From Pumpkin Day to Pumpkin Pie

 We chose a perfect pumpkin on Pumpkin Day for Kevin to carve.

This year we thought our jack-o-lantern's face had particular character and personality.

But here is what happens after he shines on Halloween night.

Yep, he gets mushed, cooked and bottled turning into orange goo and stuffed in

bottles to be high pressured

Then, the "gooey stuff" becomes the main ingredient in pumpkin breads and pies. 

An impressive life don't you think?

I Might Be Addicted . . .

Kevin and I spent last week on a cruise ship siteseeing in various ports of Alaska. The cruise ship, all about profits, insisted its passengers pay many hundreds of dollars for the use of their internet and phone connections. 


Since we could not connect to our own server, and we refused to pay the high price offered by the cruise line, we spent the week basically staying away from the internet. The first three days were the hardest for me, then I started to get used to it or so I thought.


We took some computer classes offered by Microsoft on board ship. It was in the class, that my carnal senses took over.  When I began to plunk on the computer keys, my fingers automatically tried to get onto the internet . The instructor caught me and I felt somewhat scolded. Not that he had told us not to, but I pretty well knew it wouldn't be allowed. 


I thought I was cured but I guess a few days wasn't long enough away from my addiction.


A friend of mine sent me this poem a while back. It didn't apply to me until now. 

The computer swallowed Grandma,

Yes, honestly it’s true!

She pressed 'control and 'enter'

And disappeared from view.

It devoured her completely,

The thought just makes me squirm.

She must have caught a virus

Or been eaten by a worm.

I've searched through the recycle bin

And files of every kind;

I've even used the Internet,

But nothing did I find.

In desperation, I asked Mr. Google

My searches to refine.

The reply from him was negative,

Not a thing was found 'online.

So, if inside your 'Inbox,'

My Grandma you should see,

Please 'Copy, Scan' and 'Paste' her,

And send her back to me.

I Love Family Home Evening

Recently I have been going through some pictures my sister, Diana and her husband scanned into their computer from slides my dad took with his camera. These pictures brought back memories of faces, places, activities and clothing we worn then.

One picture brought back a memory long forgotten. We were celebrating my sister, LoRene's third birthday. On the wall behind the table was our family home evening chart. I really did not even remember at first that we had one of those.

I believe all of my siblings and I enjoyed family home evening for the most part. We probably had it for years before my memories of it began. But I do remember that we held it on Thursday evenings after attending Primary and having dinner. The Church had not yet designated a night for it.

Just a year before this picture was taken, my parents were in a terrible car accident. Both sets of my grandparents spent some time taking care of us kids while Mom and Dad recuperated in the hospital. I remember one Thursday evening. We all wondered, "What about family home evening? Who would give us family home evening?" I mentioned to my Grandma and Grandpa Anderson that we wanted to have it. They consented to help us, and we struggled through it not really knowing what to do. Grandma and Grandpa sang a few songs with us, we said a prayer and went to bed.

It is amazing how habits can dictate our lives. If they are good habits, we are certainly ahead.

Kevin and I continued the tradition of family home evening with our children, and I hope they enjoyed it as we did. They now carry on the tradition with their children too.

In 1915 the Church came out with the following statement and promise:

"We advise and urge the inauguration of a 'home evening' throughout the Church, at which time fathers and mothers may gather their boys and girls about them in the home and teach them the word of the Lord. They may thus learn more fully the needs and requirements of their families, at the same time familiarizing themselves and their children more thoroughly with the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This home evening should be devoted to prayer, singing hymns, songs, instrumental music, scripture reading, family topics, and specific instruction on the principles of the gospel and on the ethical problems of life, as well as the duties and obligations of children to parents, the home, the Church, society, and the nation.

If the Saints obey this counsel, we promise that great blessings will result. Love at home and obedience to parents will increase. Faith will be developed in the hearts of the youth of Israel, and they will gain power to combat the evil influences and temptations which beset them."

I miss the opportunity to have family home evening with my small children, but once in a while we get invited to share the evening with them and their children. We love it!

