Do you have any special memories that you want to make sure are passed on to your children or grandchildren? ~Family History Tuesday~

*Books, reading and one-one-one trips to eat breakfast out with  my Dad.

*Plants, Library, Museum and annual trips to experience the blossoming of the Cherry Trees with my Mom.

*Au Bon Pain, Orangina, Tower Records, Commander Salamander, Vintage clothes while  hanging out with someone I looked up to in my older sister when were both attending College.

*Laughing my guts out, navigating the Singles scene, my travel buddy and having an instant friend in my younger sister.

*A smart guy, up for anything, a friend and  someone I can always count on in my little brother.

*And I cannot forget our annual summer trips to the beach where we could forget all our busyness as we played out on the sand, in the waves with seagulls flying overhead in the warmth of family.





{Family History Tuesday question can be found at designzbydede}

Did you have any favorite uncles, aunts or cousins when you were growing up? ~Family History Tuesay~

My parents immigrated to the U.S.A. and so the great majority of my relatives live outside the country.  My dad did have 3 siblings (out of 9) living in the same state we grew up in. My mom only had 1 sibling (out of many step and half-siblings), a brother, who lived about 30 minutes away from us. 

I never felt particularly close to any of my adult relatives for reasons that I recall had to do with mental challenges, addictions, negativity...

We played with our cousins whenever we had family get-togethers, but we rarely asked to play with them outside of those family meetings.

The only times I met my international relatives was when I was 4 years old and then again when I had just completed my first year at college.  It was a grand time! Lots of food, conversation (well as much as I could with my limited ability in speaking their language), family time, travel, parties and even a catholic wedding were all part of our stay with them.

hakimsonsfilms.com

Possibly the only relative I am at ease with today is my uncle, my mom's brother who has always stayed in touch with us. He regularly visits my mother. He is always invited to travel or attend activities with my parents.  When my Dad can't go, my uncle is always pleased to go and be his happy, laid back, social self wherever he goes.  He is not demanding or prying and maybe that's why I enjoy his company.

I'm happy that he is there for his sister, my mom.


{Family History Tuesday question can be found at designzbydede}

Tell about a great victory or personal success from your school days ~Family History Tuesday~

Oddly enough one of the greatest successes I had in School was in my Physical Education class.

Remember how I told you it was always my worst class. I always performed way below everyone else. There were times that I hid behind a wall as I watched my classmates run laps -- to suddenly reappear when the last lap came around.

I even purposefully missed out on the swimming portion of class.

So, IT IS  strange that my victory was in an event of the Presidential Physical Fitness Test (do they even still do this in schools today?) . I think it was called the bar hang. Boy, could I hang!  I could hang longer than anyone else! It was truly a feat that felt like it didn't take much coordination or strength.

As I think about it now, I believe this success was only possible because I was a very small, thin-boned High School girl at 4 feet 10 inches tall and probably around 80 pounds heavy. A weakling who could definitely hang on for dear life! :)

fitsit360.com

{Family History Tuesday's question can be found at designzbydede}

What are some of your favorite decorations? Do you have a collection (nutcrackers, santas, village, etc.)? Describe your collection and where and how you have added to it over the years. ~mini holiday prompts~

I have 2 favorite collections:

1- Several years back, I was at the dollar store and stumbled upon these little wooden decorations.  They reminded me of Christmases past and I HAD to get them.  They were packaged in 3 different sets at, of course, $1 each.  Every Christmas season, I choose different ones to display.

2- I don't know when it started, but I decided to collect different Nativity sets. As a child my favorite part of putting Christmas decorations up was when we set out each person and animal involved in the First Christmas. It is a family treasure!

I now own about 6 or 7 Nativity sets from different countries. They are my absolute favorite.

Is there something in your life that you have always wanted to do, but haven't done so, yet? ~Family History Tuesday~



retirementlifestyleinsights.com



Who wants to write a book?

I do!

and this year I did take one step towards it.  I joined NaNoWriMo. I didn't complete it, but I did write about 2,000 words of a story that's been living in my head for about 10 years now.

Writing a whole novel seems like a daunting task, but I just might churn one out one day.  It may not be published, but it will be MY book!

{Family History Story prompts available at designzbydede}

When do you usually put up your holiday decorations? ~mini holiday prompts~

{Every day from now until Christmas, Story@Home will post story-prompts. Use them for your family gatherings, writing your personal histories, or just making the most of a moment with someone you love}

We would drag the boxes out from the attic, some time in December, and place them in the living room. As long as we got them up before Christmas Day we were good.

