Pray Before Each Task

Roland gave our middle son, Tony, the nickname “Donald Duck”.  Too often Tony flies off the handle about situations he can’t control or doesn’t understand.  I told him that he needs to pray more often.  That didn’t seem to go over too well.

Prayer has been a part of my life forever.  I always had example of prayer.  My sibs and I were taught to pray.  We said individual prayers.  We said family prayers.  We prayed over the food.  We’d start family home evenings with prayer and end with prayer.  We said morning prayers.  We said prayers before we went to bed.  Before and while on vacation.  It was just something conditioned in me.  I don’t know that I ever questioned it.  Perhaps I didn’t always understand it, but I do now and have for such a long time that it’s hard to remember if/when I questioned prayer.

Oh, perhaps there were times I prayed for something specific and felt my prayers weren’t answered – at least not the way I had wanted.  So perhaps there was a time when I had the response: “I have prayed and it hasn’t done any good.”  I no longer think that.  I pray.  Sometimes it seems as though I’m doing it in vain – but that is when I need to question my part with prayer, and not the Lord’s as He is Always there and Always listening. 

Often times Roland has expressed frustration with whatever project he may be doing on the computer.  My response has always been to ask if he had prayed before starting his task.

I know that not all things run smooth or according to plan all the time.  There is the faith testing and God’s own will that often doesn’t correspond with what we think may be our own.

A specific example involves two different families from the ward where I had grown up.  Two grandmas, each with a grandchild who had a heart condition. 

From my recollection, both children were scheduled to have surgery within weeks of one another.  One baby lived and the other died.  Right now I honestly can’t remember which one.  Both families prayed diligently.  Various family members held a fast.  All of their prayers were answered – though not all experienced the same results – the results which they all wanted for the grandchild to live. 

So what makes one family different from the other?  Why would God answer the same heartfelt prayers so differently?  Why were the results not the same?  I don’t have the answer.  I just know, for me personally, that prayer adds a comfort that I had at least expressed myself.  And the more that I pray, the closer I come so that I do understand.

I realized that was one vast difference between the family Roland grew up in verses my own.  They don’t pray about anything.  They don’t even say grace over the food. It’s just so foreign to me that they don’t consider prayer – for anything.  How different their lives would be if they would kneel as a family and thank Him and ask Him for blessings.

Why would I not pray to thank my maker for all that I have?  Why would I not pray to ask for assistance from a higher being?  Why would I not pray for a miracle that can’t be mastered by humankind? Miracles can and do happen.  But we need to ask.

I thank my mom and dad for their fine example to include God in our lives and to pray before each task or major decision. 

Ester Loves Babies and Dogs

Ester doesn’t get to visit with

Bill and Kayla’s kids all

too often.

She is their second cousin

once removed on

mine and Kayla’s side. 

They are seventh cousins

on Tony and Bill’s side. 

Ester will always sit with

the adult closest to

the one holding B.J.

Ester Loves looking at

this little human who

is smaller than her

(though that’s bound to

change within the next

two to four years I think; 

Ester’s small)

Randy and Carrie have

a dog. 

They did not name him

Iron Chops,

but that is what I

call him. 

Even though he is

still a puppy,

he is three times

bigger than Ester

and oblivious at

knocking over anybody or

stepping on body parts. 

Ester likes to watch him from

a distance –

tightly secured in

someone’s lap and not

anywhere near the

same floor that

Iron Chops occupies with

his very long body.

Highness is our dog

Ester Loves him.

Highness is old

and slow

and Ester can

keep up with him.

 

Highness moves to

get away from Ester as

she follows with her

hand raised in the air

ready to pet him.

He goes under the

table and Ester follows with

no problem. 

Highness looks to each adult

waiting to be rescued from

this almost-three-year-old who

is quite tame compared to

Iron Chops who

tortures Highness far more

than Ester ever does.

At the end of the night

when Tony and Rochelle have

said their good-byes and

Ester has kissed everyone,

she bends down toward 

Highness and whispers loudly 

in his ear.

“Don’t cry,” she says. 

“Don’t cry, Highness”

She Loves Highness. 

She only tolerates

Iron Chops.  But

someday she may

love him as much or

maybe even more

than Highness. 

Right now she sees

Iron Chops as a big

scary dog. 

There is nothing

scary about Highness. 

He is a very

well -mannered dog.

Ester Loves babies and dogs

                                                                                                 kfralc

Finding Another Piece of History

I read a book a while ago and started a post about author Jennifer Armstrong.  There is such amazing passion in her writing.  Well, I’ve only read three books thus far.  But I feel the need to post something – and yet haven’t felt inspired to write.  So here is a short post that was started eight months ago, but never really finished.

