M♥m of 5 Gents

Beginning with a Bug

2012-01-01T15:55:00.001-06:00

It seems my dear gentlemen have shared a bug with me... not the first or worst critter I've encountered over the years, but one that has me confined to the house nonetheless. Happy New Year! I do believe this little gift actually started with my eldest who doesn't even live here anymore but kindly shared with a brother during a brief visit to retrieve some of Frankie's things after Michael was good enough to dogsit while we spent a few days in Minneapolis. In spite of my frequent and thorough hand scrubbings, I managed to pick up this new little friend from his brother (whose name shall not be named since he informed me yesterday that it was terribly rude and embarrassing to tell other people that he is sick).

As I sit here in the lovely silence, my perfectly prepared Young Women lesson wasting in the corner, I have a few hours to reflect while the rest of the gang is off to church. I realize that I am blessed to get to spend so much time with my family during this winter break. We've shared many great experiences together these last couple of weeks (the bug not included). There was a rousing game of Apples to Apples Sour Edition with Grammy, fun with Mario on the Wii, sharing different musical favorites across many genres, and finding loads of laughter along the way, which is one of the best gifts of family life from my perspective. We baked cookies for Santa, had our annual Christmas Club fun, and got to be all together both Christmas Eve and Christmas morning...all seven of us. We shared an electrifying adventure at the Bakken Museum, including joining hands to form a complete circuit while we got shocked all together. Then we spent a few days looking for the perfect new puppy and are currently fostering an adorable potential candidate named Charlie. We've once again navigated the Mall of America (this time with a handy new phone app to keep us moving in the right direction), watched a few great movies, and created a new family chore plan. Tomorrow we will take advantage of a great deal for new gym memberships and hopefully spend some more time playing together. When they get home from church, I will get to hear what they learned today and maybe I can salvage part of my lesson for Family Home Evening tomorrow night.

In spite of the bug, I feel so blessed today. That's a wonderful way to begin the new year. I can't wait to see what else 2012 has in store!

In a Blink ... 21

2011-12-07T13:00:00.000-06:00

Wow. This day is so much harder than I expected it to be. Today, my very first baby is 21 years old, a full fledged adult in the world's view. Admittedly, I was warned that this day was coming. I was told that in a blink of an eye, his childhood would end. It went even faster than that. He gave me a taste of what was to come just last week when he officially moved out of the house. Yet, I still feel so utterly unprepared for this moment. And even now I somehow know that I will feel just as ill prepared in two years when Kodi is 21... and four years when William gets to make this transition ... or six years when it will be Jonathan ... and even nine years from now when it's Andrew's turn. Sigh.

How do you let your children grow up? My gentlemen have been the center of my universe for such a long time ... 21 years and counting. I've spent that time loving them, teaching them, trying to steer them clear of the heartaches I experienced when I was their age. The role of mother is surely not for the faint of heart.

I was a young mother when Michael was born.When I gazed at Michael for the very first time, I saw that he was beautiful and good and perfect. I know that I am very blessed to have him in my life.

As a new mother, I felt like I had a lot to prove and I wanted to get everything right. I worked hard to show the world that I was worthy to be Michael's mother. But, as far as getting everything right... I failed. All mothers fail. As much as I would like to say that I was the perfect mother, I know that no such creature exists on this planet. We all mess up sometimes. Still, I hope that Michael knows that I gave it the best that is within me and that even if I'm not the perfect mother, I have and will always love him with my whole heart.

For today, I am trying to convince myself that it's okay to step back. I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that it's his life and it's time to let him make decisions for himself. Not that he hasn't made his own choices before now. In fact, the day he was born didn't exactly turn out the way we had planned. He arrived via an emergency c-section after a full day of labor. I should have known then that he would spend the rest of his life doing things on his own terms, not the way I had planned them.

As his mother I just can't stand the thought of him hurting or failing, so I've tried to prevent that from happening. I want him to succeed in life. I want him to live up to his potential, to fulfill every ounce of greatness that I glimpsed in him from the very first moment I saw him. But I also recognize it's all up to him. They are his choices. It is his life. I just hope he'll let me continue to be a part of it now that he's all grown up and that he will forgive me as I continue to worry about him and pray for him.

More than anything, I pray that he knows he's loved and supported ... that my door and my arms are always open. I still want all the best for him. I want his heart to be full, his spirit strong, his body healthy, and his mind balanced. I wish him a life of happiness and joy, even while recognizing that those gifts come at a price. Still, I want him to have it all. It's the mother in me ... yearning for perfection for my dear, sweet Michael.

I will love you for always.
M♥m

Philanthropy

2011-11-15T07:15:00.000-06:00

I have often encountered blank stares when I tell people what I studied in grad school (Philanthropy & Nonprofit Development). Sometimes the stare is followed by the question, "What is that?"

phi·lan·thro·py [fi-lan-thruh-pee]
noun, plural -pies.

1. altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement, usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learning and hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes.

2. the activity of donating to such persons or purposes in this way: to devote one's later years to philanthropy.

3. a particular act, form, or instance of this activity: The art museum was their favorite philanthropy.

4. a philanthropic organization.

Origin: from Late Latin philanthrōpia, from Greek: love of mankind, from philos loving + anthrōpos man

(Definition courtesy of dictionary.com)

What is philanthropy? For me, it's just a natural part of who I am and I can thank my parents for that. They created a culture of philanthropy in our home ... whether they realized it or not. For them, it was about serving others and recognizing those needs that we had the capacity to meet. In my profession, people often consider philanthropists to be those individuals with significant monetary resources who share their finances in support of specific causes and nonprofit organizations. From the definition above, you can see that philanthropy encompasses more than money.

National Philanthropy Day is November 15, which is why I chose to post this today. I was honored to be able to help plan a National Philanthropy Day awards celebration, hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Northeast Iowa Chapter. We focused on the "gifts of the heart" and many people were honored for their investment in our community. Awards were bestowed in four categories: Philanthropy, Governance, Legacy, and Youth. (You can read more about that at www.afpneia.org.)

Today, I'd like to recognize my parents for their giving hearts. As a child I didn't always appreciate their acts of service, their philanthropic projects. But, I know that because of them, compassion is one of my core values. Their influence and example made me want to become a philanthropist. It also led me to a career in the nonprofit sector. I believe that my own children are learning the importance of philanthropy and its significant impact on the people whose lives they touch, as well as on the fabric of society.

Thank you, Mom and Dad. Your influence continues in my philanthropic efforts and continues to grow through the actions of your grandchildren. Because of you...

News at Noon

2011-10-18T14:14:00.000-05:00

I was completely nervous about doing this interview, but I think it turned out well. Join us for National Philanthropy Day! More information is available at http://www.afpneia.org/

Go Band!

2011-10-16T19:34:00.001-05:00

I love, ♥, LOVE this concept of raising funds by performing instead of selling a bunch of random stuff. (Although, the band needs to raise a lot of funds for the program each year, so they will still be selling a thing or twelve this year.) I think that performing for Manor Care was the magic charm for the day. This little warm up helped the band to take second place at the Mid-Iowa Band Championships in Ankeny on Saturday night. Go band!!!

What Matters Most

2011-10-07T13:37:00.000-05:00

One of these days, I promise to post an update. For now, just know that I'm spending time on what matters most with my wonderful five gents.

UNI Commencement

2011-05-07T19:09:00.007-05:00

The BEST Philanthropy & Nonprofit Development Cohort EVER!
Back row: Kristin Teig Torres, Connie Grimm, Julie Payne, Janelle Darst
Front row: Julie Herring-Kent, Karen Erickson, Taryn Kuntz, Elizabeth Hackbarth

It has been such a fun day! I'm so glad we could finally meet the rest of our cohort group in person. (Half of the class has been beaming in via the Iowa Communications Network so we've only seen them on screen...until today.)

I got to sit beside Adam Gress during the ceremony. He happened to be Andrew's teacher in 4th grade (last year) so that was kind of fun. A few spaces down from him sat Korie Frazier who was one of the 5th grade teachers during Kodi's last year of elementary school. Both of them were receiving their Master of Arts in Education (MAE).

It was also great to share the day with Darci Krouse, who I've worked with at Hawkeye Community College on a big grant project. Darci earned her MA in Communication Studies: Organizational Communication Emphasis. I grinned when I saw Trista Johnson get her BA in Education. I got to train her at John Deere's Product Engineering Center as I was preparing to leave the organization because I had finished my own BA and it was time to pass the student position to the next person. Two more John Deere students also earned their BAs. I've had the pleasure of getting to know them during our occasional "Girls Night Out: JD Style" meetings. Congrats to Lacy Schulz and Jennifer Nurre too!

On top of all that, I heard from great speakers, enjoyed gorgeous weather, and had lots of family there to cheer me on as well! What a fabulous day!

Now to finish those last two classes, which includes my big paper, and I will be done with my MA for real. I'll be back at it on Monday, but just for today it feels glorious to have done the "walking."

Michelle Obama's Speech

2011-05-07T18:18:00.001-05:00

Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama

Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama—As Prepared for Delivery
University of Northern Iowa Commencement
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Saturday, May 7, 2011

Thank you so much. I am thrilled and honored to be here today to help celebrate the UNI class of 2011 – congratulations to all of you on making it to this day. Before I get started, I wanted to let you know that if my remarks run long, I promise to take a break and we’ll crank up the music for the Interlude Dance. I’ve been practicing to get that ninja robot part just right.

In all seriousness, I want to thank President Ben Allen for that very kind introduction as well as Executive Vice President and Provost Gloria Gibson, Board of Regents President David Miles, all of the members of the Board of Regents and Katie Berge for her wonderful speech. I also want to thank Congressman Bruce Braley, former Governor Chet Culver, Cedar Falls Mayor Jon Crews and Waterloo Mayor Buck Clark for being here today. And I want to say a special thank you to everyone here in the UNI-Dome especially all of you who changed your plans so that we could celebrate our graduates together today.

Now, as many of you know, this is not my first time here in Iowa. In fact, it feels like I’ve spent more time in this state than anywhere besides Illinois or Washington, D.C. My family was here a lot back in 2007. Long enough for my husband to have a sculpture of his head made out of butter.

But while a campaign is what initially brought me to Iowa, what brings me back today is something so much bigger, so much deeper and so much more personal to me. You see, this state, the people I’ve met here, and the things that I’ve learned here have all become an important part of my own journey.

Now, I have to admit that back when I first started coming here, I was pretty nervous. Most folks barely knew who my husband was, let alone who I was. I was still a bit uneasy about the whole “President thing,” as our daughter Malia called it. I didn’t know what it would do to our family or how it would affect our girls. I’d never been to Iowa before and I had no idea how folks would react to a perfect stranger waltzing into their kitchens and living rooms. So I didn’t know what to expect.

But soon you all showed me exactly what makes Iowa such a special place. I’ll always remember this one gathering in Sioux City, back in the early days. We were all at the home of a lovely family. It was a beautiful day, so we were all out in the backyard, folks of all ages sitting on lawn chairs and on the grass, and even though not one single person there had ever met me before, I was warmly welcomed like an old friend. So, we just started to talk to one another about our lives and our experience, and the more we talked, the more my fears and apprehensions started to fade away.

I realized that these folks weren’t strangers at all. They reminded me of my parents, my aunts and uncles, the neighbor kids from down the block. I just felt at home. So at home, in fact, that I kicked off my high-heels and started walking around barefoot in the grass. And that’s how I wound up feeling just about everywhere I went throughout the state. Though for the record, I kept my shoes on most of the time.

And it wasn’t just how folks treated me. It was how they treated my whole family. In Pella, an entire neighborhood sang “Happy Birthday” to Malia on the 4^th of July. At the State Fair, they poked fun at Barack when he lost a carnival game. I’ll never forget how people looked after our girls, encouraging them to jump on a trampoline with their kids or play with a puppy in a park.

They welcomed us into their homes in Perry and Cedar Rapids, at coffee shops in Waukee and Oskaloosa, and the historical society right here in Cedar Falls.

Now, these communities may not have been exactly like the one I grew up in. The folks I met may not have come from exactly the same background as me. But the more that I shared my story with all of you and you shared your stories with me, the more I realized that what truly connects us is our shared values, in the end there is so much more that unites us than divides us.