Some years we would decorate just days or the day before Christmas and then once they were up, we would have no problem keeping them out through February.

Is there one person in your teen years who really changed the course of your life by something they said or did? ~Family History Tuesday~

My mom never liked cooking.  She did it because she understood and took that responsibility to feed her family seriously.

I understand now that her dislike for cooking kept her from having any patience with us in the kitchen.  It was easier and faster for her to just do everything herself than to try and teach us.

One afternoon, my mom had invited some guests over to eat with us.  She called me in to the kitchen to cut up a tomato for a salad.  It was a task I had never really completed.  My Mom would usually call us in to help her because the guests were already there and she had fallen behind. It probably didn't help that we had the smallest kitchen ever in our home. Two people felt crowded in there. 

I reluctantly took the knife she handed me and tried to cut the tomato without smushing it with every slice I made.  It wasn't working too well.  My mom caught a glimpse of what I was doing and raised her voice to me asking "Don't you know how to cut a tomato?"

This immediately unnerved me and I stopped cutting just as one of the guests, Milagros, stepped in the kitchen.  I'm sure she saw my exasperated look and caught my mom's tone in the question she had just asked me.

Milagros calmly asked my mom to be more patient and then said that even though I may not be good at this right now, one day I would and that she was sure there were a lot of other things I was good at. Then she stood next to me as she took the time explain to me how to cut the tomato for a salad.

Milagros' comments that day did have a great affect on me. As any teenager I was hyper aware of all my faults. Her words that day helped me realize that even though I may not be good at something right now, some day I would be.  And even if I wasn't good at something, there were other things I was definitely good at.

Thank you Milagros! Today I am a good tomato cutter. No more smushing!

veggiegardener.com

{Family History Tuesday prompt found at designzbydede}

Did you ever pretend to be sick so that you could stay home from school? ~Family History Tuesday~

NO, but there was this one time that I refused to take our High School's Physical Education swimming class.

I am and have always been hyper-modest. I didn't want to be in a bathing suit around my classmates. I didn't tell my parents that, but told them that I didn't want to take the class.  They didn't question why.  I told them that I'd rather wake up in the wee hours of the morning and swim alone in the school's pool (which is what they required from me to pass the class), than appear in a school-issued swimsuit.

My father wrote a note to please excuse me from the class.  His reason was because I was sick.

The school accepted it and for two weeks my poor Dad took me at 5:00am every day to the pool, then brought me home to change and then took me back to school AND then he went to work.

What won't our parents do for us?

blancovintage.blogspot.com

{Family History Tuesday prompt can be found at designzbydede}

What do you recall as an important historical event during your lifetime? ~Family History Tuesday~

Elvis died on August 16, 1977 at Graceland. After being found on the bathroom floor, Elvis was rushed to the hospital where he was officially pronounced dead. (about.com)

This may seem like a strange event to remember, but I include it because I still remember it to this day.  It was the summer before I was to start first grade. I wonder if I knew then that my Mom was an Elvis fan.

We were sitting on the brick wall in the front yard of our neighborhood friends. We usually sat there when we played the game where we would shout "One way!" to the cars driving down our street the wrong way. It was loads of fun for us and we giggled the whole time. All of a sudden the teenage sister, of one of our friends, is frantically running down the street and she starts yelling "The King is dead, the King is dead!".  She looked so distraught, I wondered if this King (which happened to be her last name) was a family member.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the Shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.(wikipedia)

I remembered the seven names of those crew members long after the tragedy. 

I was in my American History class in High School.  Suddenly we hear a commotion outside our class and a student pokes their head in our door. You could see he was upset.  He blurted out "The Challenger just exploded!" and then left.  Everyone knew what he was talking about.  It was big news that a School Teacher had been chosen, trained and prepared for her first flight into Space. Through daily news reports we had come to know Christa McAuliffe and her family. So, the first thing I remember thinking about were her two children, a boy and a girl, I believe. They had just lost their mother.

Erected in 1961, the Berlin wall separated eastern and western Berlin, Germany. After the Soviet Union fell  the Berlin wall fell as well on November 9, 1989, marking the end of the cold war.(blsciblogs.baruch.cuny.edu)

This was a glorious event! The Wall seemed to have lasted forever since it was all I knew in my lifetime.  At first, televison crews focused on one area, in particular, where a hole was being opened up through the wall.  It was mesmerizing to watch the crowds of overjoyed people helping to tear down the graffiti-covered cement walls. 