The first Jennifer Armstrong book that I read was The American Story which gives a brief summery to so many who contributed to American history.  I love her passion towards history and for accuracy.

  

Currently, most of the books I read are geared to children.  Every once in a while I will try one geared to the adults, but always come back to books that are geared to the youth.  There were two Armstrong books geared to adults that I checked out from the library.  One about the Mickey Mouse Club and one about the Mary Tyler Moore television show. 

Though I had not been raised with the Mickey Mouse club or had much interest in it, I did fine “Why? Because we still like you : an oral history of the Mickey Mouse Club” by Jennifer Armstrong very informative and well written.

  

I have always LOVED the Mary Tyler Moore Show (still do) but was hugely disappointed with “Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted : and all the brilliant minds who made The Mary Tyler Moore show a classic” – for me it read like a text book.  I had a hard time becoming a part of that text.  Needless to say, I did not finish that book. But I don't imagine it would be a subject geared to children for lack of interest.

The book that I had read in May last year is titled In My Hands which I briefly mention in this post 

Irena Gutowna is a citizen of Poland before World War II.  She has a desire to become a nun but is advised to try looking into nursing first. 

She leaves her family in a free part of Poland to study nursing in a German-controlled part of Poland.  She was seventeen and had a hands on experience as she learned.

The story takes us from being captured by Russians and interegated to escape to hiding Jewish people in the house of the major she works for in the German army.

Her story fascinates me along with the several pictures displayed half-way through the book.  The fact that they were taken and survived and were retrieved.  It’s not a historical fiction as I’m used to reading.  It’s biographical.  

 I consider this biography to be an awesome treasure!

Jennifer Armstrong writes, “If I have done justice to this story, I am grateful.  If I have not, it is because I have never had to face what Irene faced.” 

I think she did tremendous justice.  I look forward to reading more books.

Come Unto Christ – Wise Men Still Seek Him

I vaguely remember reading a story about a young boy who had the honor of traveling with his father to see the Christ child – or perhaps it was that he wanted to go, but was too young to make the journey.  I don’t remember when or where I read it.  I hadn’t thought about it until yesterday when Kristen gave this years first lesson in Relief Society.  Such a beautiful lesson.  I don’t know why I had never connected the dots before.

Kristin started out her letter with a video portraying the wise men who had traveled for over two years before they reached the Christ child – who was a child and not an infant resting in a manger.  I remembered being told that “they found him in a house” but had never really considered the long journey they had made.  I had forgotten how I had read about the anticipation and excitement and the long wait.

We read from the Bible Dictionary and Matthew 2.  We looked up the words Magi and Three Kings and talked briefly about Epiphany and Three Kings Day and what each of the gifts mean. Kristin pointed out their journey with following the star to our own personal journeys in seeking out Christ and following His teachings.  I don’t remember feeling so touched and awed by a lesson such as I was yesterday.  It was awesome!

Ringing Out Wild Bells – Can We Sing MOURN?

“Ring Out Wild Bells” (found here) has got one of the most mournful tunes I have ever heard in my life.  If it isn’t the most mournful tune in the hymnbook, I would guess it’s at least in the top three. To top its already mournful tune, it is being played on the organ – which in my opinion is one of the most mournful musical instruments and so the two put together sounds like a procession to a dark funeral.

The chorister was not impressed with the lack of volume from the congregation and suggested we try again.  The brother behind me uttered, “Well then pick a different song”

Needless to say, I was in full agreement.  It wouldn’t bother me at all to have that hymn completely thrown out of the hymnbook.  But then again, I have only heard it just once a year.  For me, personally, once a decade would be plenty.

I visualized a setting as one would find in a Charles Dickens story.  It’s rainy and cold and everybody is dressed in black.  No one is smiling.  It’s the end of the world for each of them and there is no longer anything worth living for.  At least that is what I see.

The last two verses without the music don’t seem quite as mournful as the first. 

           “Ring Happy Bells Across the Snow”  Oh, yes.  Let’s do that.  Let us be happy.  There is absolutely no joy in that tune.  There are no happy bells.  There is only death – and not a pleasant one.  No pep.  No believing that the New Year will bring new hope.  It’s over.  Life is over.  That is my personal opinion of it anyway. 

Funny thing is by the time the song is over, and I am reminiscing about the mournful tune, I somehow end up turning it into “Portobello Road” (written by Richard and Robert Sherman) from Bedknobs and Broomsticks.  But even at the slowest tempos and gloomiest notes, it still has more upbeat than “Ring Out Wild Bells” will ever have.   In case you haven’t guessed it, I just really don’t care for that song.

