anoTher nEw yeAr!

It's been far too long since my last post.

Rather than try to catch up (who knows, I still might try one day)

I think I should just look forward to the new year.

I haven't made a list of resolutions or goals,

but there is one thing that I think I'd like to try.

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my love of reading.

in 2009 I completed 100 books.

This year, however I'm feeling a real need to finish something new,

so . . . my hope is to read the Old Testament

from Genesis to Malachi . . . ALL of it.

Ouch! Did I really say that?

Wish me luck and I'll try to keep you up to date on my progress.

Maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll collect a little extra extra spirituality and understanding while I'm at it.

Now, In the beginning . . .

Teaching Old Dogs Old Tricks

It is said that

we learn from experience.

Well, I'm here to attest that more often than not

I find myself RElearning from experience.

For example . . .

I am one of the lucky ones. I own a huge set of Cutco knives.

I bought them for myself in 1975 and have used them faithfully through 33

years of marriage. I've enjoyed them so much that, in spite of carrying a

life-long warranty, I haven't been able to part with them long enough

to have their specialized Double-D edges sharpened by the company.

I did, however, finally send the whole kit and kaboodle in to be serviced.

Imagine my excitement when (after two long weeks of "knife"sickness)

they were returned to me.

The company was as good as their word . . .

they sharpened 9 knives and

replaced 9 knives, 2 utensils, & 2 knife trays!

(I promise, this is NOT an advertisement for Cutco)

Anyway, back to my lesson:

The first two years of our marriage my beautiful little fingers

were constantly covered in bandages.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not keep them out of the way

of my wonderful, shiny, SHARP knives.

Eventually I learned to protect my phlanges a little better,

but I think that I wasn't ever completely safe until some of that

sharp steel started to dull.

Remembering my long-ago cuts,

I told myself that I would need to be ever-so careful with my

newly sharpened knives.

I did remember . . .

for about two days.

That is how long it took me to slice into a tomato

and then straight into my finger,

with the reds of the tomato juice and the blood pooling together

as the acid burned into the cut.

Perhaps I should have remembered, too,

that using a cutting board is so much more effective

than cutting directly into my hand.

So, once again I've begun the process of learning how to protect myself.

Do you think it will take this time?

A Still Small Voice

A Still Small Voice

led our pioneer ancestors to the gospel of Jesus Christ

and across a barren wilderness to a new home.

As sisters we joined together on 5 June 2008 to celebrate

our own legacy of hope and faith as we responded

to our own still small voice.

In spite of the overcast skies and rain,

many sisters braved the elements to attend.

Those included Kimber Kempton, Kerri Guthrie,

Judy Hopkins, Gloria LeSueur, Marianne Reading, Louise Elison,

Colleen & Stacy Mons, Micah Warren, Michelle Hammond,

Lisa & Mallory Corbett.

The displays represented the legacy of our ancestors,

the preparedness of the present,

and our hope for a future in the arms of our Savior.

Sisters were invited to wear pioneer clothing.

Some of those attending included Peggy Long,

Ruthann Carter, Denise Stoddard, Maxine Brannigan,

Annette Lambson, & Ellen Jensen.

Sister Jillette Dayton drove from Cokeville, Wyoming
to speak to us about listening to the
still small voice and recognizing the workings of the
Holy Ghost in our lives.
She brought with her a group of family and friends who took
us along The Trail of Hope (similar to that done in Nauvoo).

Prizes were awarded to the best apron & bonnet.
Sisters attending were Hailey Houghtby, Kelsie Carter,
Lois Park, Joan Barker, Karri Wilson, Dolores George,
Gayle & Tara Young, & Modell Lambson.

Those who spoke to us along the Trail of Hope were

representative of Eliza Snow, Brigham Young,

a greeter, Bathsheba Smith, Margaret Judd Clawson,

Sarah Leavitt, Editor of the Missouri Republican,

Mary Goble Pay, & Ben Cummons.

The occasion was held in the backyard of Joan Barker.
Maureen Millar, Colleen Larson, Georgene Duke,

Wendy Killpack, Erin Newton & Betty Mooseman enjoyed a chilly evening.

A dutch oven dinner consisted of stew and bread
with dutch oven desserts and homemade ice cream
eaten from tin pie plates.

Though it was rainy all day, the clouds parted
and the sun shone during the hours of our activity,
though the evening was quite cool.
Just as we said our Amens to the closing prayer,
the winds started up.
We quickly cleaned up and were safe at home when the rains returned.

My Super Power

I should probably be ashamed to admit it,

but sometimes I find myself anxious to become immortal.

Though I recognize my body as a precious gift from God,

I struggle with the constraints of mortality.

So . . . I've been thinking about which super power

I would like to possess if I could choose just one.

Mine would be the ability to

transport myself with a mere thought.

Just imagine it . . .

spend a morning at work,

relax on a Hawaiian beach in the afternoon,

eat dinner in Venice,

and arrive home just in time for a good night's rest.

No worries about owning a car, paying for insurance,

buying gas, or sitting in traffic jams.

Imagine all the ancestral locations I could visit

and my dream of attending every temple in the world

could be realized.

If you could have a super power, what would it be and why???

The Tops of the Mountains

Over the past several weeks my thoughts have been drawn to the temple. Perhaps it is because we have recently attended the open house and dedication of the Draper temple. Or maybe it is because the Spirit of Elijah has once again filled my heart and I'm back searching out my ancestors, finding those who might have fallen through the cracks and are anxiously awaiting my discovery to seal them to their loved ones. Maybe my yearnings are because I know that soon I will have an opportunity to volunteer for the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house.

Whatever the reason, I have turned much of my reading time to The Holy Temple by Boyd K. Packer and The House of the Lord by James E. Talmage. I'm feeling the necessity to acquaint myself more fully with understanding.