And that’s really what I want to talk with all of you about today – I want to talk about those values. The values you’ve learned here at UNI. The values you’ve learned growing up and spending time here in Iowa. And how those values will serve you every step of the way on the journey ahead.

The first value I want to discuss is in many ways the most important – but it’s also the most often taken for granted – and that is the power of family. Now, this is something that all you folks here in Iowa understand in your bones, to your core. I saw it everywhere I went – strong, connected families that looked out for each other and supported each other through good times and bad. And I can tell you from my own experience that nothing else in your life – nothing, not your job, not your hobbies, not the money in your bank account – nothing will sustain you like family.

When I was growing up, we might not have had much, but my family was – and still is – my rock. I was raised in modest means, probably like many of you. We lived on the top floor of a two-family home on the South Side of Chicago. My dad worked in the boiler room at the city water plant. My mom stayed home until my brother, Craig, and I reached high school, then she took a job as a secretary. In our household, we had rules, we did our chores, we minded our Q’s and we ate our peas.

And while we had our share of struggle and heartache, we sure did laugh a lot. And we loved each other more than I could ever put in words. And even though those moments might seem far away, even though my father has passed and my brother lives 3,000 miles away, the bonds that we formed in that tiny apartment still connect us. They are – and will always be – my core and my compass in life.

So, graduates, after this ceremony is over, I want you to hug those folks up in the stands just a little harder. And then make sure that you call them next week. And the week after that, and the one after that. Because these are the folks who made you who you are. These are the folks who will stand by you no matter what life throws your way. These are the folks who prepared you to succeed here at UNI and who prepared you to contribute to your communities and to your country.

And that leads me to the second value I want to discuss – another thread which is woven throughout this university and this state – and that is the value of service to others. Now, the truth is, many of you could give this part of my speech yourselves because you’ve been living this value every day of your lives.

During the floods of 2008, so many of you were out there sandbagging. After the tornado, you went over to Parkersburg to provide all kinds of relief services to the victims there. There were the Volunteer Tuesdays, where many of you served at agencies like the Salvation Army and the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. And students here have stepped up to serve our country and wear its uniform at a time when we’re asking so much of our troops and their families.

That includes four members of your class who were commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the US Army just this morning. And I am proud that so many of you have stepped up to support them. You’ve already launched a veterans student organization. You’re putting together a website to connect military students to UNI resources. You’re working with the VA to provide matching funds to help vets cover tuition and fees if they need it. And I encourage all of you, no matter where you go in life, keep doing that – keep honoring our troops and their families.

We’ve all seen, just in the last week, how much these folks deserve our support. Just imagine, a small group of brave men, dropped by helicopter, half a world away in the dead of night … into unknown danger inside the lair of the most sought after man in the world. They did not hesitate, risking everything for us, for our freedom and security. And they did it not just as Navy SEALs. They did it as husbands, as fathers, as sons. Their families were back here, with no idea of their mission or whether their loved one would ever come home. That is the very essence of the word “service.” And the least we can do is give something back to these troops and their families who have given us so much.

I have seen again and again that giving back, that serving others, keeps everything in perspective. Service is what connects us to one another, to our neighbors, our communities, our country, it reminds us that we are not simply individuals living isolated lives, but that we’re all woven together.

So graduates, I hope that you all keep finding new ways that you can make that kind of impact. In my own life, I’ve found that helping military families is just one way that resonates with me. It’s one of my passions, and it has driven me to start a nationwide effort called Joining Forces to honor these military families. This passion keeps me going every day, knowing that I’m part of something so much bigger, so much more important than just my own individual wants and needs.

And that’s the third value I hope that you will all embrace – to find that passion within yourself, and follow it wherever it takes you. With all of the classes, extracurricular activities, and other experiences you’ve had over the last four years, this university has given you so many chances to discover that passion.

But that process of discovery doesn’t stop when you leave this campus. I know that from my own experience. Back when I graduated from college, I was certain that I wanted to be a lawyer. So I did everything I was supposed to do. I got my law degree. I went home and got a job at a big firm in Chicago. By all appearances, I was living the dream. But the truth is, all the while that I was climbing, I knew something was missing.

Sure, I was working up in a tall building downtown, but when I looked out across the skyline of the city, even though I could see the community I’d come from off in the distance, I was so far up, and so far away, I couldn’t feel that community. I felt like I was beginning to lose that connection to where I had come from. And I realized that I didn’t want to climb anymore. I wanted to be grounded, working with the folks that I knew, folks like the ones I grew up with. I wanted to be mentoring young people, I wanted to be helping families put food on the table and a roof over their heads, I wanted to be giving folks the kind of chances that I’d had.

So I did something that shocked my friends and family, and added about a decade onto my student loan debt: I quit that job. I left that high-paying firm to go work for the city government. And from there, I moved on to lead a nonprofit organization called Public Allies, helping young people pursue public service careers. I wasn’t making nearly as much money and my office wasn’t nearly as big or as nice, but I was working with terrific young people and colleagues who inspired me.

I found that I would wake up every day with excitement, with a sense of purpose and possibility, because I was finally doing something that made me feel fully alive. And graduates, that’s what I wish for all of you today – for you to find that career, that calling, that makes you feel alive.

Now, I know that your passions may not be the same as mine. You may feel most alive in front of a classroom, or a board room, or even in one of those high-rise Chicago office buildings. But no matter what it is, keep that fire burning. I know that it won’t always be easy. The path won’t always be laid out neatly for you. Sometimes you won’t be able to find that perfect job. Sometimes you might momentarily take a job just to stay afloat. Those are the realities of life.

But no matter what you do from nine to five, know that you should always try to find some way to pursue what you love. Maybe it’s a hobby that one day becomes your own business. Maybe it’s some volunteer work that helps you develop new skills and passions. You will have some false starts and setbacks along the way. But I promise you that if you keep listening to yourself, and keep yourself open to new possibilities, new people, and new ways of thinking, you will find a place in this world that feels right for you.

And that openness – that willingness to be exposed to new people and experiences – that is the final value I want to discuss today. This is something that I think truly defines the state of Iowa and its people. You all don’t rush to judgment. You’ll give just about anyone a respectful hearing. That was certainly my experience.

People didn’t know a thing about me, yet they listened, they asked questions, they gave me the benefit of the doubt and a chance to show who I was. And that’s because people here in Iowa understand that everyone has something to offer. Just think about your classmates here at UNI.

While you all might look similar in your black robes today, I know there is a kaleidoscope of talents, passions and experiences with which you’ve enriched each other these past four years. We’ve got graduates like Darion Watson, from Gary, Indiana. He’s the first person in his family to go to college – and he’s inspired his older siblings to think about getting their degrees, too.

We’ve got graduates like Ashleigh Peska from Martelle, Iowa, who works tirelessly across the state to raise awareness for people with muscular dystrophy.

We’ve got graduates like Renee Rapier, a singer from Marion, Iowa, who has won opera awards all across this country, even being invited by one of the Three Tenors to sing out in Los Angeles.

And we’ve got graduates like Nadine Ishimwe, who survived the Rwandan genocide as a child and came to Cedar Falls four years ago when she couldn’t even read, write, or speak English.

Each of these students – and every single one of you – is unique in some way. Each of you has something different to teach the rest of us. And I would urge you to be curious about those who have experiences different from yours. Learn from them. Let their ideas and experiences challenge your own assumptions and perspectives.

But at the end of the day, don’t ever lose sight of what makes you unique. Don’t ever stop believing in what you have to offer. Don’t ever count yourself out. And if you ever do begin to doubt yourself, if you ever start to wonder whether you can fulfill all those dreams. I want you to think of two words that showed this country that young people here at UNI have got what it takes.

Those words? “Ali Farokhmanesh.”

And then I want you to think about all those other men and women who have come before you, the long list of distinguished alumni who have sat where you’re sitting today. There’s Molly Boyle, Iowa’s Teacher of the Year. Chuck Grassley, a six-term U.S. Senator. The first African-American principal in Iowa, Walter Cunningham. Nancy Powell, the Director-General of the United States Foreign Service.

And then there’s Nancy Aossey. Nancy grew up in Cedar Rapids, dreaming of faraway countries and peoples. She got her B.A. and her MBA at UNI in the early ‘80s, and then took a job selling phones. She went out to California, where she heard about a small startup nonprofit called International Medical Corps, an organization that worked in those faraway lands, responding to emergencies and helping local residents become self-reliant. She asked if they needed a volunteer, and it turned out they needed a CEO. So Nancy listened to her heart. She took over, and IMC took off. All told, they’ve directed more than a billion dollars in assistance and training worldwide. They’ve touched millions of lives, from Somalia, to the Balkans, to Haiti and Japan. And as CEO, Nancy has earned awards that put her in the company of Presidents, Generals, Nobel Prize recipients and Oscar winners.

Now you might hear Nancy’s story and think, “That’s pretty cool…but I could never do something like that.” But if there’s one thing I want to leave you with, it’s this: this university and this state have given you everything you need to do something exactly like that. The values you’ve learned here—commitment to family, openness to diversity, willingness to serve your community and your country, the courage to follow your passion—those are the keys to success in any field.

They are the building blocks of a fulfilling life. They’re the foundation of healthy families, vibrant communities, and a strong country. That’s what I saw when I first started coming to Iowa. And graduates, that’s why I wanted to come back, to remind you what makes you special and unique.

I want you to realize the power and value of your experience. I want you to feel the strength of this place that so many of you call “home.” And I want you to carry the values that you’ve learned here with you wherever you go. Share them with everyone you meet. Pass them down to your children and your grandchildren. Spread them throughout our country and throughout our world.

And whether your next step is New York or New Hartford, whether you’re looking for a job in Des Moines or New Delhi, I want you to truly believe that you can kick off your shoes and walk around in the grass anywhere in the world.

Because you can.

So congratulations again, graduates. And Godspeed on the road ahead.

It's Almost Graduation Time!

2011-04-30T23:07:00.000-05:00

Our family will be celebrating graduation in threes this year!
I'll be walking in the commencement ceremony on May 7 for my Master of Arts. However, I won't actually be done with my courses until the end of July.

Kodi is finishing his senior year of high school -- how time flies! He will be graduating on May 26 with an open house to follow in June.

Andrew will be closing out our Grimm adventures in elementary school when he graduates from 5th grade on June 2. I can hardly believe we're moving past the primary school years, which started back in 1997. Wow.

Salon Date

2011-04-09T10:54:00.006-05:00

Last night was date night once again and it was Chad's night to plan. Sometimes I manage to foil his plans, and that was certainly true last night.

Being a wonderfully observant husband, Chad knew that I'd been meaning to get a haircut. I tend to be horrible about planning this ahead of time, but instead wait until my hair is driving me absolutely crazy and then run into a salon when I have some free time or simply whack it off myself. This week I was definitely at that point, having to pull my hair back in clips or headbands because it simply wouldn't cooperate in doing much else.

My amazing husband had planned to treat us both to new haircuts. However, I found enough free time during my lunch hour yesterday and had already gotten a haircut before I got home. Bummer. To keep with the plan, Chad asked what else I might like to have done at the salon. Well, I'd been thinking more and more about coloring my hair ... prompted by the three grey hairs I found a few weeks ago and have since been carefully tucking under the rest of my hair. (Do you like how I refer to it as grey hair, as if that spelling makes it more distinguished than the you-are-getting-old gray kind?)

Not realizing what he was signing up for, Chad took me to the salon and ordered a haircut for himself and highlights for me. Of course, he had no idea how long this adventure would take, and having never gotten highlights before, neither did I.

Two colors (dark blond and deep red), nearly three hours, and a lot of $$ later...

and he couldn't even see that it looks different! (I didn't think to do a before shot for comparison.) Oh well.

He was a phenomenal sport about the whole thing. Have I mentioned lately that I have an incredible husband? There was certainly some shock involved in this adventure, but no complaints.

I ♥ Chad.

Miracles

2011-02-27T22:02:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful discussion tonight at Bishop Jolley's home for our youth fireside. The topic he selected was miracles and I am still thinking about many of the things that were shared. I didn't have it with me at the time, but I love this quote by Susan W. Tanner regarding miracles:

"I delight in the examples of those in the scriptures who walk by faith on their earthly journey. Each time I walk with Abraham and Isaac on the road to Mount Moriah, I weep, knowing that Abraham does not know that there will be an angel and a ram in the thicket at the end of that journey. We are each in the middle of our earthly path, and we don't know the rest of our own stories. But we, as Abraham, are blessed with miracles."

