For me, leap year meant there was an extra day in my birth month. I was always a little jealous of people who were born on the 29th. It seemed like they got a lot of attention when I was a kid in school. I thought it would be neat to only have to count once every four years when adding up my age. Now I’m not so sure. I think I’ve earned all of the years I’ve lived, not just 1/4th of them. I also like the idea of listing those things I wish I had been able to leap over rather than experience. Here are a few of them:
* Being thought I was older because I was tall for my age.
* Walking out of my Algebra class because "everybody" else did.
* Having to apologize to the teacher the next day.
* Being afraid to tryout for parts in plays.
* Stopping piano lessons.
* Eating ravioli before hiking, having heat stroke, and avoiding ravioli for years after.
* Backing out of a girl’s choice dance after the guy said "yes".
* Not getting to the bathroom in time in kindergarten.
* Getting teased in a mean way in sixth grade.
* Feeling guilty for the mean things I also said and did.
* Wearing a mustard plaster when I had a chest cold.
* Being raised as an "only child".
* Landing on my knee three times when I fell down. (Three different occasions.)
But I guess, when I think about it, I really wouldn’t pass up very many of the experiences of life because they are a part of who I am today. Hopefully by next leap year I will have leapt into, instead of over, some new exciting times.
(Many thanks to Charnae for the idea. This is a take off from her wonderful post.)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Tagging Anyone?
Being tagged is not the same in blogger world as it is in graffiti-dom. But it sure can be fun. You get a new suggestion as to what to write about and you get to pass it on. According to Nae I am supposed to tell seven random and/or weird facts about myself. Here goes:
1. I can’t follow all the rules of tagging because I don’t yet know how to make links. I’m still a novice!
2. I can’t leave Moab without visiting the Christian Thrift Store. It is in a dark warehouse building west of town–just off the road that goes to the hospital. (Fortunately, I haven’t needed the services of the hospital.) I found some of my neatest T-shirts there. But they are false advertising. Usually they say something like: "Moab, Utah 5k race 2001 or something. I don’t run anymore and never did do races. But often people think I do.
3. Professional Bull Riding on TV is my latest craze. It is very exciting, dangerous and I get to feel lots of sympathy/admiration for the boys rather than concentrate on my own aches and pains.
4. I learned how to crochet this past year.
5. Many of my favorite books are written for young people. I don’t know what that says about my chronological age vs. my real stage of development.
6. I eat three Spiral Pops after lunch every day.
7. One of my favorite things is to sit back and listen to children play. When they forget you are there, you hear the most interesting and/or funny things.
This is a fun assignment! Anyone else want to give it a try?
1. I can’t follow all the rules of tagging because I don’t yet know how to make links. I’m still a novice!
2. I can’t leave Moab without visiting the Christian Thrift Store. It is in a dark warehouse building west of town–just off the road that goes to the hospital. (Fortunately, I haven’t needed the services of the hospital.) I found some of my neatest T-shirts there. But they are false advertising. Usually they say something like: "Moab, Utah 5k race 2001 or something. I don’t run anymore and never did do races. But often people think I do.
3. Professional Bull Riding on TV is my latest craze. It is very exciting, dangerous and I get to feel lots of sympathy/admiration for the boys rather than concentrate on my own aches and pains.
4. I learned how to crochet this past year.
5. Many of my favorite books are written for young people. I don’t know what that says about my chronological age vs. my real stage of development.
6. I eat three Spiral Pops after lunch every day.
7. One of my favorite things is to sit back and listen to children play. When they forget you are there, you hear the most interesting and/or funny things.
This is a fun assignment! Anyone else want to give it a try?
