A Christmas poem I wrote 26 years ago in Bountiful, Utah, on Sunday, December 5, 1982
Join in the glory-praise:
O joyous, happy, holy time of
Year when love abounds in more-than-else amounts,
Tendered freelier than
Otherwise our narrowed lives allow,
Till in fuller light we see
His redemptive grand designs
Enclose, enfold, and all embrace—
Without compulsion, without guile—
Our little realms and all others
Round about us with the sweetness of His
Love and grace and mercy-goodness
Dealt generously around.
Monday, December 22, 2008
2 Quote of the week
"What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps. It was said of Him that He 'went about doing good' (Acts 10:38). As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours." (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Dec. 1998, 6).
3 This week in our family
Because of our Christmas break, we publish here the next three weeks in our family
Mon, Dec 22: Doug's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 22: Crystal Price's birthday [Lyle]
Tues, Dec 23: Joseph Smith's birthday
Tues, Dec 23: Dakota's birthday [Lyle]
Tues, Dec 23: Boise State meets TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl
Wed, Dec 24: Christmas Eve
Wed, Dec 24: Richard & Angie Craine married 2000 [Gail]
Thurs, Dec 25: Christmas Day
Thurs, Dec 25: Shawn & Shandi Burdett married 2000 [Lyle]
Sun, Dec 28: Terry & LaWanda Packwood married 1990 [Gene]
Tues, Dec 30: Rex Sayer's birthday [Jackie]
Wed, Dec 31: New Year's Eve
Thurs, Jan 1: New Year's Day
Fri, Jan 2: Utah meets Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
Sun, Jan 4: Fast Sunday
Mon, Jan 5: Shellbi Jane Packwood's birthday [Gene]
Mon, Jan 5: Barbara died 2001 [Lyle]
Wed, Jan 7: JJ's birthday [Lyle]
Thurs, Jan 8: Mandy Rankin's birthday [Gail]
Thurs, Jan 8: Jason & Gena Tully married 2000 [Gene]
Fri, Jan 9: Marshal McAllister's birthday [Kay]
Fri, Jan 9: Mckenna's birthday [Kay]
Sat, Jan 10: Ethan's birthday [Dean]
Sat, Jan 10: Marta's birthday [Dean]
Mon, Jan 12: Seaira Nichole Cleverly-Burdett's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Jan 12: Next issue of newsletter
Mon, Dec 22: Doug's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 22: Crystal Price's birthday [Lyle]
Tues, Dec 23: Joseph Smith's birthday
Tues, Dec 23: Dakota's birthday [Lyle]
Tues, Dec 23: Boise State meets TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl
Wed, Dec 24: Christmas Eve
Wed, Dec 24: Richard & Angie Craine married 2000 [Gail]
Thurs, Dec 25: Christmas Day
Thurs, Dec 25: Shawn & Shandi Burdett married 2000 [Lyle]
Sun, Dec 28: Terry & LaWanda Packwood married 1990 [Gene]
Tues, Dec 30: Rex Sayer's birthday [Jackie]
Wed, Dec 31: New Year's Eve
Thurs, Jan 1: New Year's Day
Fri, Jan 2: Utah meets Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
Sun, Jan 4: Fast Sunday
Mon, Jan 5: Shellbi Jane Packwood's birthday [Gene]
Mon, Jan 5: Barbara died 2001 [Lyle]
Wed, Jan 7: JJ's birthday [Lyle]
Thurs, Jan 8: Mandy Rankin's birthday [Gail]
Thurs, Jan 8: Jason & Gena Tully married 2000 [Gene]
Fri, Jan 9: Marshal McAllister's birthday [Kay]
Fri, Jan 9: Mckenna's birthday [Kay]
Sat, Jan 10: Ethan's birthday [Dean]
Sat, Jan 10: Marta's birthday [Dean]
Mon, Jan 12: Seaira Nichole Cleverly-Burdett's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Jan 12: Next issue of newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
Meet season begins again
Brandon and Nicole [Kay's family] reported on December 15 that
"Brooklynn had her first meet of this season on Saturday. This is her second year on level 4, and [she] is still one of the youngest on the her team. She had a great first meet! She qualified for state with this meet and increased her scores by at least a point and sometimes a point and a half. Out of 52 girls in her catagory she finished 4th on the beam and 7th all around.
"She is very proud of her hard work. We are very happy and proud of her as well. After a year of training, I think meets like this one remind her why she loves it and all the work is worth it. Her team also took first in all around as well."
Annual decorating of the gingerbread house
Nicole also posted: "My kids loved decorating the house this year. We all think it turned out rather well. Mason didn't really help, but was our taste testor. I think he ate more of the candy, than made it on the house. We had fun and were just excited to see the house still standing the next morning!"
Brandon and Nicole [Kay's family] reported on December 15 that
"Brooklynn had her first meet of this season on Saturday. This is her second year on level 4, and [she] is still one of the youngest on the her team. She had a great first meet! She qualified for state with this meet and increased her scores by at least a point and sometimes a point and a half. Out of 52 girls in her catagory she finished 4th on the beam and 7th all around."She is very proud of her hard work. We are very happy and proud of her as well. After a year of training, I think meets like this one remind her why she loves it and all the work is worth it. Her team also took first in all around as well."
Annual decorating of the gingerbread house
Nicole also posted: "My kids loved decorating the house this year. We all think it turned out rather well. Mason didn't really help, but was our taste testor. I think he ate more of the candy, than made it on the house. We had fun and were just excited to see the house still standing the next morning!"
5 Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the winter of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during December 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.
Mon, Dec 22. awful foggy comeing home from work. Jackie vomited in my bed, had to wash bed spread & all. at 7:15 I took Ray, Dean, Dale & Jackie & went over to Adrian to school Xmas programe, it was really good. Gene went ward teaching & came home with us. Kay took Claudia to Xmas formal.
Tues, Dec 23. Ivard won 15 lb. Turkey from Lyons Club. Simplot gave us big turkey dinner this morning. Ray had supper ready & we ate & Gene did chores and we all went over to church to Xmas programe.
Wed, Dec 24. I don't go back to work until Jan 5. I came home from work & changed & dashed over to church to breakfast for Seminary students & parents. Kay - Gene & Ivard were there & everyone had eaten but they fixed me a good one then we had a meeting. I helped Kids wrap presents & Dean & Dale went to bed. Kay - Gene & Ray got big Xmas tree in & decorated it & they went to bed. Gail & Lynda & Debbie got here while I was asleep at 10: Ivard got home & we played Santa & went to bed at 2:30 A.M.
Thurs, Dec 25. Jerry called from Canada, his Xmas present from mission president. Gail came & woke us up at 6:30 & we opened presents. Jackie was so excited with the tree & her presents. We all had a real good Xmas then Jerry called & we all talked to him, it was so clear.
Fri, Dec 26. We got up at 9: & Gene had chores done & they played Monoply. I got turkey on & cranberry, jello salad made & made waffles & hot cakes for breakfast which they ate at 11:30. Gail & Lynda came & left Debbie to play & took Ivard, Gene & Ray over to Homedale bowling.
Sat, Dec 27. We got up late & ate & Ray did up work. Ivard and I went to Nampa so Ivard could mark up on another job, got cut off. goes to work at 11: now.
Sun, Dec 28. Ivard came home at 8: & went to bed, he'd run off road, he was so tired. I tended Jackie while he slept she had such a cold we didn't go to church with Kids. When Kids came we had hot Turkey sandwiches & Kay took me over to Owyhee Corner & I went to Nyssa with Bishop Stoker to leadership meeting. Kay went up to Claudias.
Mon, Dec 29. Got new movie camera & projector.
Tues, Dec 30. Gail & Lynda & Debbie came. We visited and they played monoply awhile. at 7: Ivard took Kay & Gene over to school to go to Ontario to play ball. J.V.'s got beat Varsity won. He took Ray over to Petersons to go swimming with Scouts & he got Gail & Lynda & they went to Ontario to game. I wouldn't leave little kids alone & besides I didn't feel good. me & Kids went to bed at 7:30.
Wed, Dec 31. At 11:30 Gail left for home. I made a big kettle of chilli. went to Caldwell & had milk shake & got groc. & eggs & some candy & nuts for tonight. Kids all went to sleep by 11:30. I went out side at midnight but couldn't hear any noise. We've had a good year & good health.
Mon, Dec 22. awful foggy comeing home from work. Jackie vomited in my bed, had to wash bed spread & all. at 7:15 I took Ray, Dean, Dale & Jackie & went over to Adrian to school Xmas programe, it was really good. Gene went ward teaching & came home with us. Kay took Claudia to Xmas formal.
Tues, Dec 23. Ivard won 15 lb. Turkey from Lyons Club. Simplot gave us big turkey dinner this morning. Ray had supper ready & we ate & Gene did chores and we all went over to church to Xmas programe.
Wed, Dec 24. I don't go back to work until Jan 5. I came home from work & changed & dashed over to church to breakfast for Seminary students & parents. Kay - Gene & Ivard were there & everyone had eaten but they fixed me a good one then we had a meeting. I helped Kids wrap presents & Dean & Dale went to bed. Kay - Gene & Ray got big Xmas tree in & decorated it & they went to bed. Gail & Lynda & Debbie got here while I was asleep at 10: Ivard got home & we played Santa & went to bed at 2:30 A.M.
Thurs, Dec 25. Jerry called from Canada, his Xmas present from mission president. Gail came & woke us up at 6:30 & we opened presents. Jackie was so excited with the tree & her presents. We all had a real good Xmas then Jerry called & we all talked to him, it was so clear.
Fri, Dec 26. We got up at 9: & Gene had chores done & they played Monoply. I got turkey on & cranberry, jello salad made & made waffles & hot cakes for breakfast which they ate at 11:30. Gail & Lynda came & left Debbie to play & took Ivard, Gene & Ray over to Homedale bowling.
Sat, Dec 27. We got up late & ate & Ray did up work. Ivard and I went to Nampa so Ivard could mark up on another job, got cut off. goes to work at 11: now.
Sun, Dec 28. Ivard came home at 8: & went to bed, he'd run off road, he was so tired. I tended Jackie while he slept she had such a cold we didn't go to church with Kids. When Kids came we had hot Turkey sandwiches & Kay took me over to Owyhee Corner & I went to Nyssa with Bishop Stoker to leadership meeting. Kay went up to Claudias.
Mon, Dec 29. Got new movie camera & projector.
Tues, Dec 30. Gail & Lynda & Debbie came. We visited and they played monoply awhile. at 7: Ivard took Kay & Gene over to school to go to Ontario to play ball. J.V.'s got beat Varsity won. He took Ray over to Petersons to go swimming with Scouts & he got Gail & Lynda & they went to Ontario to game. I wouldn't leave little kids alone & besides I didn't feel good. me & Kids went to bed at 7:30.
Wed, Dec 31. At 11:30 Gail left for home. I made a big kettle of chilli. went to Caldwell & had milk shake & got groc. & eggs & some candy & nuts for tonight. Kids all went to sleep by 11:30. I went out side at midnight but couldn't hear any noise. We've had a good year & good health.
6 What in the world
A white Christmas?
It's one thing for northern Utah and southern Idaho to be blanketed in snow this time of year. And we've had a lot this past week. But snow in Las Vegas, St. George, and even Seattle?
Temple open house
A reminder that the public open house for the new Draper Utah Temple will run from Thursday, January 15, through Saturday, March 14. Reservations for tours of the temple can be made by going to www.lds.org/reservations (a maximum of ten reservations) or by calling 1-800-537-6181 or locally 801-240-7932.
Bowl games
The BYU Cougars lost to the Arizona Wildcats 21-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday evening, December 21.
Tomorrow evening, December 23, undefeated Boise State will meet TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl.
On Friday evening, January 2, undefeated Utah will play against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
It's one thing for northern Utah and southern Idaho to be blanketed in snow this time of year. And we've had a lot this past week. But snow in Las Vegas, St. George, and even Seattle?
Temple open house
A reminder that the public open house for the new Draper Utah Temple will run from Thursday, January 15, through Saturday, March 14. Reservations for tours of the temple can be made by going to www.lds.org/reservations (a maximum of ten reservations) or by calling 1-800-537-6181 or locally 801-240-7932.
Bowl games
The BYU Cougars lost to the Arizona Wildcats 21-31 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday evening, December 21.