Its A Rainy Day

Most January days in Utah are cold and snowy. But today it has rained and rained and rained some more until late in the night it got so cold it snowed on top of that. I do not remember so much rain on one day in the middle of wintertime.


When my children were small whenever it rained we loved to sing the song from Sesame Street called Its A Rainy Day. The song asks, "Why do we need the rain 
 . . . anyway?" Then it goes on the list all of the reasons we need the water which comes from the rain.


I love this song. Maybe it reminds me of when my children and I used to sing it together.


Enjoy one of my favorites!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Since I was nine years old, it has been a Christmas tradition of mine to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. My children never seemed to care for the show and my grand kids like it even less. But I am NOT daunted by them.

What could be wrong with a story about a creature who  absolutely hates everything about Christmas because of the noise surrounding an entire town on Christmas Day. The Grinch comes up with a plan of of disguising himself as Santa to steal everything representing Christmas belonging to the Whos believing it will be enough to stop the holiday from coming.

In the end, after he accomplishes his task, he notices the town still sing and celebrate Christmas. The Grinch questions, "How could it be so, it came without ribbons, it came without bows, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes or bags. Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store." Touched by this, his heart grew three sizes larger and he returned all of their gifts, food and decorations.

I can't wait to play How the Grinch Stole Christmas this year--my 45th consecutive year!

I Love Family Traditions

I love traditions which are wholesome and memorable--those which are passed down from generation to generation. I especially enjoy those which we have observed for so long and no one remembers how they started.

For many years on Halloween I made chili for dinner. When the kids got home from trick-or-treating like it or not they had to have a bowl of chili. Some of my children like chili and some would rather not partake--but we had it anyway.

Yesterday as my daughter Cassy was preparing for a Halloween night with her family, she told me she already had taco soup in her crockpot for when the kids returned from trick-or-treating. Apologetically she said, "I wanted to keep up the chili tradition, but Brayden doesn't like chili. So I decided to [tweek] it a little and make taco soup a tradition for us."

I took that as a wonderful compliment. Hopefully some our good traditions can withstand the test of time.

Mom's Crystal Goblet

I have a delicate crystal goblet which is a little chipped around its edges through years of use.  I know some of its history--at least in the last 50 years or so, but nothing of its usefulness before that.

This goblet belonged to my mother, and she gave it to me a while back. I am really glad I have it because it holds some good and bad memories for me. Good memories because it always lovingly showed up on a t.v. tray beside my bed when I was sick holding 7UP and a small straw and bad memories because of that same reason--I was sick.

The t.v. tray with the beautiful crystal did not show up just when I was sick but when all of my siblings were sick. It stayed for several days when my brothers each had their tonsils taken out and longer stints when we all came down with mumps and chicken pox in various stages of contagiousness. It was always the 7UP that was a mystery. Mom never kept it on hand, but it showed up in the goblet each time we became ill. I guess there are some things we will never understand.

For some reason I always believed that this goblet was the last of a set that my mother had received as a wedding gift--the last because I had broken the rest. But Mom said this same goblet showed up by her bedside when she was sick as a child. Maybe I should call it the "Healing Goblet."

No matter what it is called, whenever it look at it I can hear it say, "I love you."

Violins

I know very little about the violin, nor do I know how to play one, but I would certainly like to learn one day.

I do know one thing about violins--I love the sounds they produce, especially in the hands of one who loves it.

Take a moment, close your eyes and listen. I think violin music is very relaxing--maybe you will too.

Late Summer

There is a crispness in the air right now--although it is really just late summer. I wore a jacket at my bus stop at 6:45 a.m. yesterday and was really glad I did.

I spent the day with my mother and we mentioned what a wonderful temperature it was--with just a slight breeze. I commented, "I hope heaven is just like this." Mom even promised a woman we met that the weather we were experiencing would continue until Christmas. Probably not.

This time of  year I pull out my spicy candles tucked away from the previous winter.

The fragrance of the candle always brings memories of fall for me such as burning leaves, snickerdoodle cookies, pumpkin pie, autumn soup, cornbread, crisp morning air, last of summer garden vegetables, apple cider and fall flowers.