It was a time to celebrate the reunification of a country. Maybe more importantly it was the celebration of the reunification of families torn apart when the Wall was built.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial airplanes. They crashed the first two into the twin towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York and a third plane into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. A fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, was crashed into an empty field in western Pennsylvania when the passengers fought back after hearing about the previous planes. The attacks killed 2,977 people. (911memorial.org)

I had just woken up to get ready for work. My roommates had the TV on and said a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center.  I saw the far away image of the tail of a tiny plane smoking out of the side of the Tower. Not long ago, an aircraft had crashed into a building,  but it had been too small to cause any serious damage.  I left to take a shower. I finished my shower and started my usual routine of getting ready as I listened to the news on TV. I poked my head out just in time to see the second plane crash into the second tower! This was real. This was a passenger plane full of people. Someone meant to cause serious harm! 

My mind was reeling by the time I reached work.  Televisions were pulled out of storage and placed in public areas so our patrons could watch what was going on. I saw both Towers fall. I saw the Pentagon on fire.  I saw the burnt gash in the Pennsylvania field. I saw people running for their lives.  For the first time in my life I felt so unprotected and vulnerable along with everyone else that day.

 

from 911memorial.org

{Family History Tuesday prompts are found at designzbydede}

What one thing seems to make life hard for you? ~Family History Tuesday~

Quiet.

Yep, being a quiet, mild-mannered, behind-the scenes kind of person, I have found, can be uncomfortable for others.

Every so often there will be someone bold enough to tell me this.  I have no explanation for it. It is just the way I am.

There was a time in my life (i.e. High School) where this kind of personality was not to my liking. I wanted to be different.  I wanted to be like the others. My efforts to do so became so distasteful to me that I eventually stopped trying.  I went back to being me.

I have learned that being quiet can be misinterpreted as being stuck up --thinking you are better than others. Mild-mannered can be misconstrued as hiding something (think Superman except there's no hero here) and well, being behind-the-scenes will get you overlooked and unremembered every time.

There's a scene in the movie, PRINCESS DIARIES (the classic Ugly Duckling story), starring Anne Hathaway, between Anne's transformed character and the boy who always admired her from afar: 
(you only need to watch the first 17 seconds of this)

I always wanted to say that to my husband :)

(and that's why I always say it's a miracle I got married, for it truly is)



P.S. Find me on Facebook

{Family History Tuesday prompts are found at designzbydede every Tuesday}

IF you have children -Were your children named after someone? ~Family History Tuesday~

My children were named by my sisters and brother. 

Gratefully, my siblings have let me be a part of their children's lives. They don't call me mom, but I contemplate their futures, worry about how others are treating them, hope they are kind to others, believe that they'll make right choices, pray that they feel and know God is near and I love each one of them so much that my heart hurts whenever I think about them.

While I do not have children of my own, I feel that Heavenly Father has blessed me with eight amazing children in my life.

JW: the one who made me an aunt and sweetest, genuine boy I have ever met
M: amazingly original, smart and am so proud of her
E: a creative, sensitive soul
C: what a character! inquisitive and independent-minded
JR: a great reader who may be a great intellect some day
JH: loves, feels and makes one feel at ease
S: an active, go-forth-without-looking-back kind of guy
G: (even though I haven't met her yet) I can see she is bright-eyed and lovely to be around.

XOXOXOXOXOXO to all my sobrinos!

{Family History Tuesday's question found at designzbydede}

Did you walk to school? Ride a bike? Carpool? Ride the school bus? ~Family History Tuesday~

I walked to school with my sisters and brother during my Elementary School years. 

When I started 7th grade, one of my best friends, Helen, a year younger than me, arranged for me to walk with her older sister on my first day. We couldn't have been more different. The rest of the school year, I walked alone.

During my 8th grade school year, I started walking with a good friend from elementary school. Kim was in the 7th grade and after school we'd hang out at her home since both of her parents worked.  I always left before they came home. 

 At Kim's home, our after-school routine was to put the halves of a bagel, with a slice of American cheese on top, in the toaster oven and snack on that as we watched a TV show called FANTASY. Then Kim would show me the new clothes she had bought or the outfit she had put together or talk about the boy(s) she liked.  After about an hour or so, I walked the 3 blocks back home.