Tomorrow evening, December 23, undefeated Boise State will meet TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl.
On Friday evening, January 2, undefeated Utah will play against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.
7 A final word
The excerpts below come from the March 2008 issue of the Ensign, which was published after President Gordon B. Hinckley's death. It becomes in effect his final testimony to the world of the Lord and Master he knew and loved so well. We share it here as our Christmas offering to you. And a merry Christmas to you all.
"A little more than 2,000 years ago, the Redeemer of humankind was born in Bethlehem of Judea. . . .
"Jesus was in very deed the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, who left His Father’s royal courts on high and condescended to come to earth as a babe born in the most humble of circumstances. His birth was foretold centuries earlier by Isaiah, who declared prophetically, 'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace' (Isaiah 9:6). . . .
"We know not all that lies ahead of us. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the Polar Star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith.
"In sunshine and in shadow we look to Him, and He is there to assure and smile upon us.
"He is the central focus of our worship. He is the Son of the living God, the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh. He is 'risen from the dead, . . . the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the Lord who shall come again 'to reign on the earth over his people' (D&C 76:63; see also Micah 4:7; Revelation 11:15).
"None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God" (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Mar. 2008, 4, 7).
"A little more than 2,000 years ago, the Redeemer of humankind was born in Bethlehem of Judea. . . .
"Jesus was in very deed the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, who left His Father’s royal courts on high and condescended to come to earth as a babe born in the most humble of circumstances. His birth was foretold centuries earlier by Isaiah, who declared prophetically, 'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace' (Isaiah 9:6). . . .
"We know not all that lies ahead of us. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the Polar Star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith.
"In sunshine and in shadow we look to Him, and He is there to assure and smile upon us.
"He is the central focus of our worship. He is the Son of the living God, the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh. He is 'risen from the dead, . . . the firstfruits of them that slept' (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the Lord who shall come again 'to reign on the earth over his people' (D&C 76:63; see also Micah 4:7; Revelation 11:15).
"None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God" (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Mar. 2008, 4, 7).
Monday, December 15, 2008
1 Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Arguably the most famous editorial ever written appeared over a century ago in the fall of 1897 in the New York Sun. It was written by Francis P. Church on September 21, 1897. We take delight in reprinting its timeless message here.
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
"Dear Editor--I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?"
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-fifth Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little.
In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:
"Dear Editor--I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?"
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety-fifth Street
Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little.
In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
2 Quote of the week
"This is a glorious time of the year, simple in origin, deep in meaning, beautiful in tradition and custom, rich in memories, and charitable in spirit. It has an attraction to which our hearts are readily drawn. This joyful season brings to each of us a measure of happiness that corresponds to the degree in which we have turned our mind, feelings, and actions to the spirit of Christmas" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Dec. 1998, 2).
3 This week in our family
Mon, Dec 15: Chad & Melissa married 1994 [Kay]
Tues, Dec 16: Kira's birthday [Dale]
Wed, Dec 17: Ivard & Dorothy married 1934
Thurs, Dec 18: Shandi Cleverly-Burdett's birthday [Lyle]
Fri, Dec 19: Brian & Kate married 2003 [Gail]
Sat, Dec 20: Brandon & Nicole married 1997 [Kay]
Sat, Dec 20: Adria Janelle Kersker's birthday [Lyle]
Sun, Dec 21: First day of winter (winter solstice)
Mon, Dec 22: Doug's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 22: Crystal Price's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 22: Next issue of newsletter
Tues, Dec 16: Kira's birthday [Dale]
Wed, Dec 17: Ivard & Dorothy married 1934
Thurs, Dec 18: Shandi Cleverly-Burdett's birthday [Lyle]
Fri, Dec 19: Brian & Kate married 2003 [Gail]
Sat, Dec 20: Brandon & Nicole married 1997 [Kay]
Sat, Dec 20: Adria Janelle Kersker's birthday [Lyle]
Sun, Dec 21: First day of winter (winter solstice)
Mon, Dec 22: Doug's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 22: Crystal Price's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 22: Next issue of newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
New addition
Aaron Marvin Challis was born in Georgia at 7:09 on Monday morning, December 8, the second son of Paul and Eliza Challis. He weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. He joins older brother Peter, who turned two in October. Aaron is Claudia's and my 17th grandchild. Eliza and the baby got to go home the next afternoon.
The two boys (Aaron and Peter) are shown taking a nap together.
State champions
Posted by Crystal Price on December 8. The Joseph she refers to (number 47 in this picture) is Keri's oldest child, one of Lyle's great-grandsons.
My nephew Joseph and his team won the State Title this weekend! It was a very close game that went into double overtime! Although Joseph didn't play in the championship game this year, he did play in many of the Varsity and JV games throughout the season and he's only a sophomore! Great job Joseph ... Keep working hard! He's #47 in the above picture :o)
What Christmas is really about
Lifted from an e-mail from Kay and Karen serving their mission in Peru.
"Even though it is almost summer here, and there are not the usual sights and sounds of Christmas as we know it, we are starting to feel the Christmas spirit. Doing the treat bags for children of a very poor branch and looking forward to the Christmas activity where the children will act out the Christmas story intermingled with carols/hymns sang by the choir (North American couples) and the members, has done something to our hearts.
"Christmas is celebrated in Perú with trees, presents, and a turkey dinner. There are not a lot of decorations in the commercial buildings like home; however, the decorations the various cities put up in the streets are quite elaborate. The dinner is not quite what we usually serve, but I think that is perhaps a good thing. They do not serve all of the side dishes and pies, etc.
"The sisters in our ward have been meeting every Tuesday night for months making things for families who do not have very much. That is what Christmas is really about."
5 Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the winter of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during December 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.
Mon, Dec 15. I got up & got Kids off to school, clock was hr. slow & Kids missed seminary. Kay had his play this afternoon for school kids.
Tues, Dec 16. I came home from work & made out payments to mail and went to bed & Ivard tended Jackie. I got up at 1: & Jackie & I went to relief society. I read a poem I wrote. Came home at 4: and went to bed & Ray fixed kids supper. I got up at 7: & went to Adrian with Kay to his Senior class play. "Susie the Siren" it was real good Kay had the maine part.
Wed, Dec 17. Today was my 24th wedding anniversary & Ivard forgot & I didn't remind him.
Thurs, Dec 18. I came home from work and went right to bed. I got up at noon & Ivard went over to school & got Ray to come home & tend Jackie & we went to Nampa & had dinner at Harmony Cafe, "Prawns," then we went to Boise & traded in Gold Strike books & did some shopping then came to Caldwell and got our layways out & had gift wrapped.
Fri, Dec 19. I came home from work and went right to bed & Ivard put a pork roast on to cook & him & Jackie went to Wilder & got stuff for Wall plug & put it in for T.V. & put a light outside on back porch. I got up & took Kay to Adrian to ball game. Ivard Gene & Ray went at 6:15. J.V.'s got beat 30 to 48 by Fruitland. Varsity won 42 to 38. Kay only made 4 points, he was sick. Came home & went to work at 11: & it was so foggy I could hardly find road.
Sat, Dec 20. It was so foggy comeing from work. I went right to bed & got up at 11:30 & Kay & I went to town & did his Xmas shopping. Ivard, Dean & Dale took my white face to Caldwell sale & did their Xmas shopping. I took Kay & Gene to Adrian at 4: to go to Jordan Valley to play ball. Kids got home from Jordan Valley at midnight, won both games.
Sun, Dec 21. Came home from work & laid down until they ate then we all went to Priesthood & sunday school, it was Xmas programe, Dean & Dale were on it.
Mon, Dec 15. I got up & got Kids off to school, clock was hr. slow & Kids missed seminary. Kay had his play this afternoon for school kids.
Tues, Dec 16. I came home from work & made out payments to mail and went to bed & Ivard tended Jackie. I got up at 1: & Jackie & I went to relief society. I read a poem I wrote. Came home at 4: and went to bed & Ray fixed kids supper. I got up at 7: & went to Adrian with Kay to his Senior class play. "Susie the Siren" it was real good Kay had the maine part.
Wed, Dec 17. Today was my 24th wedding anniversary & Ivard forgot & I didn't remind him.
Thurs, Dec 18. I came home from work and went right to bed. I got up at noon & Ivard went over to school & got Ray to come home & tend Jackie & we went to Nampa & had dinner at Harmony Cafe, "Prawns," then we went to Boise & traded in Gold Strike books & did some shopping then came to Caldwell and got our layways out & had gift wrapped.
Fri, Dec 19. I came home from work and went right to bed & Ivard put a pork roast on to cook & him & Jackie went to Wilder & got stuff for Wall plug & put it in for T.V. & put a light outside on back porch. I got up & took Kay to Adrian to ball game. Ivard Gene & Ray went at 6:15. J.V.'s got beat 30 to 48 by Fruitland. Varsity won 42 to 38. Kay only made 4 points, he was sick. Came home & went to work at 11: & it was so foggy I could hardly find road.
Sat, Dec 20. It was so foggy comeing from work. I went right to bed & got up at 11:30 & Kay & I went to town & did his Xmas shopping. Ivard, Dean & Dale took my white face to Caldwell sale & did their Xmas shopping. I took Kay & Gene to Adrian at 4: to go to Jordan Valley to play ball. Kids got home from Jordan Valley at midnight, won both games.
Sun, Dec 21. Came home from work & laid down until they ate then we all went to Priesthood & sunday school, it was Xmas programe, Dean & Dale were on it.
6 What in the world
First Presidency Christmas message
Published on the cover of the December 13 Church News and signed by Presidents Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"At this joyous Christmas season men and women of faith turn their thoughts to our dear Savior who came forth from heaven to live on earth as a mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, 'Come, follow me.'
"We testify of the living reality of Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind. As we seek Christ and as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always."
Another new temple
The First Presidency has announced a second temple for Peru. It will be built in Trujillo on the site of an existing meetinghouse. Peru's first temple, the Lima Peru Temple, was dedicated January 10, 1986, by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
Published on the cover of the December 13 Church News and signed by Presidents Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"At this joyous Christmas season men and women of faith turn their thoughts to our dear Savior who came forth from heaven to live on earth as a mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, 'Come, follow me.'
"We testify of the living reality of Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind. As we seek Christ and as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always."
Another new temple
The First Presidency has announced a second temple for Peru. It will be built in Trujillo on the site of an existing meetinghouse. Peru's first temple, the Lima Peru Temple, was dedicated January 10, 1986, by President Gordon B. Hinckley.
7 A final word
We are just a week and a half away from Christmas. The day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. A magical time for children and all the young at heart. A holy time for faithful followers of the Savior. A time for family and traditions and joyous music. A season of service and hope and good will. A time, hopefully, when our better natures prevail.
We take this opportunity at this holiday season to wish all of you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. And, as expressed by Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, "God bless us, every one!"
We take this opportunity at this holiday season to wish all of you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. And, as expressed by Tiny Tim in Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, "God bless us, every one!"
Monday, December 8, 2008
1 Christmas Bells
One of America's best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882), composed a poem, "Christmas Bells," on December 25, 1864, during the dark days of the Civil War. When Longfellow penned the words, now known to us as "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," America was still months away from Lee's surrender to Grant on April 9, 1865. His poem reflected the despair of the war years and ended with a confident hope of triumphant peace.
The poem also flowed from the tragic death of Longfellow's wife Fanny and the crippling injury of his son Charles from war wounds. Henry had married Frances Appleton in 1843, and they settled down in a house overlooking the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They were blessed with five children: Charles, Ernest, Alice, Edith, and Allegra.
Tragedy struck both the nation and the Longfellow family in 1861. On April 12 the American Civil War began, and on July 10 Fanny Longfellow was fatally burned in an accident in the library of their home. The day before her accident, she recorded in her journal: "We are all sighing for the good sea breeze instead of this stifling land one filled with dust. Poor Allegra is very droopy with heat, and Edie has to get her hair in a net to free her neck from the weight."
After trimming some of seven-year-old Edith's beautiful curls, Fanny decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed upon her dress. The longed for sea breeze gusted through the window, igniting the material of Fanny's dress—immediately wrapping her in flames. She ran to Henry's study in the next room, where he frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with a nearby but undersized throw rug. Failing to stop the fire with the rug, he tried to smother the flames by throwing his arms around Frances—severely burning his face, arms, and hands. Fanny died the next morning. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry was not able to attend her funeral. The full beard that Longfellow wore thereafter arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.
