Tuesday, August 11, 2009

6$ at Deseret Industries!



I know I'm a little old for getting this excited about a train set, but wow, this is so going on Nana's toy table. The whole figure 8 set with Thomas etc... for 6 dollars. I can't wait for the grandkids to come visit again. And now I'll have to keep adding to my collection.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

"If I were a painter I believe I'd always paint windows."


Our family bookclub book this past month was "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith, which was introduced to us by my niece Autumn. A line in the book (which I loved, by the way) on page 152 was this; "If I were a painter I believe I'd always paint windows." A year or so ago I went to a "starving artist" art sale in Boise. There I bought four paintings I assume were all done by the same "starving" artist; who I believe had read this book, or at least agreed with the character, Simon. My only regret is that the artist didn't sign his/her work.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Eternal relationships

Jim just sent me an e-mail about a country song with a great message called "Choose Ye This Day..." He doesn't usually enjoy country music, but made an exception in this case. I thought about what he'd said while I worked in the garden this morning; about country (or any kind of) songs with great messages. I love all kinds of music, as you can tell by my playlist on this blog. But one in particular has always touched me, because it reminds me of people I miss, people I've never even met in this life. Randy Travis did a song years ago called "He Walked On Water." In it he tells about the sweet relationship between a young boy and his Great-Grandfather. The line "my Mama's Daddy was his oldest son," gets me every time I hear it. I would love to have had a relationship like that; but the man who most closely fits that description for me was killed by lightening when my Grandaddy Templin was just a little boy. So I missed out in this life, but I look forward to getting to know him and many others in the next...many, many years from now. If you'd like to listen to it, it's on my playlist, or you could go to this link
http://www.mtv.com/videos/randy-travis/58794/he-walked-on-water.jhtml

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Humanitarian Projects


Our Stake Humanitarian Day is coming up this week. The ladies in our Ward are just amazing. I was in charge of collecting the items for the kits (layette, hygiene & school), as well as those for the orphanage project. There were sisters who made school bags, receiving blankets, gowns, booties, balls and hats. Then others purchased and donated items. These first four pictures are of the kits; so times them by 25 and thats what is from our Ward alone, as well as what I'll be glad to get out of my house. I'm running out of room to store it. Our Ward was asked to provide 10 quilts also. Sister Luella Rumsey is over the quilt project and she made 91 of the 102 quilts our Ward will be donating. Heidi and I got to help her with measuring them so they could be sorted according to size (full, twin and crib).




























































































Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Spiritual Ducks

When I read Aimee's latest "Adventures and Pursuits" post, I was reminded of a paper I wrote almost three years ago in an English class. I'm posting it now, just to let Aimee (and all the other young moms) know that she's (you're) not alone. I seldom made it work really smoothly... but I kept trying, just as you do. And I guess that's all that matters. That's what my kids seem to remember, not that it was perfect, but that I tried.
And besides, it was high time I put something new in my blog.


Spiritual Ducks 8 Jun 2006


I used to say, “If I ever had two days alike, in a row, I wouldn’t know how to act.” I suppose that just meant that I had felt that my life was out of my control. Add to that the fact that I’m a slow learner, requiring many repetitions of an experience to “get it,” you can see why I might struggle. Of course we all struggle, that’s why we’re here, to learn by experience. So, with the advantage of all this experience, I’d like to pass along what I’ve learned so far, to anyone who might have similar challenges.
For years, my days would start with the first child’s cry in the morning. It seemed that as I got out of bed, the day was already out of my control. And it would often go quickly downhill from there. Not until baby number five did I figure out that if I set my alarm for about half an hour before the baby usually awoke, that I could have read my scriptures, said my prayers, and maybe even gotten dressed before that first cry. Inevitably, there would still be the unexpected sickness in the night (all over their bedmate), or the mornings when I hadn’t gotten to bed until almost time for that first cry. But most mornings it worked very well, and I didn’t feel that I was running behind all day. That extra half hour of sleep that I missed in the morning was more than worth the added feeling of control throughout the day.
Being able to start my day with prayer and scriptures brought with it the added advantage of being more in tune with the spirit. How could I have passed up that special help all those years. Many nights I would pray for forgiveness for having lost my temper and in the morning would plead for the strength to “do better today,” this pattern being repeated countless times. The years of spiritual malnourishment made it so that the spirit could seldom reach me. How many promptings did I miss? How many blessings did I forfeit? How grateful I am that when I finally got my spiritual ducks in a row, the Holy Spirit was still patiently waiting.
Now, assuming that everyone wakes up healthy and happy, that’s no guarantee that a neighbor or relative might not need your help that day. There might be the dreaded “snow day”, unexpected company, or even a chance to goof off with the kids, when all the best laid plans go out the window. All of those past days of comparative normalcy will help get you through those crazy days. And the habits of prayer and scripture will hopefully be a part of you, enough that you can find a way to bring them along on those days too. Including your children, showing them how important these things are in your life, will be such a help to them in years to come. Perhaps their days will go a little smoother because of what you taught by example.
And now for me, with grandbaby number seven on the way, I find that my days can still get out of control, and often do. I’m still learning by experience, and just as slowly too. There is a whole new set of lessons to be learned , and I often find myself reviewing old ones. I know now that there are no two days alike, and isn’t that wonderful? I feel so blessed to have the Holy Spirit’s guidance and the Saviors forgiveness of my failings. What a marvelous plan our Father in Heaven had, to allow us this chance to learn and struggle.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Swearing In Ceremony