"I delight in the Lord's mercies and miracles (see "Bless Our Fast, We Pray," Hymns, no. 138). I know that His tender mercies and His miracles, large and small, are real. They come in His way and on His timetable. Sometimes it is not until we have reached our extremity. Jesus's disciples on the Sea of Galilee had to toil in rowing against a contrary wind all through the night before Jesus finally came to their aid. He did not come until the 'fourth watch,' meaning near dawn. Yet He did come. (See Mark 6:45-51.) My testimony is that miracles do come, though sometimes not until the fourth watch" (My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord, Ensign, May 2008, 82-83).

(Click here to read the scripture story that Sister Tanner refers to regarding Abraham and Isaac on the road to Mount Moriah.)

I, like Sister Susan W. Tanner, also have a testimony that miracles do come. I am grateful that miracles still happen today. Some of those miracles come in the form of tender mercies, as described by Elder David A. Bednar. For these tender mercies I am also grateful.

My Good Knight

2011-02-26T11:33:00.003-06:00

My hubby and I are very committed to having weekly date nights. Right now, Friday night is booked as date night on our family calendar. We take turns planning our dates together and I don't know which I like more ... getting to plan the dates and trying to surprise my hubby, or getting to see what Chad has dreamed up for us. (Admittedly, sometimes the dream is simply dinner and a movie. Still, there is a lot to be said for the anticipation as you wonder what the night may bring.)

Over the years our date nights have morphed into different things. When we had lots of little ones at home, sometimes date night might have meant a trip to the store where we had just a little time together, didn't talk about kids or bills, and he held the doors open for me. At that time, it felt like a major accomplishment to have those precious few minutes to ourselves.

Sometimes we were lucky enough to hire a babysitter or my parents would schedule "grandates" with their grandchildren and we would get a couple of hours together. (I will definitely repeat the grandate plan with my own grandchildren. My mother is a genius to have planned those special days that gave me time to stay connected to my husband and at the same time strengthened my parents' relationships with our children. Brilliant! Once that groundwork was laid, the grandates were sometimes all of the gents and sometimes just one or two at a time.)

As the children grew up a bit, we decided to have family date night. Our gentlemen would take turns choosing a movie or game and treats for their evening together while Chad and I holed up in the den with our own plans for the evening ... no babysitter required. As more time passed, we had a gent or two that were old enough to be hired as the babysitter for the evening and our boys continued with their brotherly date nights.

Last night it was Chad's turn to plan our weekly date. During the day, he arrived at my office with a pink heart balloon, flowers, and a vase. This is typical of my sweetheart, showing up with flowers for no reason in particular other than he loves me. (This always seems to draw the attention of my co-workers who wish their spouse/boyfriend/significant other would do the same. Sorry girls, he's mine.) Later he sent me a text message to confirm what time I would be done with work so he could make an appropriate reservation. I asked if I would have time to fancy up for our evening, but was informed that no dressing up was required because the food would be messy. Interesting. I had no idea he had an evening planned reminiscent of "Lady and the Tramp."

He said the place we were having dinner did not have dessert, so our first stop was to pick up dessert for later. I love to shop at small businesses in support of our local entrepreneurs and my honey did just that. We visited Scratch Cupcakery and got some delightful treats that we would share with the gents later. (This business is actually owned by the daughter of one of my colleagues, which makes this stop even sweeter. I'm excited about the new shop she has in the works called Sweet Basil Market - Gourmet & Bulk Foods. Natalie says it will have a large variety of goods from spices and sprinkles to pasta and sauces ... and everything in between. I can't wait to check it out. Here's wishing Natalie continued success!)

Sticking with the locally owned business theme, our next stop for dinner was Zippy's BBQ Shack. Here is where Chad had the Lady and the Tramp set up. The last time we visited Zippy's, we used the drive thru to grab our grub and then headed to another location for dinner. This time, Chad said he wanted to take the time to look over the menu, so we parked and headed inside. Just inside the door was our dinner reservation ... a table set for two complete with tablecloth, flowers, candle, and real place settings (not the disposable stuff that Zippy's normally uses). Adorable! We were the only customers inside and it was a lot of fun to have the place to ourselves with the staff fussing over us. (The staff was even sweet enough to wash our dishes before we packed it all up to head out.)

We headed next to rent a couple of movies to watch at home. Technically, this was a dinner and a movie night, but with great new twists! (Sometimes our dates must be timed to coincide with our parental taxi service, so the rented movies meant we could pause to pick up a gent at 8:00.) My knight in shining armor pulled off another memorable date night. I am one lucky lady!

Patience

2011-02-20T01:36:00.001-06:00

I had to share this important reminder as my patience wanes in the midst of waiting...

Speaking of Creative...

2011-01-23T22:13:00.003-06:00

I was so impressed by the Beehives (12 and 13 year old girls) who took a small idea and ran with it to create a life-size game for our last combined activity. We talked about several options and then it was up to them to work with Shawna Freestone (Young Women 2nd Counselor) to complete the concept. They were so creative! The girls made game spaces from full pieces of construction paper before the activity. Each space had an action on it and then a number of blessings.

Some spaces represented good choices.
Photo courtesy of Susanne Pieper.

While other spaces represented choices that were not good.
Photo courtesy of Susanne Pieper.

The young women did a great job of including items from For the Strength of Youth and real life applications of the values and lessons they have been taught. I was very impressed.

The spaces were placed on the floor to make a life size game board.
Photo courtesy of Susanne Pieper.

The youth could choose to play individually or in pairs. They started the evening by making their own cardboard box cars using tape, scissors, and markers. I was kind of surprised how much the youth got into this part of the game.

A few of the cars in play.
Photo courtesy of Susanne Pieper.

If we played this again, I would be sure to mark the cars with numbers as they lined up at the starting line, as it would make it easier to keep track of the order of play when it was time to spin on each turn. Thanks to Charity Hartson we were able to have a fun spinner.

Charity lent us the family Sit n Spin!

We used masking tape to put various numbers around the seat portion of the Sit n Spin to make our game spinner. Scott Evans was the designated spin master and he would place the spinner by the player's feet and give the seat a spin. The player then put their foot down to stop the spinning and whatever number their foot touched is how many spaces they moved forward. After moving to the appropriate space, the player read the space aloud and blessings were awarded or taken, based on the space they landed on.

Shawna had printed up blessing cards in three denominations (1 blessing, 5 blessings, and 10 blessings) for this purpose. The leaders helped to either award or take back the blessing cards. If a player didn't have enough blessing points to pay up, they had to go back to the start of the game.

Blessing cards being distributed.
Photo courtesy of Susanne Pieper.

When the first person made it to the end of the game board, we gave everyone a final spin and then they each added up their blessing points. It was really a lot of fun! The game also has a great tie to this year's youth theme because we receive more blessings as we seek the best things in life, yet the choice of what we seek is always up to us.

He's Been There Before

2011-01-16T16:46:00.000-06:00

I loved this poem that a young man read at church today and wanted to share it.

HE'S BEEN THERE BEFORE
By Elder Troy Whittle,
Texas, Houston Mission

The alarm rings at 6:30; I stumble to my feet.
I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheet.
A groan fills the room, is it already time to arise?
It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes.

The morning activities follow - study, prayer, and such.
When it's time to leave the apartment, you feel you haven't accomplished much.
"We have a super day planned," my comp says with a grin.
I lowly utter a faithless breath, "Yeah, if anyone lets us in."

With the word of God and my faithful Schwinn, we ride off in the street
Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat.
It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through;
My companion and I are riding home, not accomplishing what we thought to do.

We ride up to the mailbox, hoping to receive a lot.
Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "Air Box."
We go up to our apartment, the day is now complete.
The only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet.

It's past 10:30 PM, my companion is fast asleep.
Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep.
In the midst of sadness, I kneel down to pray;
I need to talk to Father, but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh, Father," I begin, "What happened to us today?
I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away.
My hands, my aching hands - worn, hurt and beat;
If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked every street."

"Why on missions are the days so much alike?
The only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike.
Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me.
I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes; It's very hard to see."

"Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough?
People always laugh at me and call me stupid stuff.
Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack;
I want to give them Books of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back."

"And what about my family? They don't have much to say,
I'm sick of not hearing from home, day after day after day.
Oh Father, why am I here, am I just wasting time?
Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind."

"My companion, Heavenly Father, what are you giving me?
The way he rides his bicycle, I don't think he can see.
Now you have it, I can't go on, I don't know what to do;
That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I have for You."

My prayer now finished I stand up, then jump right into bed.
I need my rest for tomorrow; we have another long day ahead.
Sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away,
Then it seems a vision takes me to another time and another day.

I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very nice;
A man walks towards me and says, "My name is Jesus Christ."
Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet,
"Arise," He states, "Follow Me to the shade - you and I need to speak."

My attention's toward the Savior, total and complete.
He says, "Your mission is similar of what happened to Me,
I understand how you feel, I know what you're going through;
In fact it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you."

"I even know how you felt when no one listened to you.
At times I felt not quite sure what else I could do.
I know you don't like to ride a bicycle, for you a car would be sweet;
Just remember the donkey I rode wasn't equipped with 21 speeds."

"I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something you hate;
I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, oh the agony was great!
I see you don't like your companion - you'd rather have someone else.
I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth."

"It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you.
I remember when they put thorns on my head and called me King of the Jews.
So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack.
I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back."

"Your hands hurt from tracting and knocking on doors all day.
I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ached in a similar way.
It's hard not to hear from home when your family's not there to see;
I lost my communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why hast Thou forsaken Me."

He embraced me with His arms, His light filled me with His love,
With tears in my eyes I watched as He went back to the Father above.
I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head,
I listened and heard the alarm, then realized I was in my bed.

My companion let out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!"
I sat up and said, "Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!"
No matter what we go through, when we feel we can't take more,
Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He has been there before.

I ♥ creating

2011-01-16T14:29:00.002-06:00

The times when life is the most busy and out of control is also when I most crave creativity. Some women need retail therapy, but I need to use my hands to create things. It feels so wonderful to see the finished product, to have this complete and tangible thing... and even better when it's something to share with a friend that might brighten their day as well. I love this message that shares a little more insight into the need to create.

Grimm Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T00:37:00.001-06:00

Slideshow design created with Smilebox

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T08:34:00.000-06:00

It's Christmas Eve morning at the Grimm Manor ... Chad is out finishing the last Christmas present, the gentlemen are sleeping sweetly in their beds, the dogs are quietly lounging by the tree, and I feel so blessed to feel completely peaceful this morning even though I didn't get everything done in the last few days that I wanted to. I decided the best gifts I could give my family this year are love, peace and joy. I am committed to being happy with where we are and what we've done, instead of stressing out for perfection. We're doing what's most meaningful and it feels wonderful to know that is enough.

The most important thing I have today is a testimony of the Savior. I know that Jesus Christ lives and I am grateful that He came to fulfill His sacred mission, giving light and love and life to each one of us. It is significant and fitting that the baby Jesus came amidst the loving sacrifices of Mary and Joseph. For their quiet strength, their unwavering faith, and their honorable works I am thankful.

Here's wishing you the wisdom to find joy during this sacred time of year. I'm sending you the love in my heart and the warmth of my testimony. May you too be blessed with peace today and every day. Merry Christmas!

Tickled pink!

2010-12-22T21:59:00.001-06:00

I am just giddy with excitement this week with no more graduate classes until mid-January, a break from work until the first Monday of next year, spending free time with my very favorite gentlemen, and preparing for Christmas.

Peppermint Cheesecake

Michael helped me to mark the last day of class as we created a new holiday dessert for his party at work ...

This is an obvious signature dessert for the son who has been crunching on candy canes since he was a toddler. I believe his love of peppermint is tied to his infancy when he would cry as he tried to burp but that bubble was stuck in his tummy. A few swallows of a special bottle would relieve all of that ... just some warm water that had been stirred with either a candy cane or a toothpick dipped in peppermint extract. After sipping from that bottle, he would burp with ease and turn back into a happy baby. Now, he makes a lovely peppermint cheesecake...next time with an Oreo crust, from what I hear.

Chad's Reindeer

Friday we had another fabulous date night. I love that Chad and I go out on a regular date night every week. I took him to Pursuing Picasso's the week before and we got to pick up our pottery. We each painted a holiday plate (see pictures from the night we painted). They turned out so cute! I'm also thrilled to have recently found a great blog with dating ideas.