The first Christmas after Fanny's death, Longfellow wrote in 1861, "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays."
A year after the incident, he wrote, "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace." Longfellow's journal entry for December 25, 1862, reads: "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me."
Almost a year later, Longfellow received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blades. The Christmas of 1863 was silent in Longfellow's journal.
Finally, on Christmas Day 1864, he wrote the words of the poem, "Christmas Bells." The reelection of Abraham Lincoln or the hoped for end of the terrible war may have been the occasion for the poem. The entire poem, including verses 4 and 5 that referred specifically to the Civil War and did not become a part of the carol, is shared here:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"
The poem also flowed from the tragic death of Longfellow's wife Fanny and the crippling injury of his son Charles from war wounds. Henry had married Frances Appleton in 1843, and they settled down in a house overlooking the Charles River in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They were blessed with five children: Charles, Ernest, Alice, Edith, and Allegra.
Tragedy struck both the nation and the Longfellow family in 1861. On April 12 the American Civil War began, and on July 10 Fanny Longfellow was fatally burned in an accident in the library of their home. The day before her accident, she recorded in her journal: "We are all sighing for the good sea breeze instead of this stifling land one filled with dust. Poor Allegra is very droopy with heat, and Edie has to get her hair in a net to free her neck from the weight."
After trimming some of seven-year-old Edith's beautiful curls, Fanny decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell unnoticed upon her dress. The longed for sea breeze gusted through the window, igniting the material of Fanny's dress—immediately wrapping her in flames. She ran to Henry's study in the next room, where he frantically attempted to extinguish the flames with a nearby but undersized throw rug. Failing to stop the fire with the rug, he tried to smother the flames by throwing his arms around Frances—severely burning his face, arms, and hands. Fanny died the next morning. Too ill from his burns and grief, Henry was not able to attend her funeral. The full beard that Longfellow wore thereafter arose from his inability to shave after this tragedy.
The first Christmas after Fanny's death, Longfellow wrote in 1861, "How inexpressibly sad are all holidays."
A year after the incident, he wrote, "I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace." Longfellow's journal entry for December 25, 1862, reads: "'A merry Christmas' say the children, but that is no more for me."
Almost a year later, Longfellow received word that his oldest son Charles, a lieutenant in the Army of the Potomac, had been severely wounded with a bullet passing under his shoulder blades. The Christmas of 1863 was silent in Longfellow's journal.
Finally, on Christmas Day 1864, he wrote the words of the poem, "Christmas Bells." The reelection of Abraham Lincoln or the hoped for end of the terrible war may have been the occasion for the poem. The entire poem, including verses 4 and 5 that referred specifically to the Civil War and did not become a part of the carol, is shared here:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"
2 Quote of the week
"I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, . . . as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) in A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens (1812-1870) in A Christmas Carol
3 This week in our family
Mon, Dec 8: Aric's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 8: Dustin & Michelle Duay married 2002 [Gail]
Tues, Dec 9: Chuck McAllister's birthday [Kay]
Fri, Dec 12: Ronnie's birthday [Gene]
Fri, Dec 12: Tanner Hoff born and died 1995 [Dean]
Sun, Dec 14: James died 1999 [Dean]
Mon, Dec 15: Chad & Melissa married 1994 [Kay]
Mon, Dec 15: Next issue of the newsletter
Mon, Dec 8: Dustin & Michelle Duay married 2002 [Gail]
Tues, Dec 9: Chuck McAllister's birthday [Kay]
Fri, Dec 12: Ronnie's birthday [Gene]
Fri, Dec 12: Tanner Hoff born and died 1995 [Dean]
Sun, Dec 14: James died 1999 [Dean]
Mon, Dec 15: Chad & Melissa married 1994 [Kay]
Mon, Dec 15: Next issue of the newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
Address correction
An update from Kay and Karen in Peru: "I gave the address incorrectly to Dean that he put in the newsletter. We are not to use elder or sister or mention the mission or church. Our address is:
Kay and Karen Cleverly
Av. Jorge Basadre 592 Of. 604 "B"
San Isidro - Lima 27
Perú
"If we use elder or sister or mention the church it gets caught up in the Aduana [customs] and takes up to 10 days longer to get here."
An update from Kay and Karen in Peru: "I gave the address incorrectly to Dean that he put in the newsletter. We are not to use elder or sister or mention the mission or church. Our address is:
Kay and Karen Cleverly
Av. Jorge Basadre 592 Of. 604 "B"
San Isidro - Lima 27
Perú
"If we use elder or sister or mention the church it gets caught up in the Aduana [customs] and takes up to 10 days longer to get here."
5 Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the winter of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during December 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon. Her parents (Bill and Hazel Batt) were on a mission in New England.
Mon, Dec 8. Ivard & Jackie took a calf to sale. Simplot Soil Builders blew up & there was a big fire. used up water so every had to go home at 3:30 A.M. but our line. Phil got his back broke (electrician).
Tues, Dec 9. I came home & went to bed & Ivard tended Jackie. I got up at 11:30 & Mrs. Bullen came & we went to relief society. We ate when Kay got home from ball practice. Kay went to play practice with Hatch, Claudia brought him home.
Wed, Dec 10. Jackie & Ivard went over to school & took Kay to Nyssa to court, he got fined 4.50 for driveing with a permit & no adult with him. I wrote a poem for relief society for next week. Went to Adrian & got kids from primary & Ray went to Mutual.
Thurs, Dec 11. got letter from Mother. I came home from work & went to bed and slept all day. Mother has been moved up to Vermont.
Fri, Dec 12. Ivard & Jackie took Ray to go to mountains after Xmas trees for 2 days with scouts then they went over to school & got Kay & took him to Nyssa & he got his drivers license. We ate and all went to Adrian to first basketball games. J.V. beat New Plymouth 22 to 13 and Gene made 5 points. Varsity won 50 to 32 & Kay made 11 points.
Sat, Dec 13. Gene milked early & him & Kay went to Ball game. They played at Wilder. J.V. won 32 to 17 Gene made 7. Varsity won 64 to 40. Kay made 18 pts. Got letter from Louie & Alv had Stroke Tuesday & is paralyzed on one side & can't talk. Ray got home about 9: from mountains. I got Xmas cards all ready to mail.
Sun, Dec 14. I didn't go to church, Jackie has such a cold. She coughed all night, about wore herself out.
Mon, Dec 8. Ivard & Jackie took a calf to sale. Simplot Soil Builders blew up & there was a big fire. used up water so every had to go home at 3:30 A.M. but our line. Phil got his back broke (electrician).
Tues, Dec 9. I came home & went to bed & Ivard tended Jackie. I got up at 11:30 & Mrs. Bullen came & we went to relief society. We ate when Kay got home from ball practice. Kay went to play practice with Hatch, Claudia brought him home.
Wed, Dec 10. Jackie & Ivard went over to school & took Kay to Nyssa to court, he got fined 4.50 for driveing with a permit & no adult with him. I wrote a poem for relief society for next week. Went to Adrian & got kids from primary & Ray went to Mutual.
Thurs, Dec 11. got letter from Mother. I came home from work & went to bed and slept all day. Mother has been moved up to Vermont.
Fri, Dec 12. Ivard & Jackie took Ray to go to mountains after Xmas trees for 2 days with scouts then they went over to school & got Kay & took him to Nyssa & he got his drivers license. We ate and all went to Adrian to first basketball games. J.V. beat New Plymouth 22 to 13 and Gene made 5 points. Varsity won 50 to 32 & Kay made 11 points.
Sat, Dec 13. Gene milked early & him & Kay went to Ball game. They played at Wilder. J.V. won 32 to 17 Gene made 7. Varsity won 64 to 40. Kay made 18 pts. Got letter from Louie & Alv had Stroke Tuesday & is paralyzed on one side & can't talk. Ray got home about 9: from mountains. I got Xmas cards all ready to mail.
Sun, Dec 14. I didn't go to church, Jackie has such a cold. She coughed all night, about wore herself out.
6 What in the world
Apostle dies
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin died peacefully in his sleep on Monday evening, December 1, from causes incident to age. He had been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve since 1986. At age 91, he was the oldest living General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His funeral was held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Friday, December 5. He was buried afterward in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Here we go a-bowling
The University of Utah will play against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Friday evening, January 2, in New Orleans. Four years ago, Utah became the first non-BCS school to reach a major bowl since the format was created in 1998. Now the undefeated Utes have done it again. Alabama goes into the game with one loss.
Boise State, also undefeated, will meet TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego on Tuesday evening, December 23, the only bowl game scheduled for that day.
BYU will meet Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, December 20. It will be the Cougars' fourth straight appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin died peacefully in his sleep on Monday evening, December 1, from causes incident to age. He had been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve since 1986. At age 91, he was the oldest living General Authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His funeral was held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Friday, December 5. He was buried afterward in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
Here we go a-bowling
The University of Utah will play against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Friday evening, January 2, in New Orleans. Four years ago, Utah became the first non-BCS school to reach a major bowl since the format was created in 1998. Now the undefeated Utes have done it again. Alabama goes into the game with one loss.
Boise State, also undefeated, will meet TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego on Tuesday evening, December 23, the only bowl game scheduled for that day.
BYU will meet Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, December 20. It will be the Cougars' fourth straight appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl.
7 A final word
One of the great blessings of my life has been the privilege through the years of associating closely with many of the Brethren we sustain as General Authorities. They vary widely in their styles and personalities, yet seeing them up close and personal, in a variety of work situations, warts and all, has only confirmed in my heart and mind that they are the Lord's anointed servants. They have been called by Him. They are united in their love of the Lord and in their devotion to His latter-day work.
Although I hasten to add that my witness of their callings as prophets, apostles, and special witnesses of the Savior has not come through personal acquaintance or daily familiarity with them. Such a witness has come just as it does to every faithful Latter-day Saint who has a testimony of this divine work: it has come through the quiet whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
Like many of you, for example, I saw the prophetic mantle fall upon President Thomas S. Monson last April during his first conference since becoming President of the Church. The Spirit bore sweet yet powerful witness to my soul that President Monson was the Lord's prophet, seer, and revelator for this day and time. Many of you have received that same witness.
One of the giants among the Brethren, Joseph B. Wirthlin, has just been called home after a life of long and faithful service. As executive secretary of the Missionary Executive Council, a position I've had since 1994, I had opportunity to meet with Elder Wirthlin at least once a week during the years he served as a member of that Council (from 1994 to 2002). He was delightful to work with.
Friday I attended his funeral. Elder Wirthlin was remembered as a humble, persistent, dedicated disciple of Christ, someone worthy of our emulation.
Although I hasten to add that my witness of their callings as prophets, apostles, and special witnesses of the Savior has not come through personal acquaintance or daily familiarity with them. Such a witness has come just as it does to every faithful Latter-day Saint who has a testimony of this divine work: it has come through the quiet whisperings of the Holy Spirit.
Like many of you, for example, I saw the prophetic mantle fall upon President Thomas S. Monson last April during his first conference since becoming President of the Church. The Spirit bore sweet yet powerful witness to my soul that President Monson was the Lord's prophet, seer, and revelator for this day and time. Many of you have received that same witness.
One of the giants among the Brethren, Joseph B. Wirthlin, has just been called home after a life of long and faithful service. As executive secretary of the Missionary Executive Council, a position I've had since 1994, I had opportunity to meet with Elder Wirthlin at least once a week during the years he served as a member of that Council (from 1994 to 2002). He was delightful to work with.
Friday I attended his funeral. Elder Wirthlin was remembered as a humble, persistent, dedicated disciple of Christ, someone worthy of our emulation.
Monday, December 1, 2008
1 Black Friday
The news media carried reports of a Walmart employee somewhere in the East being trampled to death on the morning of Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and two people being shot at a Toys R Us in California. What sort of craziness is this? Personally we try to avoid going anywhere near anything that looks like a store on that busy day. Just a nice quiet day at home for us. But Lyle's granddaughter, Shandi Burdett, thought she'd try it out this year. Our thanks to her for sharing some of her experiences from that day. (We've taken the liberty of shortening and editing Shandi's blog to fit our needs here; click here to read her full original account.)
