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If you don't read the newspaper, you are uninformed.  If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed.  ~Mark Twain

I hope this is not totally true because I am a compulsive reader of the newspaper.  Although our paper has shrunk in size and advertisements, I am hoping it will remain a printed thing I can hold in my hands.  I love the Internet but it's not the same.  On the other hand, when we are muttering under our breath about all the newspapers we have to recycle you would think we'd welcome the change to online!  Not so.  I like the process of going from uninformed to sorting out what is misinformation or disinformation and what is truth.  And that's (to quote Martha Stewart) a good thing.  It is a challenge.  I admit that.  And I don't think it is appropriate to get opinions from only one source.  It is very easy to make a politician or a commentator into an idol.  Basing our life on something as seductive as idealizing celebrity is dangerous, no matter who it is or what the opinions expressed. But it is important to sort out facts from one agenda or another and try to find a balance.   Here's to holding on to values and principles, while sifting through information in an attempt to figure out what is best for our country and for ourselves.   

Decisions, Decisions

You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you have to make choices.Hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are and who you want to become.
-- Mr. Rogers

I find making decisions hard at times, because by making one you automatically eliminate another possibility.  The best decisions I have made have been influenced by turning my thoughts to the Savior and asking for his help--the decision to marry Art, the decisions to allow each of our children to obtain a mortal body and join us here on earth. And more recently, the decision to have hip replacement surgery and that incredible choice to give myself the chance to learn to play the cello as an almost beginner.  Now I have another decision facing me.  Maybe. On April 29th I have an appointment to have my shoulders evaluated.  They have been increasingly painful for several years.  The pain awakens me at night, and I have to get help when dressing--now that's a humbling thing!  My range of motion is greatly decreased.  As can be imagined, the shoulders have some part in playing the cello.  They certainly might impact my ability to hold a new baby!  So in April I will find out (hopefully) if, what and when to do something about (particularly) my right shoulder.  Sometimes I let doubt and fear creep in.  I need to remember that I can't go wrong if I really listen to the still, small voice.

Make Someone Happy

"That is a good day in which you make someone happy.  It is astonishing how little it takes to make one happy.  Feel that the day is wasted in which you have not succeeded in this."

~T. DeWitt Talmage

Alyssa gave me this sign one year.  She knows how much I love cats and thought I would like the reminder of cat attitude.  The wall quilt below is actually a printed panel remnant.  It was fun to do the hand quilting.  The sign and quilt have made more than one person laugh.  And that's a happy thing!

California Dreamin'

"California, here I come right back where I started from.
Where Bowers of flowers bloom in the spring.
Each morning at dawning, birdies sing an' everything.
A sunkist miss said, "Don't be late"!
That's why I can hardly wait.
Open up that Golden Gate, California here I come!"

Alyssa has gone to Hawaii since she was offered a good deal for the trip.  It's sort of a tag-a-long offer from her place of employment.  Whenever I think of anyplace close to the ocean (let alone an island surrounded by ocean!) my mind goes back to the place of my birth, California.  In the past when I have gone back after a long time away I spend the first few hours fighting off the emotions of being there where the memories are so deep.  All the growing things which are so familiar.  Even the air (and I'm not talking about smog here!) has a different feel.  The skin begins to soften and hair goes wild and curlier.  I love the place.  And I won't even go into how I feel about the ocean itself.  But the "dreamin" part will have to do for now, I guess.  So while I am here in this snowy but basically dry atmosphere, I will think of old times and of Alyssa who will probably be Hawaii Dreamin' in a day or so.  Have fun, Alyssa!  I look forward to that shell from the beach you promised and to having you back.

Story of a Life in Mosaic

Whenever I see a piece of mosaic art I think of the process of creation--of how each piece has a place in the whole.  I also think about our roles in life, of how many facets it takes to form a whole individual.  And what do you do if one of those facets (or roles) is missing from your life at the present time?  I don't have answers.  Maybe it is an individual thing. I've noticed that we don't all have the same strengths.  Do we compensate for what we think is missing by switching gears?  Is that possible? Or to keep the metaphor, maybe we fill in a missing place with our own unique talents and keep on the look out for new ways to live and serve.  Maybe I am thinking of this today because of uncertainty in this economy.  Maybe this is a good time to reevaluate and make a course correction, to look for ways to make life more secure and meaningful.  I know that sometimes the painful process of chipping out what doesn't work has to take place, whether it is a piece of glass or a distorted belief, whatever does not fit the picture for me right now.  Mostly I am thinking about how prayer  has helped so much when I have exhausted all the other places I usually turn to for counsel and advice.  Prayer is a way to tap not only into the will of a loving God but to tap into the wisdom that I have inside. In my experience, the combination of those two things is unbeatable. This mosaic in the Metropolitan Museum was beautiful but even more lovely to me is watching myself and others continue on in the process of making a life out of the materials we have been given.  And remembering to give thanks for that which we do have, for even the tiny pieces of joy that come our way.

She's On Her Way!