I am really going to try and enjoy this end-of-summer weather and be grateful for all that I have.

Rainbows

I have always loved rainbows. I think children do too. The colors are so stunningly beautiful.

Rainbows come and take us by surprise. Most of the time someone has to point them out to us. Some of us just shrug them off as one of the "nature things" and others look quickly then turn away.

The rainbow is a reminder of one of our Father in Heaven's blessings. The blessings we receive  are kind of like that. Sometimes someone has to point them out to us, others we never even notice and sometimes we make a quick glance and go back to life.

This rainbow was just over my house the other day. My husband called as he was driving from Provo to tell me about it. I never would have noticed!

I wonder how many blessings I never even notice. I'll try and do better.

Old Cemeteries

My husband and I enjoy traveling and seeing new sites. When we travel by car, we always end up going through many small towns. Each town is unique but there are usually some similarities.

One thing I have noticed is that most have one or several churches and connected to each church is usually an old cemetery.

Since I am a family historian, it is very hard for me to pass up an old cemetery. Of course, we don't stop at all of the cemeteries--only the ones we think we have family buried. But I still can't help being drawn to an old cemetery. Maybe some think this is creepy. But cemeteries hold many bits of information very important to family history research.

As we drive by an old church, I always hope someone locally has taken some effort and posted a picture or at least some information found on the headstones. I know when I help people at the family history library their faces always light up when they see a picture of a headstone of a loved one.

Old churches with cemeteries are on my list of favorite things.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

The vacation Kevin and I are enjoying in the northeast of the United States and Canada has been so great!

On July 24, 2011, as I sit by our pool at the bed and breakfast in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, Canada where we are staying, I can also see the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. The sun is starting to set at 6:40 p.m. and we are enjoying 72 degree weather. Sailboats, tugboats, Sea-doos, cruise ships and merchant vessels occasionally are moving across my view.

I have never had the opportunity to ride in a sailboat, but there are few things more calming to me than watching a sailboat glide over the water. I am going to add this to my favorite things list and remember this scene next winter.

I think Christopher Cross sang it best.

We May Never Pass This Way Again

Many know that I walk each morning that I can for about three miles. This gives me alot of time to think and look around at the beauties of nature.

My husband and I are taking a trip in the next little while back to Boston and up into Canada. I have dreamed about visiting Boston for many years. Many have asked me why I have had such a dream. Well, I am not sure--I guess it is because I love history so much. I am not really sure. As I was contemplating those sites we will be seeing while we are back East, I looked up at the beautiful mountains surrounding the valley in Springville, Utah in which I now live.

I almost said aloud, "What could be more beautiful than this." The magestic mountains practically in my backyard were really green but still had their snow caps. I haven't seen the Swiss Alps, but I really don't think they could be better. I turned myself 360 degrees and noted all of the beauty. Sometimes I am very ungrateful for the wonders of life that are around me each day.

In the book of Moses of the Pearl of Great Price it reads in chapter 2 verse 31, "And I, God, saw everything that I had made, and, behold, all things which I had made were very good."

I am more determined to enjoy the beauties of life all around me. Below is a song I loved years ago. I should have begun to put the lyrics to work in my life way back then.

Amazing Grace

I really like the sound of bagpipes. To me they have a very calming sound. I have always liked the hymn Amazing Grace although it is not within our LDS hymn book. Please enjoy the music to the hymn while viewing scenes of Scotland.

Fourteen Rules for Making Every Day a Great Day!

Well over ten years ago I found an article in the Parade Magazine about making our days "great."

The article listed ten things of which I have tried and found to work, but I want to add four more things that I know work too:

• Daily prayer
• Daily scripture study
• Tell someone that you love them
• Exercise

Have a great day!

The Ice Cream Truck

The other day I heard a sound I had not heard in many decades . . . an ice cream truck. These trucks are very uncommon these days, but in my neighborhood in the 1960s its inviting, tinkling sound coming up the street was more than a small child could bear.