High School was where I started taking the school bus.  My one good friend who did have a car was heavily restricted from using the car for anything but getting to and from school. And so, as a senior I was still taking the bus!

River and Rainbow Phoenix, who I first saw perform on FANTASY

P.S. Come see me on facebook!

{Family History Tuesday prompts found at designzbydede}

Did you have a car in High School? If so, what kind and what color? ~Family History Tuesday

I didn't own a car in High School.

I didn't own a car in College.

I still don't own a car.

My husband is the car owner, so I guess that makes me the co-owner?

BUT, if I did own a car, it would look something like this:

or this:

or maybe this!:

{Family History Tuesday questions found at designzbydede}

LIVE on facebook!

Dear Friends,

Thanks for checking out my blog whenever you can.


Someone once asked me ... "When are you going to get a Facebook page?" Well, folks, the time has come.  I have a facebook page now!

Sincerely yours,

Eve

P.S.
check out my fb cover photo --I drew it out and then sent it to family and friends for my one year Wedding Anniversary!

Have you ever been hospitalized or had surgery? What were the circumstances? ~Family History Tuesday

I was very young. I would say about 4 years old.

I am lying down in a bed, fitted with white sheets. I do understand that my parents cannot be with me and I wonder what they are doing. I look into the faces and eyes of the doctors around me, but they all seemed preoccupied.

I wake up in a different bed. This time I am in a room, alone.  I can hear muffled voices and laughter.  I just lie there not knowing what to do.

After some time, a nurse lady comes in the door holding something in her hand.  She asks me to sit up and I obey.  Next, all I feel is pain, in my knee, from the needle she just poked in it.  Excruciating pain.

Next, I remember my parents at my side. My mom looks sad, but then happy as she wraps her arms around me.

Then my memory ends there.

I haven't had to stay in a hospital since.

{this is not me, just a photo from masterlife.com}

{Family History Tuesday prompts found at designzbydede}

Did you have a favorite game to play outside with your family when you were growing up?

Who didn't like TV Tag?

I can remember being outside on a cool evening. My sisters, brother and neighborhood kids gathered  in our home's large backyard. A lone tree, whose top was lost in the clouds, was our sturdy friend.  We could turn 'round and 'round him and not get caught.

My brain was ready with it's vast list of every and any television show I had ever watched. I was not going to be IT!

We'd shiver in the dusk as the game played on until our moms called us home.

Best nights ever!


{Family History Tuesday prompts can be found at designzbydede}

Do you remember your first date? ~Family History Tuesday~

I didn't realize it was a date.


He called me one afternoon and asked me if I had time that night to watch a movie because he had tickets to see CONTACT. When he showed up at my door that evening, I mentioned something like "Too bad your friend had to cancel at the last moment".  He just looked at me and said nothing.

Sitting in our seats at the theater, I suddenly started becoming uncomfortable. I was realizing that THIS WAS A DATE!! Why didn't he tell me?

Let me explain that my first date was with a former missionary from the lds mission where I served.  Five years after we first met, I ran into him again living in the same neighborhood!  Even more strange was that he had been assigned to be my home teacher. 

The date was fine. I never was the same around him again. Going on a date WAS AWKWARD!. That's probably why I avoided them for such a long time...(read here to find out at what age I went on my first date)



{Family History question found at designzbydede}

What are your feelings about service to your country? ~Family History Tuesday~

ANYONE

who voluntarily chooses

to serve our country

knowing that it is a real possibility

that their earthly life

could end,

in that service,

SHOULD BE

immensely rewarded in heaven.

THANK YOU

to all of you who serve in our country's military.

 

randy santos dcstockimages.com




{Family History Tuesday question is found at designzbydede}

Why are your favorite bloggers Mormon?

Do you know any of these bloggers?

Becky ~ The Crafting Chicks

Camille ~ Six Sisters Stuff

Leigh Anne ~ Your Homebased Mom

Tausha ~ Sassy Style Redesign

Megan ~ Brassy Apple

Reachel ~ Cardigan Empire

Mandy ~ Sugar Bee Crafts

Caroline ~ Armelle Blog

Carrian ~ Sweet Basil

Melissa ~ 320 Sycamore

Shawn ~ I Wash...You Dry

Becky ~ Babes in Hairland

Shandra ~ Deals to Meals

Kristyn ~ Lil' Luna

Nikkala ~ The Crafting Chicks

Krista ~ Budget Gourmet Mom

Kelli ~ Lolly Jane

Stephanie ~ Somewhat Simple

Mel ~ Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Becky ~ UCreate

Arianne ~ Still Parenting

Emily ~ Is This Really My Life?

