Good Friday

Today is a good day to think of my life at this time, particularly the past couple of days. Last night I went to Book Club. I love this group. It is eclectic and diverse. We discussed the book The Glass Castle. I loved the exchange of ideas and the respect given to each other. I am so glad that Carol had the idea to start the group and that I can be in it. I say "can" because there will be times when I will have to make a choice. My poetry group meets the same night next book club is scheduled to happen. It will be interesting to see how it will unfold, how I will balance my time with two activities that I enjoy. I will continue to read the assigned book. And then if I can't be there in person, I will make a blog entry about my impressions of the book. For next month we are reading Tisha, "the story of a young teacher in the Alaskan wilderness". That same morning, I went to the temple with Joan. She is a wonderful friend. She inspires me to hang in there and to do good things for others. I love so many things about her that it's hard to name the many ways she helps me. Yesterday, it was a ride, dropping me off at the door, and putting up with slow walking. And, as always, she gives common sense and laughter. Today the Family History Center was the destination. The work of entering names into my computer file was calling. And dear Pat. If family history work had done nothing more than give me Pat as a friend, it would have been worth everything. How do you express adequately the love received from friends? Alice was there too, my friend and traveling companion on the trip to Wales. And the spirit was nourishing, as always. Art, my companion in good times and bad. How blessed I am to still have him in my life. Being 71 and awaiting knee surgery is not so bad when he is here, steady and compassionate beside me. We had lunch today with Heather on her day off. Since this post seems to be about friends, I am so blessed to have our children become my friends, too. I have been observing the loneliness of others who have lost their spouse. I can't really know, but it pains me to see how hard it is for them. Their courage gives me hope that I can face what is before me with a bit more strength and grace. Sometimes because Art and I are somewhat handicapped by his painful hip and my knee, I feel sorry for myself and think I am definitely homebound. But as I write this, I realize that is not true. Thanks to all the people mentioned here, and more, we get out and about. And the future holds hope and promise. After all, our greatest friend, the Savior, offers even greater blessings than these. It is a "good Friday". And may it be an even better Easter.

Sharing Books

One of my daughter’s friends had a link on her blog which interested me. The name: PaperBackSwap.com/. Joining this group has been a real break-through for me. You see, I have so many books that the shelves are overflowing into precious living space. But could I let them go? No. Not without a strange panic that was truly overwhelming. But something had to be done. This site has made a difference. I post the books I decide to share, even if only a few. Sometimes it is just the book someone else has been waiting to have. That feels great! I put the posted books on a particular shelf. I mail off the ones selected by others. The others rest on the shelf until a month or so has passed. By then I have mentally let them go, so it is easy to send them off to the thrift store. And the process starts over. I now have 9 credits so I could (if I wanted to) ask for books from others in the group. I do have 3 books on my wish list, but so far they haven’t been posted by anyone else. I’m making an offer: if you want to use one of my credits for a book, I will send away for it. Or better yet, start your own account. They give you two free credits to begin, then you go from there. This has been more than a fun experience. It has been enlightening. In more ways than one.

Good Books

" Read good books. They can be your best friends." Jessica’s father

Jessica is new in our ward. She is married to sandy-haired Joel Hoffman. She is a beautiful young woman. I like her a lot. She is embarrassed about her English but I understand her very well, on many levels. (She does not need to apologize, she speaks 5 languages. Spanish, Portuguese, English, Mayan, and I think another Indian dialect.) When she has a comment to make, I listen carefully because she is very insightful. A week ago she shared her feelings about the Book of Mormon. When I joined Art for Sunday School after Relief Society I was still feeling tender about her testimony. He asked me if something was wrong. I tried to explain but it wasn’t until she was asked to share her story again in Sunday School that he understood and there were tears in his eyes, too. Jessica was born in Guatemala–her father an attorney, her mother a stay-at-home mom. Because her father was a reader, books meant a lot to her. When she was 17, she was given a Book of Mormon. At that time she was living with her grandmother. She was afraid to have it known that she was reading this book. Still, it drew her. She tried to put it down but couldn’t stop reading, finishing the book in one day. There was power in that book for her. That power radiates from her to this day. I believe her father’s words about books. I am glad that they led to her knowing the Book of Mormon to be true. When she was a little girl she always wondered why Jesus couldn’t have been in Guatemala instead of Palestine. Now she knows that he was in both places. I am glad she is in our ward and feel blessed I am getting to know her a little better.