Connie's Snowman

Yesterday I got to wander around the library with a couple of my gents as we searched for some great books to read just for the fun of it. It's been much too long since I've had time to read for pleasure and I'm absolutely thrilled for that opportunity. Then we did a little shopping and I found the perfect gift for my mother quite unexpectedly ... I can't wait to see her open it. I'm equally as excited to watch the gents open their special packages that have been hiding in their secret places, but I don't want to give away any surprises so that's enough said.

Doughnut Tree

This morning I shopped with my hubby and we finished picking up the last of the small items we need for our annual Christmas Club party on Christmas Eve. Rather than feeling like a chore to mark off the list of things to do, I enjoyed every minute of it. Oh, and I had to pick up an item that used to appear regularly on my daddy's wish list, just for memory's sake. It will be fun to see his expression when he opens that one too. I even found the base piece we needed so Chef Kodi can build a doughnut tree that he saw on Food Network. (Only Kodi has planned some improvements, of course.)

Yesterday I was thrilled when the lovely lady that I am privileged to visit teach actually called me for a small and simple service project ... a quick trip to the store to get some essentials for her little family while they were feeling under the weather. I love to visit with this dear friend but she so rarely asks me for help that I was ecstatic to be able to do this simple thing for her.

I went back for a visit today and we ended up talking much longer than I had planned. Before heading over to visit with my friend, the gents helped me to make some adorable reindeer cupcakes to share (along with some orange sherbet push ups for those still recovering).

Reindeer Cupcakes

I loved the visiting teaching message this month about the temple and family history work. The message states, "The Lord has promised that your hearts would be turned to the fathers so that the earth would no be utterly wasted at His coming (see D&C 2:2-3)." But, what does "utterly wasted" mean? I've always thought of that phrase as a warning ... as in the earth will be completely destroyed. Then I considered what a loving parent might say to their child who is idling away their time instead of being actively engaged in more worthy pursuits. The parent might encourage the child to consider the amazing things they are capable of but that currently their life is being utterly wasted because of the choices they are making. Then there is the concept that the earth itself has a specific purpose that would be frustrated if this important work is not accomplished. I love it when the spirit helps me to understand the multiple meanings in the scriptures that make them so much richer. It simply takes my breath away.

Tonight, I heard from one of my young friends that her father has consented to letting her be baptized. This is such exciting news since she has been wanting this for some time. I am ecstatic that she and her younger sister will be able to partake in this blessing. I can't wait to see them dressed all in white. My friend's mother and step-father are also making a special visit to the temple in St. Louis next week that makes this news even sweeter.

In fact, another fine young man that our family has known for the last 12 years or so will also be getting baptized in a couple of weeks while he is home from college for winter break.

In addition, yet another dear friend will be getting married next week in the Nauvoo Temple.

This all adds up to one amazing time of year for sure!

Gratefully Yours

2010-11-25T02:15:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here I am at nearly 2:00 in the morning. I'm finishing up the pies for our family gathering ... a process that was restarted after our one year old lab, Frankie, helped himself to the first attempt. I keep forgetting how big he's getting and that he really can reach up on the counter. Yet, I am grateful that we have him in our lives and for the many smiles that he brings us. I'm also grateful that our 12 year old dog, Oscar, tolerates the puppy and that the two of them can play nicely together. They are surely a fun pair to watch.

So as my Thanksgiving Day begins, I find myself reflecting on the many blessings that I enjoy. On Tuesday I was visiting with a friend whose daughter is working very hard to live her #2 dream as the owner of a bakery. She decided to open the business when her Mr. Wonderful had not yet arrived by her 30th birthday. I, on the other hand, cannot imagine my life without this house full of gentlemen and the wonder that they bring, day by day. (And I thank my lucky starts that they haven't turned my hair gray just yet.) I am grateful that I get to have one more holiday season with all of them at home. It's not quite what we had planned, but I'm glad for it nonetheless. Soon enough my babies will begin leaving home, but for today I will savor in their presence. How very blessed I am in this alone, and yet it is only the tip of the iceberg.

As I spy the scar on my arm, I am grateful for the wisdom and skills of doctors...one knowing when to refer me to someone else and another having the talent required to deftly remove a rare tumor (twice) and get me quickly on the road to recovery. And for the patience of my parents who were less than thrilled that the news did not reach them as quickly as it should have.

Oh...and the timer rings. Time to take those last two pies out and head off to bed for a little rest before the adventures of the day begin. Another blessing there...a nice, warm, soft bed to crawl into when your work is done.

May your heart be filled with gratitude for your own blessings today, and every day.

Goddess of Grants

2010-11-09T08:50:00.003-06:00

Starting my day with a smile...

http://stripgenerator.com/gallery/user/goddessofgrants/

Kodi's Birthday Grand-Fun

2010-11-07T22:24:00.000-06:00

Have I ever mentioned that my mother likes to have fun with wrapping presents? Happy (almost) birthday, Kodi!

Kodi Makes a Wish!

2010-11-07T22:20:00.000-06:00

Fun with Gramps and Grammy for Kodi's (soon to be) 18th birthday!

Chad's Boy Scout Award

2010-09-19T19:07:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post to recognize that Chad received the District Award of Merit for outstanding service to youth at the district level at the Winnebago Council's Court of Honor. Hooray for my handsome hubby!

Band Camp 2010

2010-08-22T00:06:00.001-05:00

Jon spent the last two weeks of his summer break with his new band family ... the West High Wahawks! Here they are in their final run-through of the "Overture" for Les Miserables.

Random side note... my sophomore year, I was late to one morning of band rehearsal at West High because I had spent the previous evening on a date in Iowa City to see Les Miserables. I read the Victor Hugo book in its original French my senior year, and it continues to be one of my favorite stories.

Elated for Kodi

2010-08-17T11:51:00.002-05:00

My dear chef-in-training received a great compliment the other night. The restaurant owner had come into the building and ordered multiple items to do a spot check. He sent kudos to my Kodi for his work.
It was exciting to have him move onto the schedule with actual chef duties, then he received this great compliment, and it gets even better. They hired two new dishwashers to replace him ...because Kodi has proven himself and will not be a dishwasher anymore. They are also increasing his hours so he can do work study during his senior year. Go Kodi!

Grandma Grimm

2010-08-15T22:05:00.000-05:00

Grandma Grimm was one amazing lady! She was remarkable simply in the fact that she lived so long, and all that occurred in the span of her lifetime that she was witnessed. But, she was also remarkable for the way that she lived her life. Family was deeply important to her. It was interesting that in making her plans for the celebration of her life, she wanted no church service or fuss, but she did want the family to gather together and share a meal. This is surely evidence that she knew what is most important -- our family!

I loved listening to my own gents describe things that they remembered about Grandma Grimm and their favorite things about her. Andrew can remember her the least, being the youngest, but her passing really touched his heart. His middle name is Grandma Grimm's maiden name (Scott). I also enjoyed learning new things about her during the graveside gathering, like the fact that this tiny little woman played basketball. It was fun to see the smiles as her son (my father-in-law) and each of her grandchildren recounted special memories of Grandma. She will be sorely missed here on earth.

Wanda Louella Grimm, age 104, of Alden, Iowa died on Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls. Private family services were held on Saturday, August 14. Visitation was at 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 11 at Surls Funeral Home in Alden.

Wanda L. Grimm was born on October 25, 1905 in Shellsburg, Iowa, the daughter of George and Berith (Booth) Scott. She graduated from the Shellsburg High School. On October 25, 1923 Wanda was united in marriage to William Floyd Grimm in Vinton, Iowa.

Wanda is survived by her son, Richard (Joan) Grimm of Waterloo; five grandchildren, Jerry Grimm of Alden, Kevin (Ellen) Cary-Grimm of Iowa City, Todd (Theresa) Grimm of Whetstone, AZ, Chad (Connie) Grimm and Sarah (Cord) Nelson of Waterloo; and 14 great-grandchildren (Kim, Trish, Matt, Michael, Stephanie, Paige, Dakodda, William, Cheyenne, Jonathan, Andrew, Logan, Luke, and Cameron).

She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd; son, Donald; grandson, Wyatt Grimm; great-granddaughter, Alexandria Grimm; 3 sisters; and 4 brothers.

I'm a Mormon!

2010-08-08T22:37:00.000-05:00

I really like this new site for my church. There are many great examples of various LDS people, including why they are Mormon, how they live their faith and much more. I find these posts inspiring and exciting. So, I jumped right in and created a profile of my own. It's not completely live yet, but will be in the near future. You can check out the very start of my profile by clicking the "My Faith" button above, or start checking out some of the other Mormons already listed at mormon.org.

If you're one of my fellow LDS friends reading this post, I hope you will also create a profile and share it!

When one chapter closes...

2010-06-26T19:08:00.002-05:00

I have finished my last day at Hartman Reserve Nature Center. It's been an amazing adventure for which I will always be grateful. I have learned a great deal along the way. This position pushed me to discover new talents and conquer new challenges that I had no idea were within my realm of capabilities. I know I couldn't have done it without a great group of individuals who lent their support, guidance and time in those efforts.

My last day began with a card from a dear coworker and friend that left me in tears. It's a good thing I still had a box of tissues in my office. If there is any regret at all in leaving my position, it is surely in not being able to take her with me! She has been such a source of strength and encouragement along the way.

On a side note, my colleagues surely know that I love the color pink. (Yes, I'm taking my pink Swingline with me to the next place...I know you'll miss everything pink from my office.) Sheryl noticed a new, pink flower blooming here at Hartman Reserve this week and said it was waving at me. The naturalists did some research to find out that it is called Queen of the Prairie. At first there were two flowers, essentially one on each side of the entrance to the Interpretive Center, but this morning there were four of the cheerful pink bursts standing ready to wave their goodbyes. (Thanks for that memory, Sheryl.)

For my respected coworkers, I'm trying to leave things in the best possible condition. I hope that makes it a little easier for the next person who dives into this adventure. Earlier this week, I found a great quote that has helped me to stay focused on closing things out well. "Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence" (Unknown). Hopefully, I'm closing this chapter with a flourish and leaving behind a great legacy. I'll miss this place and the people that have truly come to be my fans and my friends.

And just as this chapter closes, another begins. Monday morning I will start writing on a fresh page. I am thrilled to be working at Hawkeye Community College as their Grant Writer. This means at long last the word "writer" is actually part of my title! That's a big deal to me. (All of these papers for my master's program have been great for me, but not quite the same.) I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

In other news... Michael submitted his missionary paperwork yesterday. Woo-hoo! Kodi is very excited about his senior year of high school (well, except for the new dress code policies). He loves bragging about his co-op time that will mean only half days inside the halls of West High. Lucky guy! William is loving summer vacation and is busily making plans for more fishing trips with each of his grandfathers. Jonathan left today for a week long scout camp. Andrew is off to Gramps & Grammy's house for the week as well. It's going to be strange to have just the three oldest gents in the house this week. Chad is prepping to get that Mustang of his into the body shop at long last ... possibly just two more weeks until the restoration begins.

Our crazy life...

2010-05-22T21:53:00.003-05:00

Chad is working 7 days a week and starting tomorrow night, he's lucky enough to start 12 hour shifts. He's also keeping busy helping out at a car wash and at a friend's body shop. The car stuff is just part of who he is and there's no sense fighting it.

Michael is oh-so-close to finishing his mission papers. One more appointment and a picture, then I think he's all set before he moves on to interviews. Today he spent a good deal of time helping Kodi to change the brakes on his car ... and then putting them back on after finding out the auto parts store gave them the wrong parts. It's fun to see them doing this on their own.

Kodi is planning his life after high school. He is very excited to be training as a line cook at Roux Orleans and has been getting some great advice from the head chef there about schooling and his career path. Go, Chef Kodi!

William had the end of year celebration for JROTC on Friday night. Surprisingly enough, he does not want to continue. Considering his lifelong fascination with anything military, I am shocked. But, he is pleased to be working and earning money to fix up his car (one of his other life passions that surely runs in his blood, courtesy of Chad).

Jonathan is keeping me on my toes as the most social teenager we've experienced so far. He's getting ready for a fun scout encampment this summer and is looking forward to moving on to high school in the fall with all the new experiences that will bring.