Monday, February 25, 2008
Living Water
"...whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
John 4:14
For many years we were blessed to have a steady source of water for our garden and backyard lawn. In spring, the water was clear. It was melted snow from the mountains to the east. Our children and grandchildren would run across the flooded lawn, gasping at first because the water was so cold. Later in the season, water was pumped into our irrigation canal source from Utah Lake to the south of us. Sometimes there was a surprise presented to either the lawn or garden, a big fish. That was then, this is now. The contract for water ran its course and was no longer available. We have to use culinary water now. We chose to sell the part of our property on which our beautiful vegetable garden was grown. Weeds flourish where we once planted Swiss chard and tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce and whatever else seemed like a fun experiment. (Kohlrabi and Jerusalem artichoke to name a couple.) The fruit trees and Black Walnut died. It has been a loss, but a necessary one, I suppose. When the water canal company said the lease was up, we had two choices. We could lose the water with no compensation or we could lose the water and be paid a little for the shares we owned. The latter decision was made. There is another choice I make daily. That is whether or not I allow "living water" into the garden of my life. It has been offered to me. There is no time limit nor lease to expire. It is my choice as to how much or whether I allow the gift of the Savior’s love to enter into my heart. Even when my ground is dry, there are times when I block that flow. There are times when it seems too hard to trust. There are times when I don’t feel worthy of it. But it is always there for me, running clear and beautiful, promising joy when I let it flood into my soul.
John 4:14
For many years we were blessed to have a steady source of water for our garden and backyard lawn. In spring, the water was clear. It was melted snow from the mountains to the east. Our children and grandchildren would run across the flooded lawn, gasping at first because the water was so cold. Later in the season, water was pumped into our irrigation canal source from Utah Lake to the south of us. Sometimes there was a surprise presented to either the lawn or garden, a big fish. That was then, this is now. The contract for water ran its course and was no longer available. We have to use culinary water now. We chose to sell the part of our property on which our beautiful vegetable garden was grown. Weeds flourish where we once planted Swiss chard and tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce and whatever else seemed like a fun experiment. (Kohlrabi and Jerusalem artichoke to name a couple.) The fruit trees and Black Walnut died. It has been a loss, but a necessary one, I suppose. When the water canal company said the lease was up, we had two choices. We could lose the water with no compensation or we could lose the water and be paid a little for the shares we owned. The latter decision was made. There is another choice I make daily. That is whether or not I allow "living water" into the garden of my life. It has been offered to me. There is no time limit nor lease to expire. It is my choice as to how much or whether I allow the gift of the Savior’s love to enter into my heart. Even when my ground is dry, there are times when I block that flow. There are times when it seems too hard to trust. There are times when I don’t feel worthy of it. But it is always there for me, running clear and beautiful, promising joy when I let it flood into my soul.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Love This Message
Tonight I opened an e-mail from Royce in NY. I think getting a forward must mean that she is back home or at least where she can have access to a computer. I was really touched by the message on this YouTube video. I'm passing on the address for anyone who would like to hear a boy's call-in conversation with a radio host. That's all I know about the source. http://youtube.com/watch?v=zCdZwitrNoY
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Journaling in Wales
This is a place and a time I remember well. I was on the grounds of a "castle" in the town of Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. My friend and I were able to go into a museum which is on the ground floor of the Cyfartha Castle. I put quotes around the word because it was not old in the sense that many buildings in Britain are old, but was built recently (late 1800's) by a coal-mining baron. The museum had one section which particularly fascinated me. It illustrated the mining process and told of conditions while laboring there. They were horrendous. I have read census records of Welch ancestors. They must surely have been exploited as were all the workers. At the time the above picture was taken I had stopped to write something in my journal. As you can see, the flowers are beautiful in Wales. I fell in love with the whole country. I was smiling but on this day I was a little sad because I knew we were going to leave Wales and drive into England. Adventures at Stonehenge and Avebury were ahead.
Back Again
"You can go years without writing in your journal and you are never behind."
Gabe Della Piana
Today I am leaning on this quote (probably paraphrased) from my first journal writing teacher. His theory was that we are a never-ending stream of thoughts and feelings, so dipping into that flow at any point is perfectly alright. I haven’t gone years since posting but it feels like it. During my hiatus I have taken great pleasure in reading the blogs of others. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to my joy; it’s sweet to have a glimpse into your lives.
Gabe Della Piana
Today I am leaning on this quote (probably paraphrased) from my first journal writing teacher. His theory was that we are a never-ending stream of thoughts and feelings, so dipping into that flow at any point is perfectly alright. I haven’t gone years since posting but it feels like it. During my hiatus I have taken great pleasure in reading the blogs of others. Thanks to all of you who have contributed to my joy; it’s sweet to have a glimpse into your lives.