Yes, there is a new little one on the way for our family.  Heather and Jake are expecting a girl on Pioneer Day, July 24.  This is very exciting news for us.  Our next youngest is going to be a 6th grader next year!  All our grandchildren are a blessing to us.  We look forward to getting more well acquainted with this little person, making her way into mortality at a time which is turbulent but exciting. Congratulations to her parents.  They have an adventure ahead but they are both up to it. And yes, Heather was just beginning to show and to feel good when we made our trip to NYC!

Saturdays with Nick

There is a TV show called, "Dirty Jobs" which I turn off if an ad for it happens to come on the screen because it is so gross.  That seems ironic to me, especially since our grandson, Nick, has been putting in Saturday hours each week to help us empty out old (and I mean really old) canning jars.  It's not fun but we all benefit because we get to organize our food storage area again (without fruit which we didn't eat when it was still edible) and he gets to make a bit of money for Junior Prom. The job becomes especially dirty when stuff splashes up out of the garbage disposer, like when some cherry pits went flying! He's a good worker and a fun person to have around.  I can't believe he is 17! That cute little guy who we all adored (he was our first grandchild) now almost a man.  Hard to imagine if we didn't see the evidence with our own eyes.  In the photo above, Marsha, his mom, was holding his hands but at the prom there will be another young lady having that privilege.  Wow, Nick.  Where did the years go?

Blogging Benefits

Two of the reasons I love to check out the blogs of others are posted below.  These were copied from others but both make me smile.  I love the quote because it reminds me of the woman who said it and she is a role model to me for how to age with wisdom and good humor.  The picture is of my niece and everytime I see her whether in person or by way of photo I can't help but smile.  So on a day when I woke up in a place of self-pity and did a bit of "cleansing" crying, reading these two blogs brought back perspective and even joy. 

What's in a Blog?

New York Pizza

Now you see it, now you don't. Yum!

Hudson River Miracle

This glimpse of the Hudson took on more significance than it otherwise would have done because we flew into Newark Airport just days after the incident of birds taking out the engines of an airplane, making it necessary for the pilot to land on the river.  The landing itself took place a few blocks from our friend's apartment.  This photo was taken from lower Manhatten, further south.

Rainy Day in New York

I love this photo because it is typical of New York City.  In mid-town everything is "in your face" whether it is a t-shirt shop, a place going out of business, a restaurant, or a so-called "gentleman's club" which is a euphemism for a place to view porn.  It is easy to go into sensory overload.  We didn't do that quite as much on this second visit to the city.  We rode buses a lot. Each time we approached this part of town, there was a recorded warning as to pickpockets and pan-handlers, so as to promote an enjoyable time instead of an unpleasant incident.  We had no pickpocket events but certainly were reminded of the reason why we had been advised to look straight ahead and keep on walking.  Folks are pretty brazen in their approaches, trying to sell something or engage you in their agenda.  This intersection reminds me of how common yellow cabs are and how you not only watch traffic lights but, more to the point, the traffic itself, so as to keep up with the pedestrian flow.  Folks rarely stop walking if no cars are nearby. To cross the street becomes an adventure in itself!   New York is a fascinating place, even in the rain.

Ground Zero

One of the places we wanted to visit on our trip to New York in January was the Statue of Liberty. We didn't get to do that--it was too cold while we were there. But another symbol of our liberty and reminder of how easy it could be to lose it, is Ground Zero. Heather took these photos from the window of a building across the street from the site. As you can tell, it is a construction zone now. We were touched by our tour given by a guide who was a former fireman, a man dug out from under the rubble. The visitors center had kleenex boxes strategically placed throughout. It was an emotional experience but one I am glad to have had. The hanging stone was part of a display honoring eleven American Express employees who happened to be in a meeting on that horrendous day--in the wrong place at the wrong time. The display was poignant. For days afterward everytime I talked about it I got choked up. The stone is a huge quartz. There were drops of water falling into the pool, alternating, spreading out ripples, overlapping each other. It represented the people and the tears shed on that day and since. Our experience here brought back a lot of memories of Sept. 11, 2001.

Elephant and Political Correctness

"The elephant in the room (also elephant in the living room, elephant in the parlor, elephant in the corner, elephant on the dinner table, elephant in the kitchen, elephant on the coffee table, and horse in the corner) is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there might be concerning themselves with relatively small and even irrelevant matters, compared to the looming big one." From Wickipedia

Everyone knows about a problem or circumstance but not one person wants to bring it up! How many times have I fallen into this trap in order to avoid conflict? More than I care to admit. I've also been thinking about this phrase lately as I hear various political factions spout their "talking points" with much glibness and little thought. Some things which seem obvious are denied, commonsense is uncommon and I am left feeling there is nothing I can do to change anything. But that thought is a denial of the power I do have. I suspect that one reason I like to listen to flamboyant commentators like Glenn Beck is because being tactful and not rocking the boat was a high priority for me growing up. In fact, it was a survival technique. I enjoy hearing others who are outspoken and in whom I sense truth and conviction. And what is this business of having to watch what you say in a way which is "politically correct"? Is it possible to be tactful and honest as well? I hope so. Maybe someday I will have the courage to express my opinions as openly as do some commentators and some of my friends. And maybe it will feel like freedom to me. Tactful, yes. Framing my words so as not to deliberately offend, yes. And speaking my mind. YES! (And thanks to Nae for using this quote on her blog. You inspire me!)