In the summertime, Mom had us children napping every afternoon until we were older--maybe 7 or 8. It seemed that just as I was trying to nod off, I heard the slow moving ice cream truck's music coming from a long way away. My anxiety grew everytime I could tell it had stopped for a child who had purchased a special frozen treat. My mom hardly ever let me go out and buy an ice cream, but sometimes if the tooth fairy had recently come and left me a nickle, she would let me run out.

The sound of the ice cream truck brought back happy memories for me. Maybe next time I hear the musicbox-like tunes coming again, I will run out and treat myself to a cone. I am sure it will cost more than a nickle.

Russian Olive Trees

I love the smell of the Russian Olive tree whose fragrance only lasts for about one week each season. Most years I plan on its scent in late May or early June. But because of our late Spring, this year it happened on about the 12th of June.

When I first detect the fragrance of this silver-green, small-leaved Russian olive tree, I insist that my husband drive slowly through the areas they grow. He does not share my love for them but is very patient with me.

The not-so-pretty Russian olives were brought to the United States from Eurasia in the late 18th century, have few natural enemies and can survive almost anything. They grow fast, in almost any soil, and are more drought-resistant than most native trees.

They were planted often during the 1930s Dust Bowl as shelter belts. But now Russian olives have crept to the river banks and invaded irrigation canals and create other nuisances for land owners. They thrive and multiply where native plants sometimes cannot.

Once I mentioned to a group of friends that I was enjoying the smell in the air of the Russian Olive tree. Many in the blurry-eyed group almost cursed me as they recounted their extreme allergic reactions to the tree.

So . . . it appears I am in the minority as far as a love of the Russian Olive tree. This week I will enjoy in silence!

Take a Deep Breath and Walk

I love walking--as long as its not too steep or for more than about an hour and a half at a time. I have learned that walking can: 

• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)
• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce risk of or manage type 2 diabetes
• Manage weight
• Improve mood
• Help one stay strong and fit

Researchers say that brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging. Thats good since there is no way I could jog.

More than the exercise, I think I really need the sunlight. Scientists have found that ultraviolet light from sunshine can increase the risk of skin cancer and cataracts, but lower amounts of sunshine can be extremely beneficial. Sunshine helps to prevent osteoporosis and is able to convert cholesterol into vitamin D, something really important to good bone health.

This past winter and spring were really hard for me because of weather conditions I could not walk as much. I find that I am a much nicer person when I can get outside, take a deep breath of fresh air, soak in a little sunshine and move my lazy muscles.

I am wishing all of us a great summer of beautiful weather and alot of opportunities for walking!

Precious Time

Time is one of the most precious gifts Heavenly Father has given us. Last night I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't go back to sleep right away. The only things I could hear were my clocks ticking in a very unsynchronized way. It sounded strange.

Then I got nervous that I should be doing something with my time--after all it was just ticking away. Ironically, in another 24 hours I would be considered one year older--my birthday. My birthday doesn't bother me much. In fact I have considered myself a year older since my last one.

Instead of a New Year's resolution, this year I am going to make a birthday resolution to use my time very wisely--every minute worthwhile. But I am getting older and I find myself asleep in front of the television alot. That time I will never get back. Oh well, with a little extra sleep maybe I will look younger. Probably not!

Pride and Prejudice

I am not an avid reader as are my daughters. In fact I would much rather watch something while working on a sewing project. Maybe I'm just lazy or maybe it is that I feel lazy while I read. I really don't understand myself. But . . . I really enjoy reading Jane Austen's books.

If I WERE to read a lot, it would not be of fiction except for Miss Austen. My favorite is Pride and Prejudice and then Sense and Sensibility. The other books I have read at least partly but they are not as enjoyable to me.

I am not one of those who yearns to have been born in the 1800s. I appreciate modern conveniences way too much for that. Nonetheless, I cannot pass up any adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

I enjoy that the women in her books have time to spend reading, gathering garden flowers, going on lovely leisure walks, doing handwork, attending cotillions and practicing their piano forte. From what I know of my ancestors of the time, [and some of them lived in the areas written of by Jane] few would have had very much leisure time.

My husband has sat with me through alot of Austen movies and plays, and he doesn't complain. Enjoy the following clip from a BBC movie. It is one of my favorite scenes.