I have visited many temple sites without the opportunity of entering those sacred edifices. We stood on the site of the Nauvoo temple mere months before the announcement was made that it would be rebuilt.

As a child my first real acquaintance with temples was in Manti. We would drive to Sanpete County every summer to visit with my Dad's family. It was a contest among us kids as to who could see the spires of the temple first. As a result, I always wanted to be married in the Manti temple. Over the years I've seen many temples built in Utah and have been able to do ordinances in each of them. The spirit has attended me and my cup has slowly been filled with understanding.

It is always a thrill to add a visit to the temple whenever possible as we vacation.

Over the course of the years I have lived in the Salt Lake and Jordan River Temple Districts. Soon will will be assigned to the new Oquirrh Mountain district, just over three miles down the road. What a blessing!

Though I have had incredible experiences in each temple I have visited, the Salt Lake Temple will always hold a special place in my heart. It was in this temple that, as a 13-year old girl, I knelt at the altar and was sealed to my Mom and Dad. Nine years later I would return to receive my endowment as I entered the mission field. Finally, in 1976 I was married, through the sealing power of the priesthood, to my eternal mate, Clive.

In 1995, as the Young Women president I penned a verse that I hoped would give inspiration to the young women as they prepared for the temple. I share it as my testimony of my love of the temple and the sacredness of its purpose.

Sacred Tears

Peace and serenity
are mine to cherish
as I enter the portals
of the temple.
An immersion,
an endowment,
a family sealing
for myself or for others
gone on before
unlock the gate
into eternity
And I weep.
The tears I shed
are those of joy
for knowledge received,
prayers answered,
a testimony strengthened.
And as the angels rejoice
my heart fills
to overflowing,
smiling as I wipe away
my sacred tears.

Pay It Forward Talent Challenge

The Challenge!

My good friend, Janell, inspired me to try this challenge.

It sounds like so much fun!

The first three people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive will be a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Come and play!

Since I seldom get many comments, I'll expand my offer to more than 3, as long as it doesn't become too overwhelming!

aN unliKely obJect lesSon

Saturday was a wonderfully relaxing day. I travelled to Garland with a group of sisters from my Ward to soak in the healing waters of the hot springs. The air was frigid, but the pool was warm and the sun was shining. So why, on the trip home, did I feel discomfort and tightness in my neck and shoulders? As the night wore on the tightness moved to my chest and I felt a passing "sense of foreboding."
Sunday morning I awoke with a doozy of a migraine. It was bad enough that I knew I had to either forego my fast, eat, and take an Excederin or stay home. I chose the former and by the time our afternoon meetings began the pain was minimal.

In Relief Society our President was giving a lesson on Service and was asking for examples of service rendered by and in behalf of the sisters of our Ward. I was in the midst of offering some comments when an intense pain stopped me mid sentence. It felt like a demolition ball had smacked me in the back of the head and an explosion of pain was crushing my skull. I grabbed my neck with one hand and the chair next to me with the other to hold me up. I was in such agony that it was all I could do to ask that someone go find Clive. As a member of the presidency, I was seated in the front of the room, so I was in full vision of everyone. Suddenly, through my pain, I could detect a bustle of activity. I felt the loving hands of two sisters massaging my neck as another thrust some cold, wet paper towels into my hands to use as a compress. Another offered a beautiful prayer in my behalf. The magnitude of my pain was such that I couldn't move to another room, so my priesthood blessing was given in full view of the sisters. We had walked to church, so a sister whose car was parked just outside of the Relief Society room handed Clive her car keys and we were on our way to the Jordan Valley Medical Center.

Immediately upon arriving at the emergency room I was wheeled into an examination room, given an IV, hooked up to heart monitors, and given a dose of morphine for the pain and something for nausea. I was pretty sure that I was either in the midst of a stroke or a heart attack since I had symptoms of both. I passed a basic neurological test without difficulty, so began a grueling evening of tests to rule out stroke, aneurism, heart attack, and any other horrendous malady that may have taken over my sense of well-being. For SEVEN long hours I endured a CT scan, MRI, MRA, and lumbar puncture. In spite of three doses of morphine and anti-nausea medicine, the pain and vomiting never stopped or even decreased in intensity. Finally, I was sent home in the same condition that I had arrived with no relief in sight.



On Monday morning Clive took me to see our chiropractor to see if he could give me an adjustment that would relieve a little of the agony. It helped take the edge off, but we found that my C-1 was completely out of alignment ... seriously so. I HATE using drugs to cover up symptoms, but I was becoming desperate for relief, so Clive called our family doctor to see if he could prescribe something for me. It was Tuesday morning before the paperwork from the hospital finally arrived on my doctor's desk and I was able to be examined by him. He made an immediate diagnosis of Acute Occipital Neuralgia. Apparently the pressure and tension in my neck caused the nerves to become inflamed. Those nerves wrap all the way around the skull, thus causing the pain.

For the past week I have had daily adjustments and my C-1 is s-l-o-w-l-y moving back into place. I'm on steroids to reduce inflammation, Naproxen for pain, and a muscle relaxer to help me sleep. (I never did fill the prescription for Lortab.) The pain hasn't disappeared, but it has been reduced to a 4 or 5 on a scale of 10. The nausea is gone and my sensitivity to light and sound are much improved. On Tuesday evening I was engaged in a conversation with my Dad, siblings, and grandparents who have passed away, wishing that they would come for me. I was fairly certain that death would be a welcome relief. As of today, however, I'm thinking that just being pain-free might be enough.

I'm bored to tears from lying around, unable to do anything, but can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've been served by my family and friends and am grateful for all the faith and prayers that have been offered in my behalf.

Next time, however, I think I'll choose NOT to be the object lesson!