December 31st and New Year

         Roland had come home early on Wednesday.  He probably shouldn’t have even gone in.  He slept most of the day.  He needed to.

         I took Jenna to the library for the afternoon countdown.  I have been to the library on December 31^st before.  But the last day of 2014 was different.  The library was overly quiet – except for children in the library.

         It wasn’t crowded.  Less crowded than I have seen the WV library – EVER. Roland had told us to leave early in order to get a good parking spot.  I honestly don’t think it would have mattered what time we left.  The turn-out wasn’t as good as it had been the last time we had gone for the New Year/afternoon countdown.

Jenna decorated a hat and asked me to finish her noise maker while she went to participate in games.  I wished Anna had been with us as I think she would have enjoyed the parachute game.  I don’t know if the library near where she lived had offered a New Years celebration or not.

 I left Jenna in the auditorium while I went to the teenage section to read.  It felt like the library was closed. It was actually kind of awesome just to feel peace and enjoy my reading. 

I returned for the countdown.  Two years ago I could have just stayed put.  The children were loud enough that you could hear them no matter where you were in the library.  There was a lot less children on December 31, 2014.  Even from the auditorium they didn’t sound even half as loud as they had two years prior.

As we passed the park, Jenna expressed her desires to go there.  It was cold.  But the air was clean still and not filled with the pollution that’s come with the New Year thus far.  We went home to get Highness and returned to the park.  I walked the dog while Jenna played.  I also took a fair amount of pictures.

Jenna always wants to stay up for the New Years countdown.  When I was growing up, my family had always played games on New Years.  I was willing to play games with Jenna, but she wanted to watch Aliens in the Attic. So we watched that followed by Little Shop of Horrors before we shuffled and dealt cards to play Go Fish.  We were playing cards when we heard the fireworks and the clock marking the New Year. 

We finished our game and played another – though I don’t recall what it is we played.  Cranium, I think.  And then we went to bed.  Not a typical New Years celebration.  But typical that someone was sick.  This year it just happened to be Roland.

        

         I am surprised that he was feeling well enough to donate blood the next day.  He had an appointment on New Years’ Day.  One had to have an appointment in order to donate.  They weren’t taking walk-ins yesterday.  That was my first time ever not being able to get in without an appointment.  But because it was New Years’ day, Red Cross didn’t have a full staff.

         We were at Red Cross for a long time before Roland was hooked up and producing blood.  It took him less time to bleed than to wait and be checked in.  I read four chapters, I think.

         We did get our game playing in – only a couple of hours though.  We went to Bill and Kayla’s and played a couple of games.  One was called Mad Gab – which we’ve never played together before.  And one was called Whatzit – which is puzzle solving which I’m not terribly good at.  Jenna played that one with us, and she is good.

         I’m in awe at all the birds I’ve seen – even on December 30th which was an extremely windy day.  What surprises me more than the birds are the fall leaves that have continued to cling to the trees.  Those are some major STRONG leaves!  January 2^nd and they are still there.  Nature is puzzling lately.

My Last Post of the Year

 

            Two of our boys took their wives to Arizona.  They left the day after Christmas and are returning today.  I hope they have coats.  Carrie will have one, but the rest may have decided to tough it out, as the weather really was nice when they left.

            Carrie texted me that it was 73 degrees in Arizona.  They’ll be returning to below zero.  Actually it is 2 above as I write this post.  Wind chill factor makes it feel so much colder.

            It’s not as windy right now as it was yesterday.  It’s a wonder I wasn’t in a coma all day. I don’t remember it being this cold.  Not for a very long while anyway. 

            It snowed on Christmas day – pretty much all day.  But it didn’t stick.  It wasn’t bitter cold like it was yesterday.  Like it will be today.  I prefer the elements to be above 40 degrees – but not above 70.  Actually living in a constant 60-70 would be ideal.

            We have never done anything exciting for New Years – not in Jenna’s eyes.  When I was growing up, that was the day we took the tree down.  We didn’t wait this year.  Roland had suggested that we take the tree down on Monday.  We had no clue that it would be freezing out the next day.

            We had boxed everything up on Monday night.  Jenna removed all the ornaments from the tree and I packed them.  Roland took down the lights and packed the tree.

I debated on whether to take the Christmas decorations out to the shed yesterday or allow the boxed decorations to stay in the house a while.  There was a clear path to the shed and I didn’t want to gamble on having snow block the doors and so I bundled up in layers just to go into my back yard. I picked a good time of day when it wasn’t quite as cold.

I couldn’t understand it.  The sun was shining.  It looked so inviting.  It didn’t look like it was bitter cold at all.  It was very deceiving. 