Shawni ~ 71 Toes

Nikki ~ Chef in Training

Lindsey ~ The R House

Jamie ~ The Crafting Chicks

Aleisha ~ She Calls Me Mama Leisha

Kirsten ~ The Crafting Chicks 

Melanie ~ Sugardoodle

Kierste ~ Brown Paper Packages

Shelley ~ How Does She?

Mariel ~ Or so she says...

I confess, I've only heard of six of them, but they are doing this really cool thing:

"If you are genuinely interested in learning more about many of your favorite bloggers and why [they] are Mormon, send [Mariel] an email with your name and address to

ladies@oneshetwoshe.com.

READ the details of what will be sent to you and how you will not be contacted further. 

Do you enjoy reading? How many books do you usually read in a year? Do you have a favorite genre and/ or series? ~Family History Tuesday~

You might as well ask me if I love breathing?
It's something that I do.

 It's something that just happens, naturally.

It is essential.

So reading is the same for me. 

My mother, unknowingly (I think), started our love for reading.

My father was a student at the University.

In order for him to have undisturbed studying time,

my mom gathered us 4 kids and

walked us down to the neighborhood Library.

Here we could stay occupied for hours

with kind librarians
and access to neverending books

with

their magnificent illustrations and tales.

Today if you ask any one of the four of us,

"Where is your favorite place?", I think "Library" will be the answer

 (probably after home).

Some of my favorite books are:

and I wrote about one of my all-time favorite books here.

I love to read biographies the most.

I'll browse through the non-fiction

 and always find something I'm interested in.

I'll read fiction here and there,

mainly if someone recommends a good one to me.

Right now I'm reading Girl in Translation.

I though it was a biography at first,

but then realized even though it isn't,

the author lived a life very similar to the main character.

and

I really don't know

how many books

I read in a year.

I pretty much read and read to know stuff

whether it be in a newspaper, magazine,

blog, website, etc. etc.



FYI:  One of us has a Master of Library Science degree; two of us have a career working in Libraries. The other two have worked in Libraries for a number of years.

{Family History Tuesday prompt is found at designzbydede}

Did you have a special object that you slept with? blanket? doll? stuffed animal? Did it have a name? ~Family History Tuesday~

Who remembers Pot Belly Bears?

I got mine probably when I was around 11 years old.  He was a bit different from all the others because his nose wasn't fully stuffed and so it was smashed down.

I remember there came a time where I had to have it every night that I slept.  I only felt safe during the night if I had my bear with me.

As I got older, he would travel with me.  I wouldn't take him out of my suitcase. I was good just so long as I knew he was there. In my early twenties I finally just stopped needing to have him around.

Strange that I went that long with him? But I know he's still around somewhere now, I just haven't bothered to look for him anymore.

The End

of the Pot Belly Bear saga...

{Family History Tuesday questions are at designzbydede}

Write about the pets you have had and all your favorite memories with them ~Family History Tuesday~

Pepper

Hope

Jacques

Peter and Lulu

These are the only pet names I can even remember.  I know we had a lot more, but their names escape me.

Pepper was a beagle. I remember thinking that Snoopy looks nothing like a beagle. She/he was my first pet (I was probably 6 years old) and one day she was gone.  My mom said she had taken her to a farm to live where she could get better care than we were apparently giving her/him.


Hope was the offspring of our childhood friend's dog.  She was a labrador-cocker spaniel mix.  She was black with white paws and oh so cute!  Unfortunately she did not survive the fire that started in our home. We were all away at school and work when it happened. The smoke overcame her.

Jacques was a beautiful, large Husky.  He was given to my younger sister without my parent's permission.  We had him for some time, before we realized he was more than we could handle.  We ignored it for a long time, but finally had to give him up to our local animal shelter.

Peter and Lulu were our two ferrets.  My younger sister and I bought them at a pet store.  Peter was an albino ferret with the sweetest personality.  Lulu was more feisty and a sable ferret.  She was known to bite.  We loved them dearly, but disease ravaged their little bodies. Peter left us first, then Lulu.

And I haven't had any pets since.  Allergies and heartbreaking loss has kept me from having another pet friend, though I still have a great place in my heart for them.

{Family History Tuesday prompt at designzbydede}

What are your favorite board/card games? Write about some of your favorite game memories ~Family History Tuesday~

I love to play games.