Len (Dad/Grandpa) was sworn in to office today. It was held at the Court House and lots of people were there, those seen here and also Grandad, Gran, Jocie and Jane. I'm not sure how I didn't get any pictures of them. After Len was sworn in, he did the swearing in for all his staff of deputies,dispatchers and jailers. He was interviewed by all three of the TV stations before the day was over.























































Friday, January 2, 2009

Adding to what Aimee posted on puzzles

I read this in the local paper today and thought it goes along well with what Aimee had posted the other day.

Letting the Healing begin }

u Jigsaw puzzles prized on dark, wintry days in upper valley

J O Y C E E D L E F S E N j e d l e f s e n @ u v s j . c o m


When was the last time you heard a video game promise to quiet your mind, unlock your creativity and rewire you mind to make connections?
That’s the promise on the box of one of the most tradition forms of entertainment for long winter nights in the upper valley – jigsaw puzzles.
Folks who “put on a puzzle at Christmas” can’t remember when they didn’t. And their reasons for pulling out a puzzle for family entertainment rather than an electronic game may be based as much on personal taste and history as it is on tradition.
Janet Craven of St. Anthony likes to put on a hard puzzle. “It’s challenging and relaxing,” she said. She works on puzzles mostly in the winter, she said, “because I’m stuck in the house in the dark.”
While she is laboring over hundreds of similarly shaped pieces, trying to at least get the edge completed, she may feel alone. But she’s not.
There are puzzle organizations, puzzle competitions and puzzle Web sites.
The creator of one such site, www.jigway-puzzle.org, a man named Don McAdam, attempts to describe who puts puzzles together and why, as well as provide a brief jigsaw puzzle history. His organization is the American Jigsaw Puzzle Society.
McAdam divides puzzle enthusiasts into three groups. He calls them the truly dedicated, the regular enthusiasts and the casual hobbyists who get a puzzle as a gift or buy one on impulse.
Puzzle people usually start off as casual users, but some eventually become the truly addicted.
Jane Daniels of Ashton admits she was close to the truly dedicated category at the peak of her puzzle habit.
“I have one up now,” says Daniels, who oversees the Ashton Archives.
“It’s a Christmas tree, probably a thousand-piece one.”
She enjoys the hobby, but health issues have slowed down her puzzle acumen.
“I used to be able to a 1,000 piece in no time,” she said. What once took her a day now takes a week or more.
Once the allure of puzzle solving was the challenge to complete them in speedy time. Now she does them more for the pleasure and the relaxation they bring.
She credits four wooden puzzles she had when she was about 7 for getting her started on the puzzle habit.
“They had 20 or 30 pieces. My dad had cut them out of wood with a coping saw during the Depression. I treasured them, but I wore them out.”
She has received and solved some interesting puzzles through the years.
“I had a friend give me a puzzle that was completely silver,” she said. “I solved it but when I was done I never wanted to see that thing again.”
Another puzzle, of a Siberian husky, she found at a garage sale. “It was shaped like the dog,” she said. “I really enjoyed doing it. I put it together three times.”
Another time a friend gave her a 3-D puzzle of a castle that was particularly challenging. “It was really a challenge just to get it to stick together.”
Daniels recognizes, however, that solving jigsaw puzzles is a hobby that can “outgrow you and your house” if you aren’t careful.
It takes up space in your schedule and your mind.
“Just like duplicate bridge, it’s a wonderful way to spend time,” she said. “But you can’t let it take over your time.”


'
JOYCE EDLEFSEN/Standard Journal
Anyone can tell you — even 6-year-olds — that the edges of a puzzle are the easiest. This beauty, called ‘Amitabha Buddha’ is a 513-piece jigsaw puzzle from a company that describes itself as “Connections Jigsaw Puzzles for Healing. The edges are done. Now the real healing has begun.

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This empty nest thing is pretty nice!