The idea of shopping Black Friday sounds like fun, especially to someone who's never really shopped a Black Friday in her life. The reality is it's a frenzy of cranky overly stressed out tired people who are all wanting the same limited amount of low priced item(s). Which means ... angry people fighting over stupid crap!
Being a newbie I thought, "What better way than to start out at Walmart." HA ha... I can laugh now, but I FOR SURE was not laughing while I was there. People SERIOUSLY broke out in fights, pushing and shoving. Just flat out MEAN, MEAN people. I will NEVER go to Wal-Mart again in my LIFE. This one day scared me for all time.
That being said and having a big strong hubby to push through the crowd, we did find some good deals. Although we probably spent the majority of our time waiting in line.
So after Wally World we headed to Toys R US...... Fortunately, the baby was asleep, so I stayed in the car and let Shawn and his 2 stepsisters go in. We arrived at 6:40....they didn't get back out to the car till 8:05 !!!!!!! I would have thought they were being held hostage in there had it not been for the few texts I got: "Only 3 registers open we are in the back of the line (which ends back by the diapers," about 40 minutes later, " I can see the register now," and then at 7:55, "We are next in line."
After that fiasco we went to the mall. First stop, Build a Bear ... and I have nothing to complain about there, wonderful people ... great service. Awesome. Loved it. But every other store in the mall was a complete disappointment.
We did end up getting ALL of our shopping done, but I will never do Black Friday like this again. Its not worth all the frustration and waiting you have to put into it to save a few bucks!
The idea of shopping Black Friday sounds like fun, especially to someone who's never really shopped a Black Friday in her life. The reality is it's a frenzy of cranky overly stressed out tired people who are all wanting the same limited amount of low priced item(s). Which means ... angry people fighting over stupid crap!
Being a newbie I thought, "What better way than to start out at Walmart." HA ha... I can laugh now, but I FOR SURE was not laughing while I was there. People SERIOUSLY broke out in fights, pushing and shoving. Just flat out MEAN, MEAN people. I will NEVER go to Wal-Mart again in my LIFE. This one day scared me for all time.
That being said and having a big strong hubby to push through the crowd, we did find some good deals. Although we probably spent the majority of our time waiting in line.
So after Wally World we headed to Toys R US...... Fortunately, the baby was asleep, so I stayed in the car and let Shawn and his 2 stepsisters go in. We arrived at 6:40....they didn't get back out to the car till 8:05 !!!!!!! I would have thought they were being held hostage in there had it not been for the few texts I got: "Only 3 registers open we are in the back of the line (which ends back by the diapers," about 40 minutes later, " I can see the register now," and then at 7:55, "We are next in line."
After that fiasco we went to the mall. First stop, Build a Bear ... and I have nothing to complain about there, wonderful people ... great service. Awesome. Loved it. But every other store in the mall was a complete disappointment.
We did end up getting ALL of our shopping done, but I will never do Black Friday like this again. Its not worth all the frustration and waiting you have to put into it to save a few bucks!
2 Quote of the week
"Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. [We] need to choose faith" (Neil L. Andersen, Ensign, Nov. 2008, 14).
3 This week in our family
Tues, Dec 2: Talmage & Louise married 2002 [Dean]
Wed, Dec 3: Hannah Grace Kersker's birthday [Lyle]
Thurs, Dec 4: Curtis's birthday [Ray]
Sun, Dec 7: Brian's birthday [Gail]
Sun, Dec 7: Fast Sunday
Mon, Dec 8: Aric's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 8: Dustin & Michelle Duay married 2002 [Gail]
Mon, Dec 8: Next issue of newsletter
Wed, Dec 3: Hannah Grace Kersker's birthday [Lyle]
Thurs, Dec 4: Curtis's birthday [Ray]
Sun, Dec 7: Brian's birthday [Gail]
Sun, Dec 7: Fast Sunday
Mon, Dec 8: Aric's birthday [Lyle]
Mon, Dec 8: Dustin & Michelle Duay married 2002 [Gail]
Mon, Dec 8: Next issue of newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
Aunt Berniece
Last Wednesday evening I called Aunt Berniece to wish her a happy birthday. She continues to be in good health and is able to get around as she needs to. She still drives around Tooele, to places like church and the store, but she does not venture on her own into the Salt Lake area.
Berniece is the youngest of the four children born to William and Hazel Batt: Dorothy Cleverly was the oldest and passed away in Nampa in 1982, Ruth Tovey is currently in a care center in Bountiful and pretty much does not recognize anyone, Bill Batt lives in Spokane and has family living with him (a granddaughter I believe Berniece said) and children living nearby, and Berniece Palmer in Tooele.
Cousin Kent
While I was talking to Berniece on my cell phone (because it has free long distance), her son Kent called on our house phone. He periodically calls to update me on the Palmer family. His youngest son was just made a first lieutenant in the Air National Guard and by next summer will be flying large planes. He already has a commercial pilot's license.
Lyle in Washington
Lyle called me Saturday morning from Terry's house in Aberdeen. He had driven up to Washington to spend about 10 days or so visiting his family up there. He had Thanksgiving dinner at Doug's. He reported that everyone seems to be healthy and fine. He saw a new grandbaby over for the holiday from Spokane. Unless it was too stormy, he was planning to leave today to return home to Idaho.
Gene and Cheryl in Texas
Lyle reported that Gene and Cheryl had gone to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday and were planning to be there until about December 10.
Thanksgiving
Kate posted the following report on Saturday: "We had a fun Thanksgiving full of family and food. We ate with Lynda and the rest of Brian's family and then went to Mom's for dessert. As always, we had a political discussion with the siblings (which never seems to change anyone's opinions). When we left Mom's, we went back to Lynda's since their family usually plays cards all night. We ended up playing Phase 10 til 1:30 in the morning. John's chair collapsed, which was the highlight of the night since he had no time to react and was flat on his back before anyone knew what happened.
"Last night Brian and I were laying in bed at probably 10:30 when I realized we hadn't checked all the doors to make sure they were locked. I sent Brian out to do the man's work. He hadn't been gone 30 seconds when I hear screaming and other strange noises. Apparently the cat had been hiding in the dark and decided to attack Brian. All Brian heard were little clicking noises on our hard floor and he thought he was being attacked by a camel spider (bad flash back from Iraq). So he screamed. When he told me what had happened I laughed for nearly a half hour. I just couldn't stop picturing the "Puss in Boots" attack on my own husband."
Last Wednesday evening I called Aunt Berniece to wish her a happy birthday. She continues to be in good health and is able to get around as she needs to. She still drives around Tooele, to places like church and the store, but she does not venture on her own into the Salt Lake area.
Berniece is the youngest of the four children born to William and Hazel Batt: Dorothy Cleverly was the oldest and passed away in Nampa in 1982, Ruth Tovey is currently in a care center in Bountiful and pretty much does not recognize anyone, Bill Batt lives in Spokane and has family living with him (a granddaughter I believe Berniece said) and children living nearby, and Berniece Palmer in Tooele.
Cousin Kent
While I was talking to Berniece on my cell phone (because it has free long distance), her son Kent called on our house phone. He periodically calls to update me on the Palmer family. His youngest son was just made a first lieutenant in the Air National Guard and by next summer will be flying large planes. He already has a commercial pilot's license.
Lyle in Washington
Lyle called me Saturday morning from Terry's house in Aberdeen. He had driven up to Washington to spend about 10 days or so visiting his family up there. He had Thanksgiving dinner at Doug's. He reported that everyone seems to be healthy and fine. He saw a new grandbaby over for the holiday from Spokane. Unless it was too stormy, he was planning to leave today to return home to Idaho.
Gene and Cheryl in Texas
Lyle reported that Gene and Cheryl had gone to Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday and were planning to be there until about December 10.
Thanksgiving
Kate posted the following report on Saturday: "We had a fun Thanksgiving full of family and food. We ate with Lynda and the rest of Brian's family and then went to Mom's for dessert. As always, we had a political discussion with the siblings (which never seems to change anyone's opinions). When we left Mom's, we went back to Lynda's since their family usually plays cards all night. We ended up playing Phase 10 til 1:30 in the morning. John's chair collapsed, which was the highlight of the night since he had no time to react and was flat on his back before anyone knew what happened.
"Last night Brian and I were laying in bed at probably 10:30 when I realized we hadn't checked all the doors to make sure they were locked. I sent Brian out to do the man's work. He hadn't been gone 30 seconds when I hear screaming and other strange noises. Apparently the cat had been hiding in the dark and decided to attack Brian. All Brian heard were little clicking noises on our hard floor and he thought he was being attacked by a camel spider (bad flash back from Iraq). So he screamed. When he told me what had happened I laughed for nearly a half hour. I just couldn't stop picturing the "Puss in Boots" attack on my own husband."
5 Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the winter of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during December 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.
Mon, Dec 1. I got up & took Kay & Gene over to church to Seminary. Came home & got Kids off to school. We went to Nampa & got Ivards check & paid bills & went to a guys house & ordered some watches at half price for Xmas. I laid down at 9: had to go back to work tonight at 11:
Tues, Dec 2. I came home from work and went to bed & Ivard got me up at 11: & Jackie and I went to relief society work day. had good dinner and candy demonstration & I finished my pillow slips for bizzar.
Wed, Dec 3. I came home from work & ate & we went to Adrian. Came home & went to bed at 10: Got up at 2:30. I made spagetti for supper and went to Adrian & got Kids from Primary, had to waite nearly an hr., they ran out of gas. got Kay from ball practice.
Thurs, Dec 4. I came home from work & we went to Caldwell and paid gas & laid away some Xmas presents. Came home at noon & washed some clothes & went to bed. Ivard tended Jackie. I got up at 4: & made 2 pumpkin pies for Ivard, Kay & Gene to take to foot ball banquet. I made 2 lemon pies and Ray fixed supper & I had a piece of pie & went to bed until time to go to work.
Fri, Dec 5. I came home from work & made jellow for relief society banquet & went to bed. At 5:45 Ray, Dean Dale & I went over to church to banquet & bizzar. I had charge of corn, heating & serving it. had a good turkey supper. I bought a couple of rugs, 2 dresses for Jackie a apron & pillow cases.
Sat, Dec 6. Ivard cut Kids hair and Gene plowed his corn field below dike ditch. Ray scrubbed & cleaned house & got dinner. Kay went over to school to play practice & cop gave him a ticket for no adult driver with him. Ray & I went to Parma & paid phone & Ray did his Xmas shopping.
Sun, Dec 7. I came home from work & went to bed. Kay - Gene, Dean & Dale & went to Nyssa to Stake Conference. Ray stayed home & tended Jackie & had dinner ready when they got home.
Mon, Dec 1. I got up & took Kay & Gene over to church to Seminary. Came home & got Kids off to school. We went to Nampa & got Ivards check & paid bills & went to a guys house & ordered some watches at half price for Xmas. I laid down at 9: had to go back to work tonight at 11:
Tues, Dec 2. I came home from work and went to bed & Ivard got me up at 11: & Jackie and I went to relief society work day. had good dinner and candy demonstration & I finished my pillow slips for bizzar.
Wed, Dec 3. I came home from work & ate & we went to Adrian. Came home & went to bed at 10: Got up at 2:30. I made spagetti for supper and went to Adrian & got Kids from Primary, had to waite nearly an hr., they ran out of gas. got Kay from ball practice.
Thurs, Dec 4. I came home from work & we went to Caldwell and paid gas & laid away some Xmas presents. Came home at noon & washed some clothes & went to bed. Ivard tended Jackie. I got up at 4: & made 2 pumpkin pies for Ivard, Kay & Gene to take to foot ball banquet. I made 2 lemon pies and Ray fixed supper & I had a piece of pie & went to bed until time to go to work.
Fri, Dec 5. I came home from work & made jellow for relief society banquet & went to bed. At 5:45 Ray, Dean Dale & I went over to church to banquet & bizzar. I had charge of corn, heating & serving it. had a good turkey supper. I bought a couple of rugs, 2 dresses for Jackie a apron & pillow cases.
Sat, Dec 6. Ivard cut Kids hair and Gene plowed his corn field below dike ditch. Ray scrubbed & cleaned house & got dinner. Kay went over to school to play practice & cop gave him a ticket for no adult driver with him. Ray & I went to Parma & paid phone & Ray did his Xmas shopping.