Andrew can't wait for the end of the school year. I think he will be spending great gobs of time at the public library where he can find books that really interest him and provide more of a challenge than those in the school library.

Oscar and Frankie will be happy to have more attention with the gents home this summer. The old dog is still putting up with the young pup quite well. They wrestle and romp around a lot ... nothing new in this predominately male household.

I have enjoyed a whole week off from school and the break has been heavenly. Monday, I'm diving back in with class every Monday and Thursday evening until mid July. Following that is another course lasting until the end of August ... when fall semester will begin. I just keep reminding myself that if I keep plugging along, I'll be ready to graduate next May. Just in time for the mad rush of getting everything ready for Kodi's high school graduation!

Michael, my super hero!

2010-04-08T12:45:00.001-05:00

This post is just for Michael. I know it was hard for you to make this decision and you know it was hard for me to be quiet on the subject. You're already my super hero! I'm sure the time will fly and I look forward to hearing (reading) about all the lives you touch! I love you.

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

2010-03-27T21:55:00.002-05:00

Beautiful work by my big brother ... just in time for Easter!

Please Send Prayers

2010-01-06T21:45:00.004-06:00

I'm asking my readers to please take time to pray for Oliver Palmer and his family. As one of my former Primary children, Ollie will always hold a special place in my heart.

Oliver is in the midst of a mighty battle with an inoperable brain tumor. He and his family could really use your prayers. If you can dig a little deeper and contribute to his benefit fund, please do so. For more information, visit Ollie's All-Stars.

Every prayer and penny will help. Please join the fight for Oliver!

I hope Ollie remembers the words of a song we learned together in Primary, "Dearest children, God is near you, Watching o'er you day and night." I know Heavenly Father is close to you, Ollie. He loves you very much.

It is easy enough to be pleasant,

When life flows by like a song,

But the man worth while is one who will smile,

When everything goes dead wrong.

For the test of the heart is trouble,

And it always comes with the years,

And the smile that is worth the praises of earth

Is the smile that shines through tears.

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Christmas Spirit

2009-12-12T17:25:00.000-06:00

A wonderful reminder....

More than words...

2009-11-26T18:30:00.005-06:00

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words,
but to live by them."

~ John F. Kennedy

I told my family about a book drive we're having at work to stock the shelves of a local school's library. The school serves special needs children with reading levels ranging from Kindergarten and up. We work with them through a special outreach program that allows them to come to the Nature Center at least once each month. Our programming assistant recently toured the school and noticed that their "library" consists of a bookshelf of donated books, with no money available to expand it.

For a special Thanksgiving project, my gents sorted through all of their books and identified all they were willing to give away. If even one of them wanted to keep the book for any reason, it went back on the shelf. They shared a lot of great memories as they looked at each title. It was also fun to see the inscriptions in some of the books -- from favorite teachers, for example. When they were finished, they selected one book for Mom to read to them.

The books selected to give away had not been read in a very long time. They will do so much more good for these students. The gents also helped Opa with a project to fill a hole with sand (which they shoveled by hand into the back of Chad's truck -- twice) and straighten his garage.

This is such a great way to live the gratitude that we talk about at this time of year. My gents are such a tremendous blessing in my life! I'm thankful for their hearts full of compassion and service.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Check it out!

2009-10-04T21:38:00.002-05:00

Make sure to stop the music on the left before clicking play on the video.

Today's Quotes

2009-10-01T14:05:00.004-05:00

You know, I heard a comedian once say that he did not use the expression LOL (laugh out loud) but instead used LQTM (laughing quietly to myself) because it was more honest. Well, today's quote was actually a real LOL moment for me:

"The difficult is what takes a little time; the impossible is what takes a little longer."

~ Fridtjof Nansen

Working full time and going to grad school while raising a family and volunteering in the community is a challenge ... it's difficult.

Add to that our biggest fundraiser of the year (normally carried out by a committee) to be pulled off by me and my intern alone, and that brings me face to face with the nearly impossible.

Ordered to do so without working too many extra hours, and we've bumped that up a notch.

A letter this week bringing the potential of jury duty service the week before that big fundraiser, then I'm surely at impossible.

Pile on the unexpected, something that pulls at my heart and keeps me from sleeping decently at night, and I am surely past impossible.

But, hey, it's just going to take a little longer. I can do this. I can make it work.

Or at least I can laugh about it for the moment...

Free Books!

2009-09-25T23:03:00.004-05:00

Check out this great offer from Deseret Book. You can download pdf versions of several books on their website...for a limited time. Enjoy!

A week in review...

2009-09-18T18:24:00.005-05:00

Sunday -- Church, meetings, and family home evening, including a heated game of Scrabble. Good times!

Monday -- Another wonderful class of Philanthropy & Nonprofit Development. We talked about boards of directors and the arts & culture. This has been a wonderful experience so far and I'm excited about digging a little deeper in future classes, since this is currently an overview.

Tuesday -- Injured my knee somehow. Most of my Tuesday just revolved around the word "OUCH!" Thankfully, Jon was kind enough to escort Andrew to and from Cub Scouts when he got to visit Gold's Gym. (Thanks to Harold Youngblut for letting them try everything out.)

Wednesday -- Saw the doctor about my knee. She thinks I've done something to the cartilage. I'll know more after an MRI next week, but a brace and some pain killers made things much more tolerable. I also had fun teaching the Young Women how to make their own pattern for pajama pants. I love the fabrics they selected a couple of weeks ago and can't wait to see the finished products.

Thursday -- A night off from class! Although I love going to class, it was also wonderful to have a night at home with my family. I even got to indulge in my guilty pleasure of watching the opening of this season's Survivor, which is set in Samoa. There are definitely some memorable characters already this season.

Friday -- Shipped Chad off for a backpacking trip at Yellow River Forest. Hopefully he's having a great time. He left the cell phone behind and gets to be off the grid for a couple of days. Lucky man! Four of the gents enjoyed a day off from school. The oldest gent grumped a bit about college not having a Cattle Congress Day.

Saturday -- Okay, it's not quite here yet, but... Kodi will start his new job at Roux Orleans. He's very excited and I'm happy for him. Hopefully he will learn great things and this will be a step in the right direction for his dreams of becoming a professional chef. It's also a big day for Andrew who gets to go shopping for supplies for his new instrument. My littlest gent is going for a BIG instrument. He'll be playing the string bass in orchestra. (So much for Chad's dreams of having a sax player in the family.)

That's my week. Hopefully I will find time to post again soon.

Life

2009-09-08T09:55:00.007-05:00

This morning I received a small gift from a family whose daughter's memorial funds were contributed to the place I work. They shared a little book that was printed for the memorial service. It was written by their daughter when she was 10 years old and is titled simply "My Life".

I am shocked to realize that Amy and I were born the same year. Wow. Life is so short.

Lucky Daddy

2009-08-22T21:44:00.002-05:00

It sounds like my daddy is one lucky guy. He fell about 10 feet off of a rooftop onto the cement, but after 4+ hours of CT scans and x-rays, they found no broken bones. Still, he's earned an overnight stay at the hospital.

Thanks to all for the prayers and emailed support.

2009-08-22T15:17:00.000-05:00

Please pray for my dad. He fell off a roof and is on the way to the hospital.
~Mom of 5 gents

Summer Fun

2009-08-17T14:56:00.005-05:00

Andrew and Jon both got to take part in a few summer programs where I work.

Jon went to Effigy Mounds and the Mississippi River boat tour through a partnership with Silos and Smokestacks. He also got to go to Spook Cave and do some trout fishing.

Andrew was thrilled to go caving with a friend at Werden's Cave near Maquoketa. This is a place none of his brothers have ever been ... how often does the youngest child get to say that? One of his days was spent with an archeologist and learning more about the Native Americans that once lived where I now work. Andrew got to help build a Wikiup that day. Below is a picture of him weaving some pieces for the Wikiup.

My thanks to Chris for the picture.

2009-08-16T22:59:00.000-05:00

The Trend Continues

2009-08-14T01:35:00.002-05:00

This week marks the beginning of William's first real job... following in his brothers' footsteps:

I am grateful for the store manager, Ron (no kidding), for giving William a chance. William has been eagerly searching for a job. I believe there was a little behind-the-scenes coaxing in William's behalf. (Thank you.) While I am happy to never have worked the fast food circuit myself, I'm glad he has this opportunity.

I'm also crossing my fingers for Kodi who may be on the track to an assistant chef position at a real restaurant. He got a call back and is waiting for his second interview. I'm excited for him since becoming a chef is his goal. The golden arches were a beginning point, but not quite the type of career he has in mind.

My babies are growing up!

Here I go...

2009-07-29T17:25:00.003-05:00

It was the strangest of places to be getting the news, but last Saturday at the Pioneer Day picnic I found out that my graduate program was back on track for this fall. I was thrilled! (The week before, I'd been quite disappointed to hear the program had not yet met minimum enrollment requirements.)

Today, the courses were finally available for registration. I am now officially ready to begin my master's program. Woo-hoo! My first course begins August 24. It will also be the first time I take a course from someone I already know. In fact, he is coordinating the program.

Back to the old campus I go...

City Beautiful!

2009-07-23T06:58:00.009-05:00

Yesterday we trekked to one of my very favorite places on earth -- Nauvoo: City Beautiful.

It was such a fun day to visit the many shops and learn more about our pioneer heritage. This is the time of year that we most often remember the pioneers, as it is the 162nd anniversary of the arrival of the first Latter-day Saint pioneer company in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, as well as the 153rd anniversary of the first handcart company to enter the valley in 1856. In their honor, July 24th is celebrated as Pioneer Day.

We visited some of the gents' favorite spots in Nauvoo. Some of our stops included the brickyard, the family living center, the tin shop, and the blacksmith shop. They collected little treasures along the way... a small replica brick, a taste of freshly baked bread, hand dipped candles, rope they helped to make, and of course a prairie diamond (click on the link to the blacksmith shop to see what a prairie diamond looks like).

We also went to Carthage to see the jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred.

It had been quite some time since I had been to the jail. I still remember visiting the site with my brother and our parents when I was a child. The scent of the jail immediately brought me back to that day, about 30 years ago when I first visited Carthage.

The accounts of what happened there really pull at my heart. Below are some of the details that stand out in my mind. More detailed information can be found here.

The mob of about 100 men attacked the jail. Most had blackened their faces with mud and gunpowder to disguise their identities.

Some shot at the window while others entered the jail and went up the stairs to shoot into the room where the men were. (Note: the right hand stair rail is the original.)

Hyrum Smith was shot in the face by a bullet fired through the door. As he fell, he was assaulted by three more bullets and was fatally wounded.

John Taylor moved toward the open window and was struck in the leg by a bullet fired from inside the jail. He began to fall out the window when a second bullet from outside hit his pocket watch and pushed him back into the room, saving his life. He was hit with three more bullets while he was on the floor.

After Hyrum and John Taylor were shot, the Prophet Joseph Smith was hit by two bullets fired from the doorway of the room and a third bullet fired from outside the jail. He then fell out of the window and the mob ran outside to see the his body.

Willard Richards, the only one of them uninjured, hid John Taylor under a mattress, thinking the mob would return. (He wanted John Taylor to live to tell the story.) The weight of the mattress provided the needed pressure to John Taylor's wounds to ensure his survival. Willard Richards then left the jail as the mob members fled into the woods.

I am amazed when I consider the great sacrifice that these men gave. As we left the jail, I was struck with the thought that it will be a sacrifice for my gentlemen to leave home and serve missions for two years. But, it is such a small sacrifice in comparison.

We stayed to watch the pageant in Nauvoo that evening. I know that sharing the gospel message with others is one small way that I can honor the sacrifices of those early pioneers. I also feel that it is selfish to not share what I know with the people in my life, because the gospel plan is a plan of happiness.

Today's Quote

2009-07-21T10:03:00.003-05:00

"Do not let what you cannot do

interfere with what you can do."

~ John Wooden

For today, I'm not going to spend my time focused on what other people "should've done" or how they "could've" responded. Today, I will remember that I am only in control of me.

I can choose to remain positive. Focusing on the attitudes of others only interferes with what I can do. I will look for and recognize positive attributes. I will act and not react. Today, I will do what I can and leave the rest.

Perspective

2009-07-06T08:56:00.001-05:00

I just have to share this clip: http://www.miniature-earth.com/me_english.htm

After viewing, I feel so very blessed.