Roland doesn’t feel well, but he is still going to work.  There have been a lot of accidents.  And people have been without power.  What a way to end the year!  How much differently everything seemed only last week!

I hope our boys don’t freeze on the way home.  I hope they are protected on the roads as they travel back home today.  I hope they don’t get sick.

The tree is boxed, but still in the living room.  It's just to heavy for me to move.

Everyone Willing Can Have a Part

     My brother, Corey, has always been a big fan of Steven Sondheim.  I don’t think it was until after he was in high school still or college when I was introduced to his “Into the Woods” soundtrack – which I listened to and read along as the characters sang.  Immediately I decided it was a production that I wanted to see.  

     I have seen four or five different versions – though I don’t actually remember the details of each one.  I think the first opportunity was when the production was on tour.  I vaguely remember seeing it with my mom, I think.  I don’t know who else was with us.  I’m wondering if we were given tickets that Corey, himself, was unable to use.  

     My least favorite production was one that he was in.  He played Repunzel’s prince.  Our friend, Jinx, played the baker.  It was a marvelous cast, and each one gave an outstanding performance as I recall.  I did have a little trouble hearing the witch however. 

   What annoyed me about that particular production was the director’s take on separating fantasy from reality.  Each time the lights would go down after certain musical numbers or scenes, a voice would announce the act, the scene, the stage setting   . . . Corey said he didn’t like it either.  Instead of watching a polished production, it was as though we were watching a rehearsal that hadn’t quite worked out for the director. 

    I did enjoy watching the performers and I enjoyed the second act – when the interruptions had stopped.  I really enjoy watching Jinx perform.  Well, I enjoy watching Corey, but Jinx spent a lot more time on the stage.

    When Randy was in junior high, he played both prince and wolf.  I think everybody in the junior high who wanted to be in the musical WAS in the musical.  It ran for five nights.  Each night Randy played one of three princes and one of three wolfs – so that he had a turn being Cinderella’s prince, Repunzel’s prince and the wolf that eats Little Red Riding Hood.  

      I remember PBS broadcast of the Broadway version with Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason.  I don’t think it aired until after Roland and I were married.  It had been stretched four or five hours during a fundraiser.  I remember having recorded it on VHS. Although it wasn’t a very good recording, I did watch it a few times. I did like it.

  

       I had a wanted to go see the “Into the Woods” movie on Christmas, but hadn’t arrived early enough for all ten of my family members to get good seats.  We saw “Night at the Museum” instead.  I think Ester’s attention might have gotten lost earlier had we seen  “Into the Woods” – maybe not. She enthusiastically moved from seat to seat - mostly visiting either daddy or grandpa.  She also yelled quite loudly for Jenna - though she was seated right next to her at that particular moment.

    Roland took Jenna and I to “Into the Woods” the next day. I think I enjoyed seeing it without Ester being there.  She was cute.  She was just loud - which I found to be distracting.

     I liked the production, but found myself missing “The Mysterious Man” part of the story, as well as some of the songs.  Still, I told Roland I would like my own copy on DVD next year. 

    Jenna said she wanted to see the stage version.  I couldn’t find the PBS copy, but did put a reserve in at the library.  Meanwhile I figured I had two copies and spent a good part of yesterday morning searching and came upon the recording of the junior high production that Randy had been in.

     I had forgotten there were three wolves and three princes – though I think the one prince was put in for comic effect as the other two princes would sing “agony” and the third prince would try singing along, and the singing prince would stretch out his arm for effect and hit the third prince in the process.  Jenna enjoyed watching that.

     Their production had the mysterious man – though I don’t know if his identity was revealed at the end.  Or if the junior high had gone beyond the first act.  I don’t remember.  And I had evidently run out of tape and so the end was not there. 

     The narrator in my recorded version was female.  There were extra cast members who played the trees, decorations, the beanstalk, villagers, and characters moved their own props.  Randy and another, dressed like wolves, moved the prop for the house as Little Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and then again for the baker.  Randy was playing Repunzel’s prince on the night that we saw him.

     Jenna was not even a year at the time and I could hear her almost better than the cast members at times.  I really couldn’t hear Jack’s mother at all, but pretty much knew what she was saying. 

     As Jenna and I were watching, she apologized for having cried as I was recording.  That’s silly.  She was just a baby, after all.  

     I just ran across the program (which was quite a surprise on my part). There had been six cast as wolves and princes. I admire the coach for having included so many students and in various roles.  I counted 80 different names - though at a glance it appeared that there were over 200 names.  Many were duplicates cast in different roles. Randy also received credit for playing Red's grandmother (out the four cast members)

Opening a Facebook Account for Jenna

            I have noticed with each passing year, Jenna has had friends or acquaintances join Facebook – