Four New Feathered Friends...

One more little bear.. and then I'll quit...

This one has sparklies..

in the SHoP...

Mother's Day Gift...

I wish the colors showed up better in this photo.. but it was fun to wrap this up for my mom.

Happy Mother's Day.. We love you!

That's life... a few thoughts.

A friend of mine spoke in church a few weeks ago. She talked about the sanctity of life.. the holiness and grace of birth and the sweet and tender godliness of death.. of saying good-bye. Sometimes friends can say the things that lay unexpressed in your own heart.
Life's journey is one that has so many things that are completely unique for each person and so many things that we all yearn for... can we find love, understanding, community, family, work, adventure, purpose.. joy?
C and I have both said goodbye to friends in the past two weeks. One friend took his own life. We don't judge, but we know that some of those important things were missing in his life and that his heart was broken.
Another friend literally waged a 3 1/2 year war against the disease that eventually took her life, but then with the most divine grace she accepted God's plan for her and slipped away peacefully with her family around her.
You don't ever know what's coming and I was taught just this week that it's unwise to waste precious moments living in fear, but rather have faith in the process and pray for the strength to deal with what comes... Have you ever noticed.. a lot of older people are good at this?
Every time I have gone to a funeral, I have had two distinct feelings and impressions at every one I've attended. The first is that a person's life is gift, a gift to the person who lived it and a gift to everyone around them. Each life touches another. People are remembered and loved by someone, but often by very many. The second thing is that a death, even of a person who is very old and has been very sick, never feels like relief even though people say that all the time, but instead leaves a space like a hole in the universe that only that unique individual can fill. I have lost grandparents and great aunts and uncles who were very sick, to whom life had become a burden.. and yet when they are gone.. it's still very sad. A friend of ours lost a child that only lived 2 hours.. and yet when I see that family, I always think of sweet boy who is missing... always. So, I don't know if age really matters. People are unique and beautiful spirits and they make their mark.. no matter how long they stay.
I believe that at some point the grief of loss will be erased and replaced by the joy of eternal reunion, however the moments in between are so difficult, painful and often lonely. But, in those difficult moments of great pain.. there is something holy and sacred, something of exquisite beauty... I believe it is our hearts teaching us how greatly we love and our spirits reaching for the greater faith to carry us home to each other.

An Evening With John Denver...

If you ever need just some happy music ... this is a favorite recording of mine. I LOVE it. It's become a favorite of baby l.. It has all ..no.. most of my favorites.

The Unveiling... 2009 Christmas Box..

This is a medium size box. Inside it reads,

"Christmas is love..."

Multiples are available upon request. Find them HERE.

Snow Drop Crabapple Tree...

I love flowering spring trees. This Snowdrop buds in bright pink and flowers in a brilliant white. Happy Spring!

Best Face Forward...

Isn't it interesting how people are... especially women.. I know I do this anyway. We go around comparing our worst selves to everyone else's Sunday best. I heard Marie Osmond say something to this affect the other day on Good Morning Utah. It's so true I think. We compare our messy house to our neighbor's gorgeous garden and our slobby sweatsuit to our friends perfectly pressed ensemble.
We all want to be better. Well, there are a few jerks around who think they are perfect and wish everyone else would just be like them.. but, I think most people are in the other category. I look around at my neighbors and friends and think. I wish my house was as clean as Laurie's and I was as fit and lovely as Alecia. I wish I had Kim's musical talents and Laura's organizing skills. I wish I could befriend people like Lisa and be as gifted a mother as Kate. These are real folks, the ones I watch and see everyday... amazing people.
I don't know how to stop judging oneself completely.. but I have been thinking that maybe we should stop thinking of ourselves as individuals in that way, but think more of the one or two gifts that we add to the group. Maybe we aren't meant to be perfect one at a time... maybe we only achieve perfection in this life when you add us all up together.

Eucerin with SPF 30...

I like this stuff. But, I defer to Janice on face creams with SPF.. What do you like Janice. :)

Cutest Baby Booties in the World!

HERE...

Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day...

Pretty cute.

Plans Change in a Poof!

If I haven't been around for awhile.. this is why. Little c is supposed to be wearing this beautiful costume in her up coming dance recital...... we shall see. There is a slight chance that she can do it. Unfortunately, this is a photo of her and her friend S... both dancers and both sidelined until breaks heal. (Little c, going screamin' fast.. tried to jump a speed bump on her scooter. Her cute friend S fell down the stairs.) Poor little dancers.

Grace... My little brother J..

Today little c reminded me of one of my favorite life stories today and I thought I would write it down even though I know that I will never forget it.
I have a handicapped brother and he is a big guy to say the least. He suffered oxygen deficiency at birth and subsequently his world is very limited. He does not speak. Once I think a doctor said that he had the abilities of an eighteen month old child. However, he is huge.. over six feet tall and strong as an ox.
In my family he has been gently and patiently cared for primarily by my father. It has been a task of gargantuan effort and great love.
When you have a family member who is handicapped, you gain a sensitivity to certain words and to the insensitivity of those who imitate and poke fun at those whose courage just to live from day to day is valour beyond measure.
It takes a special person though to look not just at a person's ability or disability, but into their hearts to see the dignity and courage and love that are almost always there.
One day my sister and I decided to take him on an outing to the mall. Insane. J, my dear brother, had a habit of taking things in restaurants and other places, food stuffs mostly. He might walk past the chocolate milk in the market... only stop.. open and chug-a-lug rather than say placing the milk in the cart for purchase. If we were being escorted to a table by a waitress, J might pass by another patron who might happen to have a lovely buttered roll just sitting at his plate.. not being eaten. J does not understand any hesitancy in eating ones buttered roll and to show this lazy patron how things are done, he might just kife the thing and gingerly stuff it in his mouth before anyone was the wiser. It's kind of a slight of hand.. so fast you almost didn't see it.
People take things differently. Some people are kind and some are not. Some are really not. How would you feel if your buttered roll just disappeared into some big guy's mouth? J's manners are out of our control and it could be more than a little embarrassing taking him places sometimes because of these little social misunderstandings.
This particular day at the mall as we carefully went our way down the walk passing shop after shop as we went.. brother J spotted a kind face with a very large soda and in his impressive way, he had cup in hand and straw in mouth happily slurping away before we blinked and noticed.
When we did notice, of course we were horrified, although not surprised by J's thievery. We then awaited the scene that often followed.. the one where we apologize and explain and apologize and apologize... However, instead of acting annoyed or offended, this gracious lady (victim) smiled in the most genuine and friendly way and said, "Don't even worry, he is welcome to it."
I don't know this woman at all, but when I meet her in heaven, I will throw my arms around her and tell her that I love her.
Mother Theresa once said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." But, done with great love, a small thing can become a grand gesture.
It has been more than 10 years since this little happening, but I think of it often and it is one of the events in my life that confirms to me that people are essentially good and that even with all the bad news one so often hears.. still.. we are likely, every so often, to run into an angel right here on earth.

Today I Joined Facebook.. I mean yesterday..

... and felt pretty silly taking photos of myself.

Hello Friends..

It has been fun to wander around that site though and find old friends from school. I do like the old blog though with all the pretty colors.

PS... Blake.. I love how you wrote, "Welcome on to this thing. Now your emails will double." The way you said that reminded me of Grandpa's phraseology so much and had me chuckling to myself for an hour. :)

True Colors...

I loved this page from this months MSL Magazine.

I love true colors and if you ignore the muddy, puttys in the lower left..

the rest are rainbow brights. There are several Benjamin Moore paint choices. Benjamin Moore is my favorite paint because you can't beat them for clear, pure color with no browns or grays dulling the mix. If you want a wall the color of daffodils, raspberries or hyacinths.. you can find it.

Benjamin Moore True Blue (lower right) is the color of my bedroom and I love it.

Susan Boyle... I dreamed a dream...

A neighbor told a reporter that life has not been particularly kind to Susan Boyle. She lives alone after having cared for her dying mother. She is unemployed. But when she stepped out on the stage and after opening her mouth immediately turned an unkind audience into one that leaped to its feet cheering for her, she made the world a brighter and more hopeful place. If you haven't seen the video of her full performance... don't miss THIS

Thank you Susan! Your courage to achieve your dreams and the beauty of your amazing gift have inspired the world.

Provident Living...

Provident Living...
The subject of provident living comes up a lot in our church, especially lately in the down economy. (If you happen to be unfamiliar with the term provident living, you can find out about it here and here). In fact, a friend of mine said that Mormons walk around all day with the idea of food storage in the back of their heads... Yep.
Before he passed away, President Gordon B. Hinckley, the prophet of our church warned that we should get out of debt, put away some for a rainy day and gather a storage of food for at least 3 months and preferably a year. I know some people who followed his counsel and have lived to be very grateful for it. As jobs disappear and incomes shrink, these folks have a peace of mind others do not. They know their children will have a roof over their heads, food to eat and clothes to wear. I believe in the doctrine of provident living with all my heart.
Even when C and I had no children and lived in a 1 bedroom condo with no space, we tried to follow the prophet’s advice and we had a few things put by and in a disaster, we could have made it a week or two. (Think of the difference just a few things put by would have meant to the victims of Katrina). Now that we have children, the counsel to gather and maintain a food storage has become a more urgent concern and since we have moved into a home with a bit more storage space, we have been trying to gather all the needful things.
However, in our Sunday School lesson three weeks ago (this is still bugging me), I made a comment that was kind of dumb. I told a short story about a family my Dad converted to the church in Hong Kong who went without a great deal including shampoo to be able to come to SLC and have their family sealed in the temple. Meeting this family made a great impression on me when I was young and they are wonderful people.
But, I don’t think the prophet’s counsel means that we should go without shampoo or anything really and so my comment made a wrong impression and it made me sound like one of those Mormons who takes the prophet’s counsel to an extreme and then goes wrong with it. I’m not going to point fingers, but if your family is prepared for a nuclear event, you have a 10 year supply of food and a bunker in your basement.. I might be talking about you.
After a person is out of debt and has set by a reasonable savings and a supply of food, I don’t believe that they should go about denying themselves of every convenience. Of course money is a gift and a tool that should be used responsibly, but what does that mean?
Several years ago I got into a discussion with a friend about a Hollywood type who threw this lavish party... over-the-top. I’m sure that it cost several hundred thousand dollars. My friend maintained that the kind of spending it took to throw this party was gross and wrong. I wasn’t sure..
First of all, the person could afford it. Debt was not incurred to throw this party. Secondly, this person has money and investments set by and they will be fine in a disaster. Thirdly, this person is very generous and supports many good causes. Forth, it’s not my money.. so...
But, the main reason that I’m not sure it was wrong is that there were party planners, caterers, rental companies, florists, bakers, designers, lighting people, wait staff and on and on that made money that day for putting in a hard days work. If no one throws a party.. all of those people are out of work, the businesses goes under and there are that many more folks who need a handout because they don’t have job.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give our money away to those who are sick, elderly or handicapped and can’t for any reason earn a living for themselves because we should, but I would hate for people to decide in a tough economy that we just cannot spend. Earning a living for oneself and family is, in my opinion a spiritual principle that offers a person self worth and dignity. In other words, I think it’s great when a person can be hired to do a real job rather than receive a handout.
So, I think that what I said was wrong. Don’t be the person to go without shampoo. If you can afford it, buy the shampoo, the new car or redecorate the living room if that’s what you want. In America, our quality of life comes from the efforts and labors of our neighbors who are nurses, firefighters, podiatrists, car dealers and even party planners. This is capitalism and while imperfect, it works better than anything else. So, I think it’s provident living to give your neighbor a real job rather than a handout and hope they give you a job as well. Our wealth as a nation, as Benjamin Franklin put it, is not our gold or natural resources of any kind, but our collective efforts in all the different things that we do. (sorry.. someday I will find the exact quote.. I lost it but it’s found in Benjamin Franklin An American Life by Walter Isaacson).
People really get into this discussion. I went to a party recently where the birthday girl was needled, a bit strongly I thought, for going through a drive through every day to buy a soda. "It’s a waste of money!" they said. Maybe so, but my soda drinking friend is in great shape and she isn’t spending money she doesn’t have on soda so ... My point is that it doesn’t have to be a luxury mansion that causes disagreement about money.. it can be just a soda.
What do you think? Does it bother you if your neighbor buys an expensive car or spends a fortune to remodel their bathroom. Is it "grinding the faces of the poor" to enjoy a vacation to Paris? Does it bug you if your friend drives though and buys a soda.. she is, after all, supporting a business and a family.. or should she be donating her $1.50 to the poor or buying more wheat?

Etsy ..

Isn't this cute!

Made in Utah by...

The Cupcake Goddess

Easter At Mom's...

Thank you Mom! It was so lovely!

Horatio Hornblower...

Who knew that Horatio Hornblower had new adventures?!? I didn't until this week. Hooray!!!

Everyone in the family... OK %75 of the family loves Horatio Hornblower and %25 of the family think the guns and canon are too loud.