Today's Quote

2009-06-29T08:50:00.002-05:00

“To you parents, express your love to your children.
Pray for them that they may be able to withstand the evils of the world.
Pray that they may grow in faith and testimony.
Pray that they may pursue lives of goodness and of service to others.“
~ Thomas S. Monson

I had to share this thought when I read it this morning. This is the prayer of my heart for my own children and all those children whose lives I am privileged to be a part.

Late nights and long weeks

2009-06-26T22:42:00.004-05:00

Chad has begun working third shift and that seems to make my nights longer. I can't seem to sleep well without him here. I guess that should be expected considering I've spent the last 18 years sleeping beside my honey. His new sleep patterns aren't that great either yet. I'm hoping we'll both figure it out soon and be back to catching a respectable number of zzzzzz's.

Tonight, I decided to spend a bit of my night owl time updating the blog.

This week I was supposed to be at Young Women's camp. Things started out well and I am so grateful for all the people that had a hand in making things go smoothly. However, the weather seemed to be working against us and we ended up coming home on Tuesday evening instead of Friday afternoon. Bishop Jolley and Brother Keefe were our heroes that night, helping us to quickly break camp and get it all packed up. They also were the great men to provide blessings to sick girls that needed them.

Our brief time at camp was full of adventures and I'm certain we all have some great stories to share. There couldn't have been a better group of young women to laugh, work, and grow together. Next year we will have more time together and many more memories to build.

I was able to deliver all of the young women to their homes safe and sound Tuesday night before my vehicle decided to act up. Chad talked me through a repair job (tightening a loose battery cable) at 11:30 Tuesday night to get me back on the road to home. However, this was only a foreshadowing of things to come. Chad checked the Suburban when he got home from work and gave me the all clear to meet Tina Rodebush and finish getting our camp items that had been stored in Bishop Jolley's truck.

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that the battery needed to be replaced. This involved complete embarrassment for parking across several parking stalls to quickly return some keys and then not being able to move my vehicle out of the way. Ugh. (Sorry, Dr. Jolley.) Tina kindly returned to the scene to try to give me a jump start when I couldn't get it running again on my own. She even stayed with me while I waited for further assistance. (You rock, Tina!!)

Many thanks to Sam Moss for coming to check it out and even getting it started one last time with that worn battery. Even more thanks when he helped me push it out of the intersection when it died again before I could get very far. I still can't believe the two of us could push that monster as far as we did... and thanks also to the great gal at Dr. Jolley's office who helped us get over the last hump with the beast. Sam got me to the store to buy a new battery and even explained that the extreme weather change the day before was the likely culprit in sapping the last of the battery. By the time we returned, Chad was also on the scene and the two of them had the new battery installed in no time. Hooray!

It's nice when such things don't happen at all, but I am so grateful for all the wonderful people that gave their time and talents to help. What a blessing!

Revolving Door of Life

2009-06-15T20:54:00.004-05:00

Well, the gents made it home safe and sound from Boundary Waters. They had a fun time and came back with plenty of stories to tell. Chad is convinced that he is getting too old for this. Michael has a new, not so kind perspective on 12 year olds... interesting considering it wasn't that long ago that he was one. Kodi has a camera full of pictures and is threatening to post a short video of his older brother's antics in some very cold water on youtube. William loved it all, can't wait to go back, and swears to remember his hat next time. (He is currently sporting a sunburnt and peeling scalp.) Jon is thrilled that he has completed enough requirements to pass off another scout rank and is only beginning to show some remorse for his long lost hair.

Andrew is recovering well and loves having everyone back home. We had a good time together but one mom just does not make up for four brothers and dear old Dad. Besides, they are all prepared to cater to his every whim, feeling sorry for the boy with the sore toe ... when mother knows he's ready to do things for himself again.

But today they are on their own again. I left this morning for a conference. I'm sure they feel sorry for me. I got here and found out that my room request was not available. So, I got bumped to an executive suite instead. Poor Mom. The quiet is a little unnerving tonight. But I guess I will figure out a way to deal with it.

Maybe it will help if I remind myself that just one short week from now I will be camping with the young women for five days. I'm sure I will come home with many stories. Hopefully I will remember my hat and the sunscreen.

Brave Andrew

2009-06-10T21:15:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I took Andrew to the doctor to check out an ingrown toenail. She kindly declined treating him (actually said she didn't want to torture the poor kid) and referred him to a podiatrist. We saw the podiatrist today and Andrew had a minor surgery to resolve the problem. He was so brave and such a great patient! I was impressed.

He's recovering well tonight. No major complaints, even when the numbing meds wore off. His biggest beef is that he can't play softball tomorrow. What a guy!

How to catch critters at work

2009-06-10T08:40:00.003-05:00

I happen to work at a Nature Center. We recently adopted a fox snake and added it to the animals in our displays. Imagine my surprise this morning when I unlocked the front door and the following occurred.

How to catch critters at work...

Step 1. Do a double take and note that really is a snake inside the front door.
Step 2. Panic!
Step 3. Begin pumping personal supply of adrenaline.
Step 4. Check snake's cage to see if this is our snake or an additional snake that has gained entrance to the building.
Step 5. Panic.
Step 6. Log on Internet to verify what a fox snake really looks like.
Step 7. Note Wikipedia's information that "They are generally docile animals but may bite when molested."
Step 8. PANIC!
Step 9. Take many deep breaths and devise plan to capture said snake without molesting it.
Step 10. Remove garbage liner from trash can.
Step 11. Get tongs from kitchen.
Step 12. Panic.
Step 13. Take additional deep breaths and gain minuscule amount of courage to confront snake.
Step 14. Lay garbage can on side by snake's head.
Step 15. Use tongs to scoot snake into container.
Step 16. Panic, then take more deep breaths.
Step 17. Gently transport container to snake cage.
Step 18. Remove rocks, light, etc. from top of cage.
Step 19. Remove lid to cage.
Step 20. Note the snake hissing in the container.
Step 21. Panic!
Step 22. Dump snake into cage.
Step 23. Panic.
Step 24. Retrieve container from cage after dropping the entire thing inside. (Are you laughing yet?)
Step 25. Quickly return lid, rocks, light, etc. to top of cage and wonder how on earth the snake got out in the first place.
Step 26. Deep cleansing breaths.
Step 27. Return trash can and reline.
Step 28. Wash tongs.
Step 29. DEEP...CLEANSING...BREATHS.
Step 30. Finish turning on lights and opening the nature center for the day.
Step 31. Sigh of relief.
Step 32. Leave note for coworkers to figure out way to keep the snake in its cage.
Step 33. Go to office.
Step 34. Find salamander in your office space. ...

This is going to be one loooooong day!

Remember, I majored in Business in college. I'm sure you wish you could have witnessed the above and I'm also sure it would have been hysterically funny to watch. At least I can smile about it now while I'm recovering.

Today's Quote

2009-06-09T10:13:00.002-05:00

"The value of a man should be seen in what he gives
and not in what he is able to receive."

~ Albert Einstein

First Day of Fun

2009-06-08T19:47:00.003-05:00

Today marks the beginning of summer break. Andrew had a grand time figuring out the menu for the week since it's just the two of us. Our big date for tonight was to go grocery shopping. He had a fun time choosing things like the cereal he wanted, knowing the box would actually last longer than one breakfast for a change.

I was surprised how quickly we got through the shopping and how empty the cart seemed. There is a bit of a difference shopping for 2 instead of 7. Go figure.

Tomorrow Andrew has cub ball and he's really looking forward to playing another game. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and maybe I'll even remember my camera to take a couple of pictures.

West Alumni

2009-06-08T19:37:00.002-05:00

At Michael's graduation they asked the alumni in the audience to join the graduates and stand to sing the Alma Mater. Both my mother and I are alums. My maternal grandfather also graduated from West, making Michael the fourth generation of West graduates in our family.

It was kind of fun to stand with my mom and sing our Alma Mater. I was surprised I still knew all the words!

Alma Mater
(Tune: “Cornell”)

Where the rolling plains of Iowa
Meet the Cedar’s stream
Stands our dear old Alma Mater
High in our esteem.

"Duty, Honor, Service” always
May they never die
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater
Hail, all hail, West High

Comrades, classmates, friends we rally!
“Loyalty” we cry?
Pledge our hearts and hands to honor
Our beloved West High

"Duty, Honor, Service” always
May they never die
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater
Hail, all hail, West High

From our hall still echo footsteps
Of alumni true:
Holding high our honored banner
They, our faith renewed

"Duty, Honor, Service” always
May they never die
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater
Hail, all hail, West High

Today's Quote

2009-06-08T07:32:00.001-05:00

"Summer afternoon; to me those have always been
the two most beautiful words in the English language."
~ Henry James

Victory!

2009-06-07T05:54:00.004-05:00

I've had an ongoing battle with J and his hair. He'd prefer for it to be shoulder length, I'd prefer for it to be much more conservative. We've found middle ground while maintaining our opposite desires regarding the length.

This week, I'm thrilled to announce that I have achieved victory (at least temporarily). J kept wishing that his buddy Chris would go with them on their high adventure trip. Through a turn of events, I was tipped off that there was a possibility J would get his wish. So, I took advantage of that bit of information and asked J if Chris joined the trip, would J shave his head. J agreed.

Last night, J asked if he could do the shaving himself. This is a huge difference since even a small trim is often interpreted as major trauma by J. In fact, he often hides his new haircuts with hoodies and hats for several days. Trauma. In contrast, last night was absolute bliss. J had a grand time shaving parts of his head and then showing off his do in stages. He was smiling and laughing as he morphed from long locks to emo to mohawk to nothing.

VICTORY!

I will get to enjoy an entire summer of J's acceptable length hair. Now to devise another brilliant plan to motivate him next time around...

Graduated!

2009-05-25T16:47:00.005-05:00

Last week was a big moment for Michael. The portraits of childhood are now completed. He donned cap and gown, walking ceremoniously into adulthood last Wednesday evening.

In all his haste and nerves, he somehow forgot to bring his honor cord and service pin with him for the ceremony.

The glow and elation on his face at the ceremony are much better than in the picture afterward with the addition of those forgotten emblems.

Last night he also had seminary graduation where he again earned the Stake President's Award. Yesterday he also turned in his completed Duty to God booklet to receive the associated award.

This means he's finished his big goals for the year. That included the above items, plus earning his Eagle Scout Award. It's a bittersweet milestone from my perspective. And yet, I'm sure there will be many more amazing adventures in the future with this man.

Congratulations, Michael!

J is for Joker

2009-05-25T15:24:00.002-05:00

J was helping me weed the hostas this morning and I should have known it would be a memorable moment. Wanting to liven up this task, J thought he would start a weed war. He had great aim and nailed me right in the face.

I gave him my best I-can't-believe-you-just-did-that glare. In return, he batted his eyelashes and gave me an impish little you-know-you-love-me-anyway look. (J can make the best faces. MustangMan often tells me that J gets that gene from me.)

Then, the following conversation ensued.

"Mom, throw me my weed." (Pause followed by a giggle.)

"What?"

"Um, that didn't sound right. I don't think that's something you should say to your mom."

I tossed J his weed anyway. Another giggle.

"You know, Mom, weed isn't good for anything, is it? Weed is bad for people and for plants."

"That's right. No weed for us. Remember that."

More giggles.

You have to take advantage of those teaching moments, you know.

Prom

2009-05-05T06:50:00.003-05:00

Last weekend M went to his senior prom with a group of friends. Here is the photographic evidence just as their long evening of memories began.

Today's Quote

2009-05-04T10:49:00.003-05:00

"One day in retrospect the years of struggle

will strike you as the most beautiful."

~ Sigmund Freud

Interesting quote as we approach high school graduation day for M and as I learn to be the mother of an adult. He's already 18 but as long as he's still in high school, it doesn't really count, you know.

I feel like I should know a whole lot more. I'm not qualified yet. Maybe someday M will find the truth in this quote about his mother.

C'est la vie.

Today's Quote

2009-04-02T08:36:00.001-05:00

"What does not destroy me, makes me stronger."
~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Since this is day 37 of my headaches/migranes and today started with a pretty strong one, this seemed like an appropriate quote. Wishing you all much happiness and strength today!