Sun, Dec 7. I came home from work & went to bed. Kay - Gene, Dean & Dale & went to Nyssa to Stake Conference. Ray stayed home & tended Jackie & had dinner ready when they got home.
6 What in the world
Temple open house
The public open house for the new Draper Utah Temple—the 12th temple in Utah—will run from Thursday, January 15, through Saturday, March 14. Reservations for tours of the temple can be made by the general public beginning today, December 1, after 10:00 a.m. by going to www.lds.org/reservations (a maximum of ten reservations) or by calling 1-800-537-6181 or locally 801-240-7932.
Following the open house, the temple will be dedicated in 12 sessions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 20-22. It will be the 129th operating temple in the world.
Jackie and Jared, when they were here visiting in October, and I drove around the temple site. The grounds had already been landscaped. The temple is located on a mountainside in the extreme southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley and can easily be seen from the freeway at the south end of the valley.
The public open house for the new Draper Utah Temple—the 12th temple in Utah—will run from Thursday, January 15, through Saturday, March 14. Reservations for tours of the temple can be made by the general public beginning today, December 1, after 10:00 a.m. by going to www.lds.org/reservations (a maximum of ten reservations) or by calling 1-800-537-6181 or locally 801-240-7932.
Following the open house, the temple will be dedicated in 12 sessions on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 20-22. It will be the 129th operating temple in the world.
Jackie and Jared, when they were here visiting in October, and I drove around the temple site. The grounds had already been landscaped. The temple is located on a mountainside in the extreme southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley and can easily be seen from the freeway at the south end of the valley.
7 A final word
We live in a crazy world. There is worldwide crisis in the financial markets. People are starting to lose their jobs. Many people still fear how the political future of our own country will unfold when Barack Obama assumes the presidency in January. There is a full-scale cultural war raging that seeks to redefine Christian morals and values that are the bedrock on which our country was founded. There has been a stunning outpouring of intolerance and hatred (in at least California and Utah) in reaction to the passage of Proposition 8 in California. I could go on and on. As Mom used to say, and she has been gone for more than 25 years, these are the last days after all.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of teaching a priesthood lesson from the Joseph Smith manual on “The Second Coming and the Millennium.” It was a marvelous lesson, and the Spirit of the Lord was abundantly present. And so I share a thought or two from that lesson that may bear on the situation in which we find ourselves.
A passage in the Book of Mormon gives us the clearest, most succinct explanation in all the scriptures of why the Lord gives us signs of the times. Samuel the Lamanite was prophesying of the first coming of the Savior. In a situation remarkably similar to our own, since we live just before the second coming of the Savior, he gives a reason for revealing such signs:
“And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
“And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye might have a remission of them through his merits” (Helaman 14:12–13; emphasis added).
And so our clear safety lies in coming unto Christ by believing in Him, having faith in His name, repenting of our sins, and binding ourselves to Him by making and keeping sacred covenants.
One other thought from the lesson, one thought from among many: The Lord will not come until all things are fulfilled in preparation for His coming. “It is not the design of the Almighty,” Joseph taught in 1843, “to come upon the earth and crush it and grind it to powder, but he will reveal it to His servants the prophets” (History of the Church, 5:336–37).
The lesson for us? Keep our eye on the Prophet. Listen to and do what President Monson tells us to do. He will bear witness of Christ and will teach us the things we need to know and do to stay safely bound to the Savior. That will be our only sure pathway to safety.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of teaching a priesthood lesson from the Joseph Smith manual on “The Second Coming and the Millennium.” It was a marvelous lesson, and the Spirit of the Lord was abundantly present. And so I share a thought or two from that lesson that may bear on the situation in which we find ourselves.
A passage in the Book of Mormon gives us the clearest, most succinct explanation in all the scriptures of why the Lord gives us signs of the times. Samuel the Lamanite was prophesying of the first coming of the Savior. In a situation remarkably similar to our own, since we live just before the second coming of the Savior, he gives a reason for revealing such signs:
“And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
“And if ye believe on his name ye will repent of all your sins, that thereby ye might have a remission of them through his merits” (Helaman 14:12–13; emphasis added).
And so our clear safety lies in coming unto Christ by believing in Him, having faith in His name, repenting of our sins, and binding ourselves to Him by making and keeping sacred covenants.
One other thought from the lesson, one thought from among many: The Lord will not come until all things are fulfilled in preparation for His coming. “It is not the design of the Almighty,” Joseph taught in 1843, “to come upon the earth and crush it and grind it to powder, but he will reveal it to His servants the prophets” (History of the Church, 5:336–37).
The lesson for us? Keep our eye on the Prophet. Listen to and do what President Monson tells us to do. He will bear witness of Christ and will teach us the things we need to know and do to stay safely bound to the Savior. That will be our only sure pathway to safety.
Monday, November 24, 2008
1 The first Thanksgiving
Kay's grandson Easton (Chad and Nicolle Higley's son) holding a turkeyWe traditionally think of the first Thanksgiving being celebrated by the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Plantation (in what is now Massachusetts) in 1621. There is historical evidence, however, that a thanksgiving mass was held as early as 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida, and a thanksgiving feast as early as 1619 in the Virginia colony.
The following foods were likely on the Pilgrims' 1621 menu, according to Kathleen Curtin, food historian at Plymouth Plantation:
Seafood: Cod, eel, clams, lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, eagles
Meat: Venison, seal
Grain: Wheat flour, Indian corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, peas, beans, onions, lettuce, radishes, carrots
Fruit: Plums, grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, chestnuts, acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive oil, liverwort, leeks, dried currants, parsnips
Surprisingly, the following foods, all considered staples of the modern Thanksgiving meal, didn't appear on the Pilgrims's first feast table:
Ham: There is no evidence that the colonists had butchered a pig by this time, though they had brought pigs with them from England.
Sweet Potatoes/Potatoes: These were not common.
Corn on the Cob: Corn was kept dried out at this time of year.
Cranberry Sauce: The colonists had cranberries but no sugar at this time.
Pumpkin Pie: It's not a recipe that exists at this point, though the Pilgrims had recipes for stewed pumpkin.
Chicken/Eggs: We know that the colonists brought hens with them from England, but it's unknown how many they had left at this point or whether the hens were still laying.
Milk: No cows had been aboard the Mayflower, though it's possible that the colonists used goat milk to make cheese.
2 Quote of the week
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 (1917-1963)
3 This week in our family
Wed, Nov 26: Cade & Rebecca Hoff married 1994 [Dean]
Thurs, Nov 27: Thanksgiving Day
Fri, Nov 28: Melissa's birthday (Chad's wife) [Kay]
Mon, Dec 1: Next issue of newsletter
Thurs, Nov 27: Thanksgiving Day
Fri, Nov 28: Melissa's birthday (Chad's wife) [Kay]
Mon, Dec 1: Next issue of newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
Report from Peru
A report on Kay and Karen in the Peru Lima Central Mission excerpted from Karen's e-mail of Sunday, November 23
"I had baked a carrot cake and brought it into the office for Kay's birthday, which was on Saturday. The elders all sang happy birthday and then we had cake and ice cream. Four elders very quickly wiped out a half gallon of ice cream.
"Saturday the Elders invited us to go to the zoo to celebrate Kay's birthday. We really were not expecting much, but we looked forward to going. We were pleasantly surprised. The area the zoo is located on is quite large. It is one big beautiful garden. There were not a lot of animals, but the animals we saw we really enjoyed. They were mostly South American animals which we had not seen before. And, they were very active. That is something we usually do not get to see in our zoos at home. A panther (black leopard) was perched in the top of a tree. A lioness roared and roared at the crowd. Monkeys were all over the place. The South American bears were laying down, but were playfully pawing each other. Did I mention that because we are over 65 Kay and I got in free? That was a pleasant perk. . . .
"This has been an interesting week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were declared Business holidays because of APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation). We have presidents of countries from all over the Pacific world, including President Bush, Laura and one daughter. Very little traffic out was really nice. The meetings have been held in our general neighborhood. Streets are lined with police officers. Some streets . . . have gates across them preventing any traffic at all. There are frequent sirens as motorcades of the presidents with their police escorts come and go. It is interesting, but each motorcade has an ambulance at the end of it. The majority of businesses, houses and apartment buildings are flying Peruvian flags on their roof tops. We spoke with a police officer today after church and asked him when the presidents would be going home. He told us today, but that many of them are staying and will be tourists here. That is very good, but I know it causes lots of problems for the policemen. . . .
"Thanksgiving Day we will travel 45 minutes to the MTC here to eat Thanksgiving dinner with the missionaries who are there and other couples. We will also join them for Christmas dinner."
Transform to . . .
Nicolle (Kay's daughter) posted the following last Tuesday: "Today I overheard Easton talking to Gretchen. They were playing in Easton's room and I had just told Easton he needed to get dressed. A few minutes later I hear him say, 'Gretchen, now I am going to transform into Naked Guy!' I thought it was hilarious and had to write it down."
Another marathon
Our daughter Anna ran her ninth marathon on Saturday, November 22, in the Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. Without any specific training, other than the ongoing running, swimming, and biking that she does, she decided at the last minute to enter the marathon. It was a difficult course with a lot of hills over the course of the 26.2-mile race. She finished in 4 hours and 40 minutes. And she's still alive to tell the tale.
The marathons she has finished include nine races in six states:
Claudia and I and our daughter Rebecca and her husband Cade just finished a 13-week course, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, that we attended every Monday night starting late in the summer and ending last Monday night. The focus, in a fun and motivational way, was to get us doing what we should have known and been doing all along: such things as saving for a rainy day, getting out of debt, paying our tithes and offerings.
A report on Kay and Karen in the Peru Lima Central Mission excerpted from Karen's e-mail of Sunday, November 23
"I had baked a carrot cake and brought it into the office for Kay's birthday, which was on Saturday. The elders all sang happy birthday and then we had cake and ice cream. Four elders very quickly wiped out a half gallon of ice cream.
"Saturday the Elders invited us to go to the zoo to celebrate Kay's birthday. We really were not expecting much, but we looked forward to going. We were pleasantly surprised. The area the zoo is located on is quite large. It is one big beautiful garden. There were not a lot of animals, but the animals we saw we really enjoyed. They were mostly South American animals which we had not seen before. And, they were very active. That is something we usually do not get to see in our zoos at home. A panther (black leopard) was perched in the top of a tree. A lioness roared and roared at the crowd. Monkeys were all over the place. The South American bears were laying down, but were playfully pawing each other. Did I mention that because we are over 65 Kay and I got in free? That was a pleasant perk. . . .
"This has been an interesting week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday were declared Business holidays because of APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation). We have presidents of countries from all over the Pacific world, including President Bush, Laura and one daughter. Very little traffic out was really nice. The meetings have been held in our general neighborhood. Streets are lined with police officers. Some streets . . . have gates across them preventing any traffic at all. There are frequent sirens as motorcades of the presidents with their police escorts come and go. It is interesting, but each motorcade has an ambulance at the end of it. The majority of businesses, houses and apartment buildings are flying Peruvian flags on their roof tops. We spoke with a police officer today after church and asked him when the presidents would be going home. He told us today, but that many of them are staying and will be tourists here. That is very good, but I know it causes lots of problems for the policemen. . . .
"Thanksgiving Day we will travel 45 minutes to the MTC here to eat Thanksgiving dinner with the missionaries who are there and other couples. We will also join them for Christmas dinner."
Transform to . . .
Nicolle (Kay's daughter) posted the following last Tuesday: "Today I overheard Easton talking to Gretchen. They were playing in Easton's room and I had just told Easton he needed to get dressed. A few minutes later I hear him say, 'Gretchen, now I am going to transform into Naked Guy!' I thought it was hilarious and had to write it down."
Another marathon
Our daughter Anna ran her ninth marathon on Saturday, November 22, in the Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. Without any specific training, other than the ongoing running, swimming, and biking that she does, she decided at the last minute to enter the marathon. It was a difficult course with a lot of hills over the course of the 26.2-mile race. She finished in 4 hours and 40 minutes. And she's still alive to tell the tale.
