully my limited vocabulary won't hold me back. Much of my daily routine takes very little thought. I love being able to think and to ponder, even if it's only about the meanings of a single word.
Long ago I purchased a 1836 Noah Webster's Dictionary. The insides were inserted upside down or I would not have been able to purchase it. I know there are many different dictionaries but I wanted one that was pretty close to the meanings I would find in the King James Version of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The meanings and use of words change over time and I wanted to know the intent of the translator of that time.
What I discovered is that words during that time period had much broader meanings and uses. For instance the word love fills one and one half columns in a book 12 X 8 regular print, three columns wide. I used to own a set of old encyclopedias for the reason that it listed more theories on scientific thought that just the the popular ones. Yes, many of these theories have since been proven wrong but the thinking behind them is interesting.
There is so much to learn and think about. Hopefully my limited vocabulary won't hold me back. Much of my daily routine takes very little thought. I love being able to think and to ponder, even if it's only about the meanings of a single word.
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