We grew up playing board games.  Some of my favorites were LIFE, SORRY, HI-HO CHERRY-O and who could not love CANDYLAND?

I always wanted to get CONNECT FOUR, but never did.

BATTLESHIP was fun to play also. 

When we got a foosball table, I loved that for a time. My brother would get frustrated with me because I had no strategy. I would just twirl a row here and there and somehow get past his men and make a goooooooooooooooooooool!

A memory that sticks out to me that involved a game was one called "Tutti Frutti". It was very simple.  We were a group from Church --Young Women Leaders and their families, plus the young women on a beach trip. If I remember right, we were each assigned a fruit name. We sat in a circle in the living room. Someone in the middle yelled out a fruit. If you were that fruit then you got up out of your seat and tried to find another empty seat to sit in.  If you ended up without a seat then you had to stand in the middle and call out a fruit. When someone called out "Tutti Frutti" then everyone would get up and changes seats. 

It was a hilarious night!  I don't think I've laughed more with a group of friends like I did that night! It was a challenge to get a seat and we'd get pushed over, slide, fall and sometimes accidentally end up on someone's lap!

"TUTTI FRUTTI!"

{Family History Tuesday prompts can be found at designzbydede}

Share a memorable family recipe ~Family History Tuesday~

Cooking is not my thing. I keep no recipes.

Once my good friend, who is a smart chef, tried to get me excited about cooking.  As a Christmas gift she made me this decorated binder and put all her favorite recipes in it.  We even spent one evening cooking one of the recipes. 

It didn't work.  I still have no desire. I still keep the binder though.  She put a lot of work and love into that gift.

So, the only recipe I can ever remember wanting to try was probably way back in 1997. Someone in my apartment complex was passing around a "stolen" recipe.  It was Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Doesn't that just sound yummy?  I actually made it several times that month. Then like the binder, it probably hangs around somewhere ...not known to me.

{from The Dinner Files}

P.S.
if you want to know what my last attempt at following a recipe was read eggs II.




{Family History Tuesday prompts found at designzbydede}

Write about your hardest goodbye ~Family History Tuesday~

If you know me well then you know of my love for animals.  I cannot stand to see or hear or know about an animal being hurt. I even have to change the TV channel when they show that "End Animal Cruelty"commercial with Sarah McLachlan singing in the background.

You can just imagine then, having to let go of the pets in my life has been extremely sad. I've had rabbits, hamsters, chickens, abandoned baby birds, 3 dogs and 2 ferrets.

Some of them have died from sickness. Our rabbits were killed by some unknown animal. And a dog we had, died in a fire.

I remember an especially devastating time when we had to give up our beautiful dog to the Animal Shelter.  He was just too big and active for our home.  When we returned home I couldn't contain my sadness.

My mom was trying to console us and started to cry herself.  She started to sob so hard! I'd never seen her feel so hurt.  She then started to relate to us the story of when she was offered an opportunity to leave her home country and move to the United States.  She didn't think she could do it.  She had a sickly mother to care for. 

When my mom told her own mother about the chance to leave, her mother, in her selflessness and wisdom, told my mom that she had to live for herself now and her future. She told her it was OK to leave and do what she had to do to live a better life.

So, with a broken heart my 20-year-old mother made her way to the U.S. and DID make a better life for herself and therefore US, her children. I love my Mom.


{Family History Tuesday prompts found at designzbydede}

you say you need a reading chart?

For those of you who have read,

are reading

or will read

The Book of Mormon:

Another Testament of Jesus Christ,

here is a good-looking reading chart.

You can choose to frame and hang it on your wall

as you color in each leaf

for each chapter you read:

{find this at sugardoodle.net by Summer Driggs}


You can read true stories inside The Book of Mormon.

If you would like to request a free copy of the book,

click here.

 

popular

Think back ...way back ...to High School. Think of the most popular girl in High School. You know who I mean ...the cheerleader, flowing hair, not a pimple in sight, guys all around, Prom Queen, voted Most Beautiful.

Yep, that's who I mean.  Well, we spoke to each other yesterday. Over two decades later we acknowledged each other!

There was never a day in High School where we exchanged words, not even a "hi".

And now we were speaking to each other. I guess I couldn't take the stress of it because a zit grew on the left side of my nose (probably while I was speaking with her ..haha)

And there you have it -- High School still stings!




P.S. No worries though. She was very friendly and told me all about her family.  It made me realize how silly it is how we separate ourselves from others by labeling them.