The marathons she has finished include nine races in six states:
- June 22, 2002: Anchorage, Alaska
- Oct 11, 2003: Lake Tahoe, California
- Apr 24, 2004: Salt Lake City, Utah
- Oct 2, 2004: St George, Utah
- Apr 23, 2005: Salt Lake City, Utah
- Oct 1, 2005: St George, Utah
- May 19, 2007: Boise, Idaho
- May 17, 2008: Fargo, North Dakota
- Nov 22, 2008: Overton, Nevada
Claudia and I and our daughter Rebecca and her husband Cade just finished a 13-week course, Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, that we attended every Monday night starting late in the summer and ending last Monday night. The focus, in a fun and motivational way, was to get us doing what we should have known and been doing all along: such things as saving for a rainy day, getting out of debt, paying our tithes and offerings.
5 Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the fall of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during the final week of November 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.
Mon, Nov 24. I came home from work & ate a little & went to bed. I washed 2 batches of clothes & Gene got supper & we made 3 batches of cranberry relish. Kay went to play practice.
Tues, Nov 25. Dean & Dale had D.P.T. booster shot. I came home from work & helped hold Turkey while Ivard killed him then went to bed & Ivard cleaned him, dressed out 24 lbs. I got up at 1: & Jackie & I went to relief society. I picked Kids up after school & Dean & Dale had sore arms from shots, I forgot to take Jackie. Ray got supper.
Wed, Nov 26. Got letter from Jerry. We are off for next 5 days. Came home from work & Ivard helped me get stuff ready & I made 4 carrot puddings. Jackie & I went to bed & had nap then I got up & made 3 pumpkin pies & 2 shells & Gene helped me make cranberry jello salad. Kay, Gene & Ray went to Mutual, Rays class went swimming.
Thurs, Nov 27. I got up at 7: & put Turkey on & made waffles for breakfast. At noon Ivard, Kay, & Gene went to Boise to B.J.C. Tyler Texas foot ball game. I spent all day copying my story to mail True Experience $15,000 contest. I made dressing, candied yams, & gravey. We ate at 5:30. Gene did chores and Bob & Fran came and took Kay & Claudia over to Stake dance. I went to bed early. I was tired from writeing all day.
Fri, Nov 28. Kay went over to school to senior breakfast & play practice & Ivard and Gene went up & fixed tractor tire. I took Ray selling cards, he sold all but 2 boxes.
Sat, Nov 29. Got letter from Jerry. Tom give Gene $28. for chores & I took him to town & he did all his Xmas shopping. We came home at dark & Ray had house cleaned. Ray & Gene did chores & Ray did dishes. Kay went ward teaching.
Sun, Nov 30. Ivard came home from work & went to bed. Kids all went to sunday school, priesthood & fast meeting. Had to wake Ivard up to help get cows in. Had dinner read when Kids got home at 2: & we ate & Ivard left for work at 3: I wrote all afternoon, 6 letters & got diary up. My last night off.
Mon, Nov 24. I came home from work & ate a little & went to bed. I washed 2 batches of clothes & Gene got supper & we made 3 batches of cranberry relish. Kay went to play practice.
Tues, Nov 25. Dean & Dale had D.P.T. booster shot. I came home from work & helped hold Turkey while Ivard killed him then went to bed & Ivard cleaned him, dressed out 24 lbs. I got up at 1: & Jackie & I went to relief society. I picked Kids up after school & Dean & Dale had sore arms from shots, I forgot to take Jackie. Ray got supper.
Wed, Nov 26. Got letter from Jerry. We are off for next 5 days. Came home from work & Ivard helped me get stuff ready & I made 4 carrot puddings. Jackie & I went to bed & had nap then I got up & made 3 pumpkin pies & 2 shells & Gene helped me make cranberry jello salad. Kay, Gene & Ray went to Mutual, Rays class went swimming.
Thurs, Nov 27. I got up at 7: & put Turkey on & made waffles for breakfast. At noon Ivard, Kay, & Gene went to Boise to B.J.C. Tyler Texas foot ball game. I spent all day copying my story to mail True Experience $15,000 contest. I made dressing, candied yams, & gravey. We ate at 5:30. Gene did chores and Bob & Fran came and took Kay & Claudia over to Stake dance. I went to bed early. I was tired from writeing all day.
Fri, Nov 28. Kay went over to school to senior breakfast & play practice & Ivard and Gene went up & fixed tractor tire. I took Ray selling cards, he sold all but 2 boxes.
Sat, Nov 29. Got letter from Jerry. Tom give Gene $28. for chores & I took him to town & he did all his Xmas shopping. We came home at dark & Ray had house cleaned. Ray & Gene did chores & Ray did dishes. Kay went ward teaching.
Sun, Nov 30. Ivard came home from work & went to bed. Kids all went to sunday school, priesthood & fast meeting. Had to wake Ivard up to help get cows in. Had dinner read when Kids got home at 2: & we ate & Ivard left for work at 3: I wrote all afternoon, 6 letters & got diary up. My last night off.
6 What in the world
Temple dedication
President Thomas S. Monson rededicated the Mexico City Temple on Sunday, November 16. The temple, originally dedicated 25 years ago, had been closed for major refurbishing and repair during the past 18 months. It is the largest and oldest of the 12 temples in Mexico.
No Christmas bonus this year The Wall Street Journal recently reported that top executives at Goldman Sachs had agreed because of tough economic times to forgo their normal year-end bonuses this year. Instead, the poor fellows will have to make do on their base salaries of $600,000. Are these people from the same planet the rest of us are?
Utah beats BYU
The annual red and blue rivalry played out Saturday afternoon in Ute Stadium with undefeated Utah beating BYU 48-24. And as much as we Cougar fans would have loved to have seen a BYU win, many of the BYU fans that I have talked to are actually glad that Utah maintained its undefeated record and will be in one of the BCS bowls during the holidays. Way to go, Utes!
[Picture by Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News]
And the season finals
- Utah ended up 12-0 for the season (6th in BCS standings, 7th and 8th in other polls)
- Boise State ended up 11-0 for the season (9th in all the polls)
- BYU ended up 10-2 for the season (18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st in the various polls)
President Thomas S. Monson rededicated the Mexico City Temple on Sunday, November 16. The temple, originally dedicated 25 years ago, had been closed for major refurbishing and repair during the past 18 months. It is the largest and oldest of the 12 temples in Mexico.
No Christmas bonus this year The Wall Street Journal recently reported that top executives at Goldman Sachs had agreed because of tough economic times to forgo their normal year-end bonuses this year. Instead, the poor fellows will have to make do on their base salaries of $600,000. Are these people from the same planet the rest of us are?
Utah beats BYU
The annual red and blue rivalry played out Saturday afternoon in Ute Stadium with undefeated Utah beating BYU 48-24. And as much as we Cougar fans would have loved to have seen a BYU win, many of the BYU fans that I have talked to are actually glad that Utah maintained its undefeated record and will be in one of the BCS bowls during the holidays. Way to go, Utes!
[Picture by Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News]And the season finals
- Utah ended up 12-0 for the season (6th in BCS standings, 7th and 8th in other polls)
- Boise State ended up 11-0 for the season (9th in all the polls)
- BYU ended up 10-2 for the season (18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st in the various polls)
7 A final word
How easy it is in times of ease and prosperity to forget the Giver of all good things in our lives.
The Lord warns us: "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments" (D&C 59:21).
Abraham Lincoln said essentially the same thing in these words: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.
"It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our . . . sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness" (Abraham Lincoln, Man of God, John Wesley Hill, 391).
Though written nearly a century and a half ago, these words fit our situation today as much or more so than they did in 1863. Let us be grateful. Let us keep His commandments. Let us, as the ancient prophet urged, "live in thanksgiving daily" (Alma 24:38), not just at Thanksgiving time but every day of our lives.
The Lord warns us: "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments" (D&C 59:21).
Abraham Lincoln said essentially the same thing in these words: "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and power as no other Nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.
"It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our . . . sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness" (Abraham Lincoln, Man of God, John Wesley Hill, 391).
Though written nearly a century and a half ago, these words fit our situation today as much or more so than they did in 1863. Let us be grateful. Let us keep His commandments. Let us, as the ancient prophet urged, "live in thanksgiving daily" (Alma 24:38), not just at Thanksgiving time but every day of our lives.
Monday, November 17, 2008
1 Images of autumn
This first image, showing red berries, was posted by Kira (Dale and LeAnn's family) on September 11.
This picture was taken by Rachael Hodson (our daughter in Malad) and posted on November 5.
Apples harvested off the tree in our front yard, the picture taken by our daughter Mary Oveson and posted on September 11.
An astonished two-year-old Peter Challis reacting to what the inside of a pumpkin looks like. The picture was posted by our son-in-law Paul in Georgia on November 1.
This picture was taken by Rachael Hodson (our daughter in Malad) and posted on November 5.
Apples harvested off the tree in our front yard, the picture taken by our daughter Mary Oveson and posted on September 11.
An astonished two-year-old Peter Challis reacting to what the inside of a pumpkin looks like. The picture was posted by our son-in-law Paul in Georgia on November 1.
2 Quote of the week
"Let us make our homes sanctuaries of righteousness, places of prayer, and abodes of love that we might merit the blessings that can come only from our Heavenly Father. We need His guidance in our daily lives" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 2008, 61).
3 This week in our family
Thurs, Nov 20: Ivard died 1988
Fri, Nov 21: Clifford Rankin's birthday [Gail]
Sat, Nov 22: Dean & Claudia married 1972
Sat, Nov 22: Keisha's birthday [Dale]
Mon, Nov 24: Next issue of newsletter
Fri, Nov 21: Clifford Rankin's birthday [Gail]
Sat, Nov 22: Dean & Claudia married 1972
Sat, Nov 22: Keisha's birthday [Dale]
Mon, Nov 24: Next issue of newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
An old friend of Jerry's
I talked on the phone this past week with Jerry in Boise. I was calling to tell him that I had received an e-mail from Keith Farr, who was one of Jerry's best friends in high school back in the 1950s in Adrian. He had found the Cleverly Newsletter online and said he remembered the old farmhouse well (the picture of which we post each week with Dorothy's Diary). Keith lives somewhere in northern California. I was calling Jerry to see if it was okay with him to give Keith his address and phone number, which Jerry said it was.
Happy birthday, Kay
On Saturday Nicolle posted this picture of Kay, shown with a couple of his grandchildren, in honor of his birthday. It was taken a month or so before Kay and Karen began their mission to Peru.
Any mail to Kay and Karen should be sent to the mission home at this address:
Elder and Sister Cleverly
Perú Lima Central Misión
Av. Jorge Basadre 592 Of. 604 "B"
San Isidro
Lima 27 Perú
Quick trip to Idaho
Claudia and I drove to Malad yesterday afternoon, as soon as Claudia finished teaching her Gospel Doctrine lesson in our ward. We made the hour-and-a-half trip to watch two of our granddaughters, Claudia Sue and Esther, in their ward's Primary sacrament meeting program. Afterward we enjoyed a treat of pie and ice cream back at Robert and Rachael's house before heading back down the road to Bountiful.
I talked on the phone this past week with Jerry in Boise. I was calling to tell him that I had received an e-mail from Keith Farr, who was one of Jerry's best friends in high school back in the 1950s in Adrian. He had found the Cleverly Newsletter online and said he remembered the old farmhouse well (the picture of which we post each week with Dorothy's Diary). Keith lives somewhere in northern California. I was calling Jerry to see if it was okay with him to give Keith his address and phone number, which Jerry said it was.
Happy birthday, Kay
On Saturday Nicolle posted this picture of Kay, shown with a couple of his grandchildren, in honor of his birthday. It was taken a month or so before Kay and Karen began their mission to Peru.
Any mail to Kay and Karen should be sent to the mission home at this address:
Elder and Sister Cleverly
Perú Lima Central Misión
Av. Jorge Basadre 592 Of. 604 "B"
San Isidro
Lima 27 Perú
Quick trip to Idaho
Claudia and I drove to Malad yesterday afternoon, as soon as Claudia finished teaching her Gospel Doctrine lesson in our ward. We made the hour-and-a-half trip to watch two of our granddaughters, Claudia Sue and Esther, in their ward's Primary sacrament meeting program. Afterward we enjoyed a treat of pie and ice cream back at Robert and Rachael's house before heading back down the road to Bountiful.
5 Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the fall of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during November 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon. Lyle and Barbara were in Sacramento, California. Gail and Lynda were in Centerville, Utah. Jerry was on a mission in Canada.