Decades Dance

2009-03-24T21:26:00.005-05:00

I wish I'd taken my camera with me to the youth dance last Saturday. It was hilarious to walk into the cultural hall and see it decorated with twisted crepe paper streamers and 45 records (made of construction paper) hanging on the walls. Talk about a time warp! We'd decorated the gym the same way for a "sock hop" when I was a teenager ... only the 45s were real ones then.

It was fun to see the youth warp through time in decades. And even more fun to see them trying out some of the dances for each decade. I think my three favorites were the limbo, Thriller and Macarena.

M decided to do a little write up for each decade at the dance, which the DJ used throughout the night. Here is his work:

Tonight we’re going to go back in time and live in the decades before us for only a few hours. Let’s go back and start with the 1950’s. It’s the years of the Red Scare, where Communism was under fire in America. This is the age where ‘under God’ was added to our Pledge to those great 48 states. This is a time where people were very conservative, and the rebels of the era wore blue jeans. Poodle skirts, ponytails, slacks, and flat tops were the style of the era. It was the decade that gave birth to rock and roll, with people like Elvis, Buddy Holley and Big Bopper, and to television, with shows like I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, and Lassie. Welcome to the 1950’s.

The 50’s are over. Now we enter into a new decade. This decade is one of change: the biggest one being the amendment of Civil Rights, making all people equal. This decade America won the Space Race; we put the first Americans in space, in orbit, and on the moon. People started wearing bell bottoms, love beads, mini skirts, go-go boots, and afros. They also attended things like Woodstock and listened to artists like Jimi Hendrix. TV evolved into a whole new animal, giving us programs like The Flintstones, The Addams Family, My Favorite Martian, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Twilight Zone. Say hello to the 1960’s, where we took one giant leap for mankind.

The sixties are gone my friends. But even so, the style of the era held true: bell bottoms and love beads. The nation was thrust into a physical war against Communism in Vietnam. The nation was torn apart by the draft and as demonstrators across the nation protested for the end of the Vietnam War. This decade brought us Richard Nixon, and we know what happened to him. Computers started to evolve with the newest advancement: the floppy disc. Music and TV also evolved. New artists such as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and The Who arrived on the scene. TV yielded her great classics: Star Wars, The Godfather, and Grease. New shows were born in this era too, like Saturday Night Live and Sesame Street. This is the 1970’s.

We’re ending the end of our travel through time as we come out of the 70’s. This last decade is one of a new age. This era gives birth to treats we know and love: Sweetarts, Skittles, Nerds, Runts, and Hubba Bubba Chewing Gum, and to corporations that are a staple in American culture: McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Nike. Cable TV hit the scene and with it came Music Television. MTV gave birth to a new age of music, one with rap, pop, and hip hop from artists like Prince and Michael Jackson. With that music came all new dances like break and slam dancing. ET phoned home, we went Back to the Future, and had a new form of detention called the Breakfast Club. The popular things to watch on TV were situation comedies, or sitcoms, and the news. Welcome to our final decade, the 1980’s.

Today's Quote

2009-03-24T08:31:00.001-05:00

"One is responsible for one's own life. Passivity provides no protection."

~ Madeleine Kunin

Today's Quote

2009-03-20T08:36:00.001-05:00

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

~ Anne Bradstreet

Today's Quote

2009-02-21T12:39:00.002-06:00

“Families across the Church are searching for ways to strengthen and protect their children against the evils around them. In some cases those parents are desperately trying to bring back some in their family who have wandered. I am confident that there will be, increasingly, a reward given by God for their efforts. Those who never give up will find that God never gave up and that He will help them.”

~ Henry B. Eyring
“The True and Living Church,” Ensign, May 2008

Today's Quote

2009-02-18T05:55:00.000-06:00

"A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all.
It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future."

~ Howard Schultz

An Eagle Among Us

2009-02-17T21:37:00.003-06:00

He did it! M went to the final board of review and is officially an Eagle Scout as of tonight. He was so nervous going in and even more so during those looooooong minutes while they deliberated. That gave him plenty of time to reflect on the fun memories in scouting over the last 12 years.

And then they called him back into the room to tell him he had passed. Congrats, M! We knew you would do it!

Many, many thanks to all of his wonderful leaders that have led and supported him along the way!

Today's Quote

2009-02-11T06:17:00.001-06:00

"No act of kindness,
no matter how small,
is ever wasted."
~ Aesop

Today's Quote

2009-01-28T05:49:00.001-06:00

"Smile in trouble...
gather strength from distress...
grow brave by reflection."

~ Thomas Paine

Spiritual Thought

2009-01-25T21:06:00.005-06:00

Thank you to Michael Jolley for this message he shared today, courtesy of Elder W. Craig Zwick.

"President Boyd K. Packer has recently emphasized this guiding principle: 'However out of step we may seem, however much the standards are belittled, however much others yield, we will not yield, we cannot yield.'6

Do we recognize temptation when it is so well camouflaged?

Are we willing to fight the unpopular battle?

Paul clearly warned that we should not be 'men-pleasers; but [be] the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.'7

The time has come when we must take an unyielding stand. We must shore up our spiritual underpinnings, listen to the prophets of God, and follow their counsel.

Said Paul to Timothy: 'For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.'8

It requires courage to make good choices, even when others around us choose differently. As we make righteous choices day by day in little things, the Lord will strengthen us and help us choose the right during more difficult times.

The teachings and values we cherish the most are not embraced by a secular world. To maintain a firm stance for ourselves and our children, the message of the restored gospel must be firmly planted in our hearts and taught in our homes" (“We Will Not Yield, We Cannot Yield,” Ensign, May 2008, 97–99).

Not THAT Kid!

2009-01-08T05:13:00.000-06:00

I may be getting older, but I still clearly remember that you didn't want to be THAT kid ... the one that requires the janitor to come to your class and sprinkle the magic sawdust concoction to cover up the sickness. Unfortunately, J is now THAT kid. Poor guy.

He was innocently sitting in Science class when the problem began. J seems to have a weak stomach when it comes to discussing some of the more gory parts of science. One of his classmates asked if your blood is actually blue when it's inside your body. The teacher responded with a detailed description that sent J's stomach flipping. She followed with some actual pictures. J asked to go to the nurse and the teacher told him to go to the back of the classroom and put his head down if the pictures were getting to him. Big mistake! J redecorated the classroom soon after. (Incidentally, he's had this problem before in science class but the other times he made it to the nurse or the bathroom, sparing himself the public humiliation.)

School hasn't changed all that much. J asked this morning if he could stay home because he's tired of people talking about him and his unfortunate experience in science class. Poor guy. His big brothers don't help much. They keep telling him that he'll still be hearing about being THAT kid when he's in high school. Unless, of course, J somehow manages to get his requested new wardrobe, name change, and school transfer. Let's not hold our breath...

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T20:22:00.002-06:00

“We will open the book.
Its pages are blank.
We are going to put words on them ourselves.
The book is called Opportunity
and its first chapter is New Year's Day.”
~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

My New Year story began with one of my favorite kinds of days -- all tucked inside, away from the world, just me and my grand gentlemen. I love these precious days when there are no pressing demands on my time, no places I must go, no things that I must accomplish (not that they aren't piling up in my tomorrows, mind you). Instead, I enjoyed some beloved moments of solitude, when my body awakened at its usual hour and all the rest of the house remained quiet. Oh the bliss!

My sweet husband got up and made breakfast for us all. What a dear man! Then, I reveled in the happiness of my dear ones as we spent the day together. There were games to be played, a movie to watch, and fun to be had. A few of the gents snuck outside now and again, but I was content to stay inside for one day. Mustang Man worked on a car with a friend. M & K went off to work (poor souls). I found time to do a little digging on our family history and do some reading while the younger three gents played video games. It was a day with a lot of laughter and family moments ... the perfect beginning to a New Year in my book.

Mary Did You Know?

2008-12-24T09:29:00.001-06:00

Season's Greetings

2008-12-24T06:25:00.001-06:00

The family Christmas newsletter went into the mail this morning. I could list my excuses for the delay, but it made it to the mailbox before Christmas, so it counts! Right?

Just know that we have been thinking of you and are wishing you all the best at Christmas and in the coming year. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-22T04:27:00.001-06:00

My five handsome gents!

Mother Nature's Gift

2008-12-19T06:59:00.008-06:00

The gents are thrilled about their first Christmas gift of the season -- an extra day of winter break! We have about 9 inches of snow and that took care of the last day of school for 2008. (So much for the new school superintendent's plan to have no snow days this year.)

Now there is certainly plenty of the white fluffy stuff to break out the snowshoes at work. Maybe I'll get to take the gents for a tromp later today. I'll have to ask Mustang Man to bring the gang over after they're done clearing the sidewalks at church. That will give me a chance to practice building a fire in the fireplace to warm them up.

Happy Snow Day!

Mom, remind me...

2008-12-17T07:05:00.001-06:00

When I was 12 years old was I "too cool" to wear a coat outside? Even if it was hovering at o? Or below 0 with the windchill? (Wait, maybe I don't want to know the answer. I do seem to recall having a similar discussion with you, Mom.)

My dear J is making me crazy with how concerned he is with his appearance these days. Risking frostbite is not enough to make him change his mind. And I won't even begin to describe the major trauma inflicted from giving the dear boy a haircut (not that you can tell, based on the length of his locks at any given moment). Ugh.

Cutting It Close

2008-12-06T22:46:00.007-06:00

Tomorrow M will be 18 years old and he finished up his Eagle Scout project just in time. We were extremely nervous that the wheels he needed to complete his project (a timpani stand for his high school band) weren't going to get here in time. Thankfully, FedEx delivered the package this morning and all of the work is finally complete! (There are many requirements for obtaining this award, one of them being that the deadline to complete the project is the boy's 18th birthday.)

All of the work is done, the signatures completed, and the paperwork turned in. He has many great stories to tell about this whole adventure, including the frustration of trying to turn in his paperwork. The original binder he put together with all of the project information and pictures wouldn't fit into the drop slot at the scout office, so he had to run and get a smaller binder in order to turn in the paperwork tonight.

His next hurdle will be the final board of review. But, I'm glad that he finished his project. It was so close that it would have been painful to watch him not make the deadline.

Today's Quote

2008-12-03T07:38:00.001-06:00

As I was thinking about how to help the young women be excited about activities, and reaching out to those who have not been attending, I found the following quote in my email.

"Make happy those who are near,
and those who are far will come."

~ Chinese proverb

Today's Quote

2008-11-28T19:39:00.000-06:00

"Don't let what you cannot do
interfere with what you can do."

~ John Wooden

Blessings Abound

2008-11-27T22:47:00.002-06:00

I couldn't let another day go by that I didn't update my blog...especially not today.

We are lucky to have extended family living close to us, a luxury that not everyone gets to enjoy. It was such fun to watch family members together today, though there were pangs of missing those who were not with us. Thank you especially to my mother-in-law, who tended to every detail of the family feast. One of these days she will let the rest of us help more, though I am grateful for her service today.

I'm thankful for health and the medical miracles that can relieve pain of my loved ones. This is especially true of my dear hubby and my daddy right now. I hope they are both patient enough to endure the rest of their recovery periods and able to stay in good spirits along the way.

I'm blessed to have an amazing family with Mustang Man and our five gentlemen. It's hard to believe they are growing so quickly, but it has been one amazing adventure to raise them and love them and blossom together. I can't wait to see what is yet to come...together.

I'm thankful for understanding parents, who won't get to see us until next weekend when we will celebrate three birthdays and Thanksgiving all at the same time. (Mom, this is your reminder to please send your wish list!)

I am grateful for my faith and the ability to live and worship the way that I choose. I'm also grateful for all of the miracles that flow into my life from living the way that I believe is right, and for the ability to repent when I veer off course to the smallest degree.

This is my formal acknowledgement that our lives are blessed to be in a state of organized chaos. We are accomplishing all the things we need to, many of the things we want to, and recognizing what a tremendous blessing it is to have an awful lot of things fall into both categories. I have heard that my life seems over the top ... that no one could possibly stay up so late, get up so early, do so much, and still be smiling in the middle of it all. I still say, "If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart."

The blessings in our lives are abundant, as I'm sure they are in yours. With our love and prayers for all of our dear friends and family, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful beginning of a beautiful holiday season!

Apple Time!