P.S.S. Read this post to see a glimpse of me in High School.

Describe your favorite character from a book, a movie or televison ~Family History Tuesday~

I was in the 5th grade when we were assigned to read Island of the Blue Dolphins.  Boy, I just LIVED this story!  I wanted to be Karana.

Karana is a young girl who is left alone on her island home, along with her little brother.  In order to survive she must begin to make spears, hunt and she even makes a shelter out of whale bones. Along the way she befriends the leader of the wild pack of dogs.

I was in love with the solitude, nature, animals and resourcefulness Karana learns as she becomes self-sufficient.  I longed to walk the beach (are you beginning to see a theme here in my life?) and commune with the flora and fauna and animal friends all around.

And you know what made reading this book even better?  It is based on a true story! A young girl was stranded on an island off the California coast for 18 years! She was discovered in 1853. Does that not make you have goosebumps?

Who is your favorite character?

{Family History Tuesday prompts found at designzbydede}

Describe your favorite season. Tell what kinds of things you like to do during that season. ~Family History Tuesday~

I'm a true summer baby. I was born in the summer. I could live my whole life in the summer, so why am I not living in Hawaii or something?

It's hard to understand people who say they love winter or even fall.  I want to be warm. I want sun. I want cool, summer thunderstorms. I want red, juicy watermelon on a hot day. I want ice cream dripping down my hand and ...I just need the beach!

My childhood summers consisted of a vacation at the beach. In just a few hours drive from home, we would descend into paradise.

Every morning we'd pack all our gear and head out. We'd stake our claim on an open, sandy spot by digging in our umbrella, laying out our towels, chairs and ice chest full of water, sandwiches and treats for the whole day. 

Being at the beach certainly reminds me of family. It was a time to relax. No work. No school. No normal life. We were together and that's what being at the beach truly reminds me of.

{found at countrymarketplaces.com}

{Family History Tuesday prompt found at designzbydede}

City Scene: Man on sidewalk

I was walking down Main Street after work, along with people in business suits hurriedly trying to get where they had to be.

Ahead of me I see what looks like a man. in the middle of the sidewalk. lying on his side.  As I get closer, I see pieces of a salad strewn out in front of him.  I look around to gage other people's reaction. None.

I quickly walk into the mall, just steps in front of me,  hoping to find a security guard. I frantically search, but not for long because the man might really need help and I'm wasting time.

I exit the mall, passing a panhandler as I spot the man still on the ground.  People are just walking around him as if this is an ordinary occurrence.  I walk right up to the man and in a loud voice ask him, "Are you hurt? Do you need some help? Can you stand up?!"

He lies there, picking up pieces of lettuce and putting them in his mouth, and yells back," I just need to lie here for 20 minutes. I've got a bullet in my back from the war.  This just happens to me sometimes and I just have to wait!"

Then he pauses, looks up at me and asks, "Do you smoke?"

That question just makes me laugh for some reason. I can't help but chuckle, as I answer, "No!" 

I look carefully over him to make sure I'm not missing any sign of an injury. Then I ask him again, "Are you hurt? Can I get you some help? Will you be able to stand up?"

I see him roll his eyes, probably annoyed that he has to repeat himself again, so he shouts back at me, "No, I've got a bullet in my back. I've just got to lie here for a while. It will get better! I just need a cigarette!"

OK, I realize I can't do anything.  I wish him all the best and continue down the sidewalk, but not until I poke my head in a nearby store. I let the employees know that there is a man lying on the sidewalk right outside.

 One replies saying that "It's City property.  We can't do anything about it." and then rolling his eyes adds, "Besides he's been laying around out there all day."

What was your favorite Saturday activity as a child? ~Family History Tuesday~

Saturday mornings usually consisted of me planted in front of the  TV with my brother and two sisters at my side.  We'd delve into the dramas of JOHNNY QUEST, the SUPER FRIENDS (Wonder Twin powers, activate!), KIMBA and a whole assortment of other cartoon shows I can't seem to remember at the moment.

Then, after breakfast and with the promise of an afternoon trip, we'd reluctantly do our household chores.

For me, plans to go see a cultural craft, watch a foreign dance or view the Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired our national anthem, were enough to get me going.  Living so close to the big city, there were always Folklife Festivals, never-ending Museums and a Zoological Park nearby.