Mon, Nov 17. Got letter from Jerry. I got up & took Kay & Gene to Seminary. Came home & little Kids missed bus & I had to take them to Adrian. I wrote letters until noon. I worked on my relief society lesson for tomorrow.
Tues, Nov 18. I came home from work & went to bed & Ivard & Jackie went to Nyssa to have President Child sign Temple recomend. I got up at 1: & I went to relief society. I gave my Lesson today. got Kids at school & came home & Ray, Jackie & I went selling cards.
Wed, Nov 19. Ivard tended Jackie all day. I fixed Ivard something to eat & he went to work & Jackie & I got ready & went over to Primary to Dales class party. Gail called & said I'd be a Grandma in April. Kay, Gene & Ray went to Mutual.
Thurs, Nov 20. Ivard left for Idaho Falls Temple for 2 days at 6: A.M. Dean stayed home with Jackie today & cleaned up house.
Fri, Nov 21. Ivard did 5 sessions. I spent until 1: writeing my story for True Story Contest then Jackie & I went to bed until Kids came from school. I went to bed until time to go to work & Ivard came just as I got up so I drove to work. going to Idaho Falls there was a pick up followed them for miles, right behind them & they hit a patch of fog & when they came out the pick up didn't. a train hit it & killed both guys & Ivard never even heard or saw it.
Sat, Nov 22. sure foggy comeing home from work & I was so cold. I got up at noon & Dale & I went to Nyssa & got Thanksgiving groc, a lot of good bargains we had 2 nickle hot dogs apiece. Gene did chores & Kay took him to Adrian to a class party & Kay went to Ontario to show with Puch & Gene drove car home alone.
Sun, Nov 23. Ivard & all the Kids went to priesthood & sunday school. I got up & fixed dinner, had strawberry short cake for desert.
Mon, Nov 17. Got letter from Jerry. I got up & took Kay & Gene to Seminary. Came home & little Kids missed bus & I had to take them to Adrian. I wrote letters until noon. I worked on my relief society lesson for tomorrow.
Tues, Nov 18. I came home from work & went to bed & Ivard & Jackie went to Nyssa to have President Child sign Temple recomend. I got up at 1: & I went to relief society. I gave my Lesson today. got Kids at school & came home & Ray, Jackie & I went selling cards.
Wed, Nov 19. Ivard tended Jackie all day. I fixed Ivard something to eat & he went to work & Jackie & I got ready & went over to Primary to Dales class party. Gail called & said I'd be a Grandma in April. Kay, Gene & Ray went to Mutual.
Thurs, Nov 20. Ivard left for Idaho Falls Temple for 2 days at 6: A.M. Dean stayed home with Jackie today & cleaned up house.
Fri, Nov 21. Ivard did 5 sessions. I spent until 1: writeing my story for True Story Contest then Jackie & I went to bed until Kids came from school. I went to bed until time to go to work & Ivard came just as I got up so I drove to work. going to Idaho Falls there was a pick up followed them for miles, right behind them & they hit a patch of fog & when they came out the pick up didn't. a train hit it & killed both guys & Ivard never even heard or saw it.
Sat, Nov 22. sure foggy comeing home from work & I was so cold. I got up at noon & Dale & I went to Nyssa & got Thanksgiving groc, a lot of good bargains we had 2 nickle hot dogs apiece. Gene did chores & Kay took him to Adrian to a class party & Kay went to Ontario to show with Puch & Gene drove car home alone.
Sun, Nov 23. Ivard & all the Kids went to priesthood & sunday school. I got up & fixed dinner, had strawberry short cake for desert.
6 What in the world
First Presidency Christmas Devotional
The First Presidency Christmas Devotional will be held Sunday, December 7, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. mountain time. It will be available via audio and video streams on the Internet and will be broadcast on BYU TV and on local television stations in Utah.
This week's football
- Utah [11-0] at San Diego State (Utah won 63-14) / Ranked 7th and 8th in the various polls
- Boise State [10-0] at Idaho (BSU won 45-10) / Ranked 9th in all the polls
- BYU [10-1] at Air Force (BYU won 38-24) / Ranked 14th and 16th in the various polls
The First Presidency Christmas Devotional will be held Sunday, December 7, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. mountain time. It will be available via audio and video streams on the Internet and will be broadcast on BYU TV and on local television stations in Utah.
This week's football
- Utah [11-0] at San Diego State (Utah won 63-14) / Ranked 7th and 8th in the various polls
- Boise State [10-0] at Idaho (BSU won 45-10) / Ranked 9th in all the polls
- BYU [10-1] at Air Force (BYU won 38-24) / Ranked 14th and 16th in the various polls
7 A final word
We're definitely not in Utah anymore . . .
Some missionary thoughts posted on November 11 by our son-in-law Paul Challis, who is now a pharmacy student at Mercer University in Atlanta
One of the obvious differences in coming out to Georgia from Utah is the shift from being a part of the majority religion in the area to being thrown into a hodge-podge of many different cultures and religions.
A month or so ago I jumped out of my box for the first time out here and shared some of my religious beliefs with a few classmates on our way to a Hawks basketball game. One of my friends seemed interested in having a Book of Mormon. I went and bought a few at the Distribution Center when we went to a sealing [at the Atlanta Temple], but I still hadn't gotten around to giving it out to my friend.
The missionaries stopped by last night and followed up on our "family missionary plan" we set with them actually right before I had that experience last month. That gave me the push I needed to give out the Book of Mormon to my friend today. It was a cool experience because I usually don't sit by him very much in class, and I was pretty early today so I was one of the first people in the room. I prepared a list of some of my favorite passages and wrote a short note and said a prayer that I would have a good opportunity to give it to him. Guess who came in and sat right by me?
I don't know how serious about the church he will be, but I really hope that he reads it and is touched by the Spirit. I don't know him very well, but he seems to be a humble guy who believes in the Savior. I think it is just amazing how much Heavenly Father loves His children, I mean it obviously wasn't a coincidence that he sat by me today. It gave me a spiritual boost and I hope I can continue to try spread the good word.
I actually didn't have to wait long for another opportunity. I was sitting by another classmate eating lunch and these two representatives of a non-denominational church came up and started talking to us about our beliefs. So I had an opportunity again to share some of my beliefs with them and my classmate who was talking to me at the time. They were the type who were somewhat argumentative and were trying to tear down my beliefs and stuff.
I actually saw them again later and talked to them about what they believed happened after we die. I explained that we believe in eternal marriage and eternal families and they proceeded to tell me that based on a scripture in Matthew 22:30, which says, For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven; we can't be married in heaven.
They failed to actually read the context of the scripture which is the situation in which the Sadducees asked Jesus if a man who married passed away and his brother married her, he died so the next brother married and same pattern continued all the way down to the 7th brother who would then be married in the Resurrection. Verse 29 says: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
So basically they can't all be married to her and the marriages were all temporal marriages, none were sealed by the power of God. It really bugs me that people take passages out of context to "prove us wrong" when it is just so way off. It brought back a few memories of similar situations from my mission. It is sad to see someone so diligent, but yet so way off. I got his phone number so I could maybe talk to him later, I'm not sure if it will go anywhere, but you never know.
This has gone on long enough, but I will end by just expressing my gratitude for belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that my family is eternal because my marriage was performed by the priesthood of God. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can become worthy to return to God's presence and with my family partake in exaltation. I am not mighty in stature, nor in word, but I do have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I am doing my best to prove it.
Some missionary thoughts posted on November 11 by our son-in-law Paul Challis, who is now a pharmacy student at Mercer University in Atlanta
One of the obvious differences in coming out to Georgia from Utah is the shift from being a part of the majority religion in the area to being thrown into a hodge-podge of many different cultures and religions.
A month or so ago I jumped out of my box for the first time out here and shared some of my religious beliefs with a few classmates on our way to a Hawks basketball game. One of my friends seemed interested in having a Book of Mormon. I went and bought a few at the Distribution Center when we went to a sealing [at the Atlanta Temple], but I still hadn't gotten around to giving it out to my friend.
The missionaries stopped by last night and followed up on our "family missionary plan" we set with them actually right before I had that experience last month. That gave me the push I needed to give out the Book of Mormon to my friend today. It was a cool experience because I usually don't sit by him very much in class, and I was pretty early today so I was one of the first people in the room. I prepared a list of some of my favorite passages and wrote a short note and said a prayer that I would have a good opportunity to give it to him. Guess who came in and sat right by me?
I don't know how serious about the church he will be, but I really hope that he reads it and is touched by the Spirit. I don't know him very well, but he seems to be a humble guy who believes in the Savior. I think it is just amazing how much Heavenly Father loves His children, I mean it obviously wasn't a coincidence that he sat by me today. It gave me a spiritual boost and I hope I can continue to try spread the good word.
I actually didn't have to wait long for another opportunity. I was sitting by another classmate eating lunch and these two representatives of a non-denominational church came up and started talking to us about our beliefs. So I had an opportunity again to share some of my beliefs with them and my classmate who was talking to me at the time. They were the type who were somewhat argumentative and were trying to tear down my beliefs and stuff.
I actually saw them again later and talked to them about what they believed happened after we die. I explained that we believe in eternal marriage and eternal families and they proceeded to tell me that based on a scripture in Matthew 22:30, which says, For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven; we can't be married in heaven.
They failed to actually read the context of the scripture which is the situation in which the Sadducees asked Jesus if a man who married passed away and his brother married her, he died so the next brother married and same pattern continued all the way down to the 7th brother who would then be married in the Resurrection. Verse 29 says: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
So basically they can't all be married to her and the marriages were all temporal marriages, none were sealed by the power of God. It really bugs me that people take passages out of context to "prove us wrong" when it is just so way off. It brought back a few memories of similar situations from my mission. It is sad to see someone so diligent, but yet so way off. I got his phone number so I could maybe talk to him later, I'm not sure if it will go anywhere, but you never know.
This has gone on long enough, but I will end by just expressing my gratitude for belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know that my family is eternal because my marriage was performed by the priesthood of God. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can become worthy to return to God's presence and with my family partake in exaltation. I am not mighty in stature, nor in word, but I do have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I am doing my best to prove it.
Monday, November 10, 2008
1 What was that again?
A coworker e-mailed me the following headlines. These are not made up. They are from actual newspapers. Apparently they don't use proofreaders much anymore.
Man Kills Self before Shooting Wife and Daughter
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Panda Mating Fails;
Veterinarian Takes Over
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
War Dims Hope for Peace
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly,
It May Last Awhile
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
London Couple Slain;
Police Suspect Homicide
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
Man Struck by Lightening;
Faces Battery Charge
New Study of Obesity
Looks for Larger Test Group
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Hospitals Are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Typhoon Rips through Cemetery;
Hundreds Dead
Man Kills Self before Shooting Wife and Daughter
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Panda Mating Fails;
Veterinarian Takes Over
Miners Refuse to Work after Death
Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
War Dims Hope for Peace
If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly,
It May Last Awhile
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
London Couple Slain;
Police Suspect Homicide
Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
Man Struck by Lightening;
Faces Battery Charge
New Study of Obesity
Looks for Larger Test Group
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Hospitals Are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Typhoon Rips through Cemetery;
Hundreds Dead
2 Quote of the week
"We urge all Latter-day Saints to be prudent in their planning, to be conservative in their living, and to avoid excessive or unnecessary debt" (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 2008, 61).
3 This week in our family
Tues, Nov 11: Kay & Karen married 2006
Tues, Nov 11: Veterans Day
Sat, Nov 15: Kay's birthday
Mon, Nov 17: Next issue of newsletter
Tues, Nov 11: Veterans Day
Sat, Nov 15: Kay's birthday
Mon, Nov 17: Next issue of newsletter
4 Bits and tidbits
Pregnancy perks
Our daughter Eliza went to vote in Georgia. "Because of my large and in charge belly," she wrote, "I got to jump to the front of the line to vote! . . . After waiting in line for 45 minutes, one of the voter helper people came outside to answer questions. When he saw me, he rushed over and said that since I was pregnant I could go straight to the front of the line and then he apologized that he hadn't seen me earlier. I was surprised but happy."
Celebration!