2008-10-28T22:28:00.008-05:00

We absolutely had to make our annual apple trip this year. It was M's last "childhood" apple trip, since he will be 18 in very short order. (Note: All my gents have now requested that I do not use nicknames, and no real names, so I am resorting to initials.) This meant both M and K had to schedule to be off of work, and W sacrificed his birthday for the trip, since it was the only possible day we could all be free from commitments to make the trip. So, on October 18th we headed off. (A late happy birthday shout to my dear W, who is now 14!!)

I could not believe that I left the house without my camera, however! Someday my brain may focus more on capturing memories through the lens, but I'm more about living the memory, I guess. (I'm grabbing some great shots from Flickr to fill in the blanks.)

Here are our favorite haunts....

We leave bright and early -- right after grabbing donuts from our favorite bakery down the street. And the trip begins.

We stop at the Osborne Nature Center in Strawberry Point for breakfast.

First pit stop is usually at Pikes Peak. The bonus is the breathtaking view while you wait for everyone to take their turn in the privy.

We usually scope out a roadside farmer's market or two along the way. There are usually great deals on squash, pumpkins, hedge apples, and onions. It's a good thing we take a Suburban to haul back all of the finds of the day!

All of the gents love to stop to get smoked catfish and other goodies at Valley Fish & Cheese in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. I usually wait near the car since I am not a big fan of fish. I will admit there is always something new to see at this place. It is a favorite of all of my gentlemen, from Mustang Man on down!

Next stop is Mt. Sterling for cheesecurds and other wonderful cheese creations. This year I found apple cinnamon cheese. We haven't tried it yet, but it sounded interesting. Of course, we save some of the cheesecurds for lunch. The gents love to test the freshness by seeing if they "squeak".

Then, we're finally headed for the big event -- picking out the apples! The gents love to sample the cider. We always grab caramel apples, cider, several varieties of apples, and usually share a Queen's apple too. (Queen's apple is sliced open, drizzled with hot caramel, topped with whipped cream and a cherry.) Cider donuts also make it into the shopping cart every year. Sunrise Orchards is our favorite place.

On the way back home, we stop for a picnic lunch. We also get to stretch our legs at Effigy Mounds.
The trip is not complete without a peek at the top of Mt. Hosmer in Lansing, Iowa.

It's a full day, but so worth it!! This is one of my favorite autumn traditions, introduced by my parents-in-law. Sometimes they take a side trip to the cranberry bogs. Now and then we also include Backbone State Park. This time, we had to be home in time for a youth dance, which I didn't plan on attending, but ended up taking a Suburban full of youth that night.

That's all for today, boys and girls.
Until next time...

New Calling

2008-10-22T09:49:00.004-05:00

On Sunday I was sustained with the rest of the new Young Women's presidency. I am deeply grateful that I have wonderful sisters to serve with me, and to strengthen the young women in our ward. I was nervous as I waited for my counselors to be called and my knees were shaking as I stood in front of the ward to be sustained. I think of the wonderful women who served as my own Young Women presidents, and hope that I can live up to their level of service.

Today's Quote

2008-10-15T10:29:00.001-05:00

"Time is limited,
so I better wake up every morning fresh

and know that I have just one chance
to live this particular day right,

and to string my days together
into a life of action and purpose."

~ Lance Armstrong

Today's Quote

2008-10-09T07:22:00.002-05:00

"May we ever remember
that the mantel of leadership
is not the cloak of comfort
but rather the robe of responsibility.
May we reach out to rescue
those who are in need
of our help and our love."

~ Thomas S. Monson

He's Walking! And Other Updates...

2008-10-04T19:29:00.005-05:00

Mustang Man is making steady progress. This week, the big news is that he's walking again! Hooray! He has really been going stir crazy the last week or so. Today he went outside and helped Stormin' put a new muffler on his car. (I'm sure the whole neighborhood will be thankful come 5:45 a.m. Monday morning when Stormin' and Moose take off for seminary.)

In other news... Stormin' was thrilled that the band won first place at their first competition of the season last weekend. He is off at another competition today. I hardly get to see him anymore with all of his activities. I know things will slow down a bit in a couple of weeks when marching band season is over. But, then will be the big push to finish his Eagle scout project, the last thing he needs to do to earn his Eagle. The deadline is his 18th birthday, which is fast approaching.

Moose is looking forward to his own birthday, next month. He will be 16 and ready to hit the road without supervision. Look out world! He's been saving money to fix up his own car. This is also the standard age when our gentlemen get to begin dating. This semester, Moose also dove into foods classes at school. I remember when he was sketching out his high school plan in 8th grade, he avoided those classes. I think he was nervous that he would get some grief for taking them. But, then he grew. Not many students are brave enough to give Moose grief these days. He isn't thrilled with his first foods class because they are covering a lot of the basics, with a little bit of actual cooking. Next semester he gets to do a lot more creating in the kitchen.

Camo is the most excited about birthdays at this point. His big day is just two weeks away. He will be 14, which qualifies him for new adventures. This is the age where he can earn his learner's permit and begin driving. (I have nominated Mustang Man to do the teaching. The Zits comic strip illustrates my feelings beautifully.) It is also the age that he gets to start attending dances and stake youth activities.

Big J and school issues have been keeping me busy. I was extremely frustrated to learn he has not been getting the appropriate accommodations for his dyslexia because the school lost his diagnosis. (How is that his fault?) This translates into frustration for Big J and that doesn't help anyone. Getting a duplicate copy of the diagnosis to the school has also been an adventure with all the lovely privacy laws. Ugh. On a more positive note, I am pleased that Big J decided to go out for cross country this year. He is not the fastest, but I am proud of him for sticking with it. I was finally able to go to one of his meets this week. It was fun to hear him chatter on about the meet and who he thought would win each race. There was another boy on his team that used to be one of my cub scouts when I was Big J's den leader. Watching the two of them and cheering them on was such a joy!

Panda surprised me this week when he told me about going into a special class for reading. He is now part of the Expanded Learning Program. Panda is happy to go to a place that has books that will hold his attention. He giggled when I told him that Stormin' had the same ELP teacher and I was relieved when she taught Stormin' that it was okay to be quiet sometimes. Apparently, that rule is still posted in the teacher's room. What a hoot!

I have been swamped at work. It was my first full week, and I put in nearly 50 hours. The week was whizzing by me and I was nervous I wouldn't finish a project for my visiting teacher that I've been planning for the week before General Conference. On Wednesday, I put together a package for her that included the following:
Bottled water - to drink of living water
Popcorn - to let the Holy Spirit "pop" into her heart and mind
M&Ms - meditate and then move as directed by the Spirit
Cream Savers - to savor the sweet messages
Pen & notebook - to pen the thoughts she had while she listened to the speakers

When I arrived, she told me that they had made changes to the visiting teaching routes. I was worried for a second that she was going to tell me I didn't get to see her anymore. Luckily, that wasn't the case. I get another great sister to visit! Unfortunately, I didn't get a package made up for her in time for conference. I'll have to make another one in April.

Until next time...

New Job

2008-09-25T21:15:00.005-05:00

Today is a very brief entry. I've gotten through the first two days of my new job. There is even proof, thanks to the webpage updates I made this morning, that I really am back in the land of the gainfully employed.

Oh, and I'm in the market for a Special Events intern. If you know of anyone that might be interested, please email me their contact information.

Welcome Autumn!

2008-09-22T17:15:00.005-05:00

"No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face."
~John Donne

I adore autumn, my favorite season of all the year. Today she officially greets us. I can't wait for all the brilliant colors, the annual trip to the apple orchard, and all the wonderful memories that come with the season (including my first date with Mustang Man, our wedding anniversary, two of our gents' births, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all the rest).

Homecoming

2008-09-15T05:27:00.001-05:00

Stormin' decided to get creative in asking a girl to Homecoming this year. He enlisted my help in creating marble magnets to form a rebus puzzle for her. It was interesting searching for the perfect clipart to represent each word of the question.

He took the set of magnets to school and asked her questions. Each time she got the answer right, she got one piece of the puzzle. (The original plan was to stick them on her locker, but then Stormin' got nervous that someone would walk by and grab a magnet before she found it.)

I forgot to take a picture of the magnets before he left the house. C'est la vie. The important part is that she received all of the magnets, deciphered the puzzle, and agreed to go to the dance.

I'm also going to take this opportunity to thank my unbiological sister, Tammi, for the song that runs through my head every fall... The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun. I still remember her playing this song down in the basement when she was living with us. The good old days!

Fortune says...

2008-09-12T13:38:00.006-05:00

I laughed when I read my fortune. If you know me well, you already know that I consider five to be my lucky number. I have five fabulous gents to prove it!

I was also amused because it took five months (May, June, July, August, September) before I received a phone call that I've wanted since graduation. I've been offered a position in my chosen field. I'm so excited!

We were actually driving home from Uncle Fiddle Man's funeral when the phone call came. I really liked a few things that the minister said about him. For example, he talked about the fact that Uncle Fiddle Man did not attend the church building but spent countless hours in worship in the outdoors. Oma commented that Uncle Fiddle Man was looking out for me, since I will also be considered a Naturalist in my new position.

I also loved it when the minister said, "He would do anything you asked him to, and nothing you told him." After the service and luncheon, there was a bluegrass jam session in Uncle Fiddle Man's honor. That was unusual, but also fitting.

Happy Birthday, Mustang Man!

2008-09-08T11:22:00.003-05:00

My hubby celebrated a birthday yesterday. He is in denial about what number birthday it was, which may have something to do with his insistence that there be no more candles on his birthday cakes. It was his day, so we played along.

Next year may be more exciting, considering he'll be marking off another decade.

Farewell Fiddle Man

2008-09-06T14:14:00.003-05:00

Uncle Fiddle Man passed away last night. My heart is sad. The addition of the violin music here is my tribute to him. There is a bittersweet kind of blessing in the music. It speaks more than my words can possibly say.

Back to School 2008

2008-09-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

One Word Tag

2008-08-30T21:40:00.004-05:00

One-word responses...

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? sleeping
3. Your hair? thick
4. Your mother? beautiful
5. Your father? birthday
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? forgettable
8. Your favorite drink? yummy
9. Your dream/goal? peace
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your hobby? many
12. Your fear? heights
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? acreage
14. What you’re not? daring
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? angels
17. Where you grew up? Iowa
18. The last thing you did? typed
19. What are you wearing? smile
20. Favorite gadget? GPS
21. Your pets? critters
22. Your computer? fast
23. Your mood? restless
24. Missing someone? Mugwamp
25. Your car? convertible
26. Something you’re not wearing? contacts
27. Favorite store? many
28. Like someone? certainly
29. Your favorite color? PINK
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? unknown

My friend said, "I tag any of you that read this... beware I check your blogs!" Ditto.

Today's Quote

2008-08-28T05:54:00.001-05:00

"When life's problems seem overwhelming,
look around and see what other people are coping with.
You may consider yourself fortunate."
~ Ann Landers

For Uncle Fiddle Man

2008-08-23T14:44:00.007-05:00

Fiddle Man
~ by David Davis

The old man took the fiddle,

his glasses perched just right.

Trembling hands caressed the bow,

and made the notes take flight.

His heart a-flutter,

as the music swept

around the border of memories;

lovingly held close.

The country crowd

waltzed around the hall,

as generations had before.

They wheeled in step

and turned in time,

as they whirled around
the floor.

The fiddle man

played winter blasts,

and spring's enduring rains.

He fiddled sharp the happiness,

the bitterness and pain.

He fiddled love and all he'd seen,

in all his ninety years.

He fiddled broken lover's hearts

till he brought them all to tears.

When the dance was over,

He took his hat and hickory cane,

He smiled at his audience,

and he never played again.

His kind old heart gave up that night,

He found eternal rest.

The mountains lost their biggest soul,

Now, he plays for heaven's guests.

But sometimes in the springtime,

after a cooling evening rain,

they say he walks the mountain trails

and fiddles there again.

You can hear the wistful music

up on Fiddler's Ridge,

as it echoes down the hollows

past the old upper pasture bridge.

I believe our Uncle Fiddle Man is playing that last song in his heart right now. He has shared his love of music with our whole family, especially our Moose. I am sad to hear that he will soon be leaving us, but know his love of music will live on.

Today's Quote

2008-08-22T05:44:00.001-05:00

"Always do right.
This will gratify some people,
and astonish the rest."
~ Mark Twain