As I think back on our adventurous Saturday afternoons, I can picture us all sitting on the planter ledges, outside in the hot sun and moist air, with aching feet and empty tummies. My mom magically pulls out of her purse a sandwich for each of us!  and with each bite I quickly relive all I experienced as I watch the many tourists loaded with souvenirs, their cameras and tired children pass us by. Then my mom starts to peel open an orange and hands us a wedge or two to end our long, fantastic day.

{Family History Tuesday prompts at designzbydede}

Thinking back, was there a teacher or class that had a great influence on you? ~Family History Tuesday~

Ironically, the teacher who did influence me the most, was also the most feared teacher in Elementary School.  Behind her back, she was known as The Beast (her name rhymed with it).

She always looked very stern. I never remember her smiling. Only when Susan, the smartest person in class, had done an excellent job on an assigned project, did my teacher proudly and eerily smile for us to see.

Somehow, though, my 6th grade teacher, helped me find my interest in Egyptian mummies, Polar expeditions, Italian volcanic eruptions and Chinese Terra Cotta soldiers.

History is my fun ...and luckily my job today is handling it and preserving it for all to see.

{Family History Tuesday prompts are found at designzbydede every Tuesday}

Jane

So for the "Remember to Say 'Thank You'" lesson on Sunday,

I asked the kids to think of all the people in their lives

who are kind to them

and who help them.

I asked them to choose two of those people and write

a Thank You note to each of them.

Then I handed them two blank business cards.

They started off thanking family members.

Soon they got so caught up in it that they asked me for more cards.

When those ran out, I happened to have a sheet of paper that I

tore apart.

During all that creative gratitude going on,

Jane stepped timidly up to me and handed me one of her

'business cards'.

Soon they had pocketfuls of 'thank yous'

to give to mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle,

grandma, grandpa,

friends and neighbors.

Gratitude without works...

As I was preparing the lesson I am to teach to a group of 7-year-olds this Sunday, I ran across a blog that had another Teacher's ideas for the lesson called "Remember to Say 'Thank You'".


At the end of her post she said:

"So, if all you came for was the helps, feel free to stop reading! ;)"

But I read on.


She began talking about how they had gotten married rather young and had dreams of having a large family together. Four years into their marriage they still had no children. Then for a couple of years she was angry, angry at God, but continued to go to Church and did whatever she was asked to do, BUT she would not associate with young families or pregnant women. She never attended baby showers or any lessons having to do with children.


They tried foster parenting, but it was not for them. They prayed about adoption, but the answer was NO. Then she read for the second time this article by Ardeth G. Kapp.  She finally felt that she had found the person who could understand her. 

"While I had been sitting in my own little pity party, I had neglected (not all the time) to be grateful for what I HAD!" ..."I had been crying and praying, asking Father in Heaven WHY. 

And then she got her answer:

"It was a simple, strong feeling.  A calming voice in my head that said, "You will have everything that you WANT when your will is aligned with My will."  Oh.  Peace came to me immediately.  I knew that I needed to change--my attitude, my prayers, my life!  I realized that there is a reason for ALL trials--and, YES, this is true of all of them--the reason is to draw us near unto God.  ALWAYS.  Each trial is designed to draw us nearer to God IF we choose it."

My husband and I have no children together. We know that will always be our situation.  We married at an advanced age and agreed that we will not have children.  We are OK with that. I brought it up with my ecclesiastical leader, before I married. He simply and lovingly said  "No matter, there are many, many other things in the Gospel that you can take on".  And then my husband's ecclesiastical leader, advised us to make service an even bigger part of our marriage. That last advice is still something I struggle with. Ardeth G. Kapp says this:

"What, then, are some of the decisions couples can make to lead fulfilled lives when the answer is that they will not have children in this life? "...We read from President David O. McKay, “The noblest aim in life is to strive … to make other lives … happier.” (In Conference Report, Apr. 1961, p. 131.)

And then they received these wise words from a family member:

“You need not possess children to love them. Loving is not synonymous with possessing, and possessing is not necessarily loving. The world is filled with people to be loved, guided, taught, lifted, and inspired.”

They wanted to learn the important lessons of selflessness and sacrifice (as parents learn) and began to say yes to everything and everyone. Many times the opportunities to serve would come just when they had planned some time together.

I hinder myself more with social awkwardness and yes, selfishness too. I do try to be better. 

Now, going back to the lesson of saying 'Thank You", I feel that I can be grateful all I want, but without showing appreciation through my actions it is practically moot. That's where service fits in because,  truly,  

gratitude without works IS dead.