Kate (Gail and Lynda's family) wrote on November 8: "Last month when I took Megan to her clinic appointment, her PFT (pulmonary function test) was down. During the summer when she was doing really well her FEV1 score was 72, which was really good for Megan. In October, her FEV1 score had dropped to 65, so they gave me 1 month to get her score up or they were going to check her into the hospital. When we went yesterday, I was all packed and ready for our hospital stay knowing that she was probably still down. Then we got the surprise of our lives. Megan did her first breath and the clinician yelled out and covered her mouth with her hand. She just stood there shocked for several seconds before I said, 'Are you trying to torture me or what?' She apologized and said that her score was up to 81. I almost cried. We were celebrating so loudly that the doctor in the other room trying to take dictation had to start over."
Here is what happens when . . .
Nicolle (Kay's family) wrote on November 3: "Here is what happens when you leave your 1-year-old unattended for just a few minutes. Gretchen enjoys sitting on the kitchen table. I usually try to have it cleaned off. This morning however I forgot to put the Cheerio box away. I ran downstairs to change the laundry and came back up and found this. Easton never climbed up things like Gretchen does. This is all new territory."
Let winter begin
With recent storms across northern Utah, Snowbird opened for the ski season on Friday, November 7. Our son-in-law Peter Halverson was among those who showed up for opening day.
Missionary service
A report posted yesterday from Kay and Karen in Peru: "[Saturday] morning from 8:30 am to 1:30 we went to our ward in Magdalena and had splits with some members of the ward. Karen went with Maria Elena to 8 inactive members in perhaps the largest zone of the ward. Luckily for Karen, Maria speaks some English. They spoke to someone at 7 of the homes.
"I went with Santiago a 17-year-old priest, to the furthest part of the ward to 22 homes. We found that several of the people had moved and perhaps aren't inactive after all. Several said that they would come to church, though we didn't see any of them today. We even talked to a neighbor of one of the sisters we were looking for that said she would like to know more about our church and would love to have the lessons. Today we turned her name over to the elders working in that area to go teach her."
Our daughter Eliza went to vote in Georgia. "Because of my large and in charge belly," she wrote, "I got to jump to the front of the line to vote! . . . After waiting in line for 45 minutes, one of the voter helper people came outside to answer questions. When he saw me, he rushed over and said that since I was pregnant I could go straight to the front of the line and then he apologized that he hadn't seen me earlier. I was surprised but happy."
Celebration!
Kate (Gail and Lynda's family) wrote on November 8: "Last month when I took Megan to her clinic appointment, her PFT (pulmonary function test) was down. During the summer when she was doing really well her FEV1 score was 72, which was really good for Megan. In October, her FEV1 score had dropped to 65, so they gave me 1 month to get her score up or they were going to check her into the hospital. When we went yesterday, I was all packed and ready for our hospital stay knowing that she was probably still down. Then we got the surprise of our lives. Megan did her first breath and the clinician yelled out and covered her mouth with her hand. She just stood there shocked for several seconds before I said, 'Are you trying to torture me or what?' She apologized and said that her score was up to 81. I almost cried. We were celebrating so loudly that the doctor in the other room trying to take dictation had to start over."
Here is what happens when . . .
Nicolle (Kay's family) wrote on November 3: "Here is what happens when you leave your 1-year-old unattended for just a few minutes. Gretchen enjoys sitting on the kitchen table. I usually try to have it cleaned off. This morning however I forgot to put the Cheerio box away. I ran downstairs to change the laundry and came back up and found this. Easton never climbed up things like Gretchen does. This is all new territory."
Let winter begin
With recent storms across northern Utah, Snowbird opened for the ski season on Friday, November 7. Our son-in-law Peter Halverson was among those who showed up for opening day.
Missionary service
A report posted yesterday from Kay and Karen in Peru: "[Saturday] morning from 8:30 am to 1:30 we went to our ward in Magdalena and had splits with some members of the ward. Karen went with Maria Elena to 8 inactive members in perhaps the largest zone of the ward. Luckily for Karen, Maria speaks some English. They spoke to someone at 7 of the homes.
"I went with Santiago a 17-year-old priest, to the furthest part of the ward to 22 homes. We found that several of the people had moved and perhaps aren't inactive after all. Several said that they would come to church, though we didn't see any of them today. We even talked to a neighbor of one of the sisters we were looking for that said she would like to know more about our church and would love to have the lessons. Today we turned her name over to the elders working in that area to go teach her."
5 Our family 50 years ago
Our family 50 years ago
What our family was up to during the fall of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during November 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.
Mon, Nov 10. I came home from work & Ray was home with baby. When Ivard got chores done we took Ray to school & went to Vale & paid all our taxes & back taxes then we went to Ontario & got licence for Pick-up. Came home at 11:30 & went to bed. When bus came Kay & Gene went out & burned weeds & Ray & I fixed supper. Gene & Kay went to P.T.S.A.
Tues, Nov 11. I came home from work half froze. Kids didn't have to go to school. I went to bed. Ivard, Kay, & Gene went over & picked Duaines corn. Ivard & Kay came home at 2: & Ivard went to work & Kay went to Homedale bowling with Pete. Ray got me up at 12:30 & I went to relief society work day.
Wed, Nov 12. I came home from work so cold. I ate & went to bed & Ivard & Jackie went with me to get me warm. I woke up at 1:30 & Jackie was asleep. I got up at 3: & washed 2 batches of clothes and put supper on, we had stuffed peppers out of locker. Gene went & did Toms chores then we ate & he did ours. Kay went to Mutual & their class went to show so Gene & Ray didn't go to Mutual.
Thurs, Nov 13. It started to rain at 6:45 A.M & rained hard until we got home from work. rained on & off all day. Made barbacue & fruit cocktail for supper.
Fri, Nov 14. I came home from work & went to bed and just got to sleep & Ivard let Jackie wake me up so I got up and we went to Nampa & got Ivards check & paid pick up then went to Caldwell & got groc. & we went to bank & got Kay some birthday presents. It was 4: when we got home from town so I fixed shrimp salad, cottage cheese & stuff & strawberry short cake and we ate right after Kids got home and I went to bed until time to go to work.
Sat, Nov 15. Kay was 17 ys. Kay got B. card from Jerry & Dale a post card. I came home from work froze half to death & went to bed awhile with Ivard & got warm. Ray got floors scrubbed & work done up and fixed Kays birthday dinner & frosted him a cake (angle food) I bought. We had spagetti & baked squash & frozen peas & cake & sherbet. We ate at 2: Kay got pr. pajamas, black orlon sweater shirt, Shave lotion, & tooth powder & cherry choclates. My night off Kay took car & took Claudia to show at Caldwell.
Sun, Nov 16. We all went to priesthood & sunday school. Ivard got a recomend after to go to temple on his days off. Kay got one to get a patrical blessing. My night off.
What our family was up to during the fall of 1958, based on entries in Dorothy's Diary during November 1958. The full text of her diary can be found online and is updated daily, exactly 50 years to the day after it was originally written. The family at the time lived on an 80-acre farm in the Big Bend area of eastern Oregon.
Mon, Nov 10. I came home from work & Ray was home with baby. When Ivard got chores done we took Ray to school & went to Vale & paid all our taxes & back taxes then we went to Ontario & got licence for Pick-up. Came home at 11:30 & went to bed. When bus came Kay & Gene went out & burned weeds & Ray & I fixed supper. Gene & Kay went to P.T.S.A.
Tues, Nov 11. I came home from work half froze. Kids didn't have to go to school. I went to bed. Ivard, Kay, & Gene went over & picked Duaines corn. Ivard & Kay came home at 2: & Ivard went to work & Kay went to Homedale bowling with Pete. Ray got me up at 12:30 & I went to relief society work day.
Wed, Nov 12. I came home from work so cold. I ate & went to bed & Ivard & Jackie went with me to get me warm. I woke up at 1:30 & Jackie was asleep. I got up at 3: & washed 2 batches of clothes and put supper on, we had stuffed peppers out of locker. Gene went & did Toms chores then we ate & he did ours. Kay went to Mutual & their class went to show so Gene & Ray didn't go to Mutual.
Thurs, Nov 13. It started to rain at 6:45 A.M & rained hard until we got home from work. rained on & off all day. Made barbacue & fruit cocktail for supper.
Fri, Nov 14. I came home from work & went to bed and just got to sleep & Ivard let Jackie wake me up so I got up and we went to Nampa & got Ivards check & paid pick up then went to Caldwell & got groc. & we went to bank & got Kay some birthday presents. It was 4: when we got home from town so I fixed shrimp salad, cottage cheese & stuff & strawberry short cake and we ate right after Kids got home and I went to bed until time to go to work.
Sat, Nov 15. Kay was 17 ys. Kay got B. card from Jerry & Dale a post card. I came home from work froze half to death & went to bed awhile with Ivard & got warm. Ray got floors scrubbed & work done up and fixed Kays birthday dinner & frosted him a cake (angle food) I bought. We had spagetti & baked squash & frozen peas & cake & sherbet. We ate at 2: Kay got pr. pajamas, black orlon sweater shirt, Shave lotion, & tooth powder & cherry choclates. My night off Kay took car & took Claudia to show at Caldwell.
Sun, Nov 16. We all went to priesthood & sunday school. Ivard got a recomend after to go to temple on his days off. Kay got one to get a patrical blessing. My night off.
6 What in the world
A historic presidential moment
Last Tuesday, following high voter turnout across the country, Americans elected Barack Obama as their 44th President. He is the first African American to be elected to that office. We've come a long way from the days of the Civil War and Reconstruction and Segregation and the Civil Rights Movement.
Election results by the numbers:
- Electoral college: 364 for Obama, 163 for McCain, 11 undecided
- States: 28 for Obama, 21 for McCain, 1 undecided
- Popular vote: 64,538,980 for Obama, 56,802,609 for McCain
- Percentage of vote: 53% for Obama, 46% for McCain
The new Congress
With a couple races yet to be decided, Congress by the numbers:
- Senate: 57 Democrats, 40 Republicans
- House of Representatives: 255 Democrats, 174 Republicans
Traditional marriage reaffirmed
Proposition 8, which added to the California constitution a provision that marriage is only between a man and a woman, was approved by California voters. Similar measures also passed in Arizona and Florida. Opponents of the proposition in California vow to fight the measure in the courts and in any other way they can devise, including public demonstrations and other disruptions.
Interestingly, the only places same-sex marriage had become legal in this country resulted from court decisions, not from the action of either voters or through them their legislators. When actual people have a say in the matter, traditional norms are upheld.
And this week's look at college football
- Utah beat TCU 13-10 [ranked 7th in BCS and USA Today polls, 8th in AP and ESPN polls]
- Boise State beat Utah State 49-14 [9th in all the polls]
- BYU beat San Diego State 41-12 [14th in USA Today poll, 16th in AP and ESPN polls, and 17th in BCS standings]
Last Tuesday, following high voter turnout across the country, Americans elected Barack Obama as their 44th President. He is the first African American to be elected to that office. We've come a long way from the days of the Civil War and Reconstruction and Segregation and the Civil Rights Movement.
Election results by the numbers:
- Electoral college: 364 for Obama, 163 for McCain, 11 undecided
- States: 28 for Obama, 21 for McCain, 1 undecided
- Popular vote: 64,538,980 for Obama, 56,802,609 for McCain
- Percentage of vote: 53% for Obama, 46% for McCain
The new Congress
With a couple races yet to be decided, Congress by the numbers:
- Senate: 57 Democrats, 40 Republicans
- House of Representatives: 255 Democrats, 174 Republicans
Traditional marriage reaffirmed
Proposition 8, which added to the California constitution a provision that marriage is only between a man and a woman, was approved by California voters. Similar measures also passed in Arizona and Florida. Opponents of the proposition in California vow to fight the measure in the courts and in any other way they can devise, including public demonstrations and other disruptions.
Interestingly, the only places same-sex marriage had become legal in this country resulted from court decisions, not from the action of either voters or through them their legislators. When actual people have a say in the matter, traditional norms are upheld.
And this week's look at college football
- Utah beat TCU 13-10 [ranked 7th in BCS and USA Today polls, 8th in AP and ESPN polls]
- Boise State beat Utah State 49-14 [9th in all the polls]
- BYU beat San Diego State 41-12 [14th in USA Today poll, 16th in AP and ESPN polls, and 17th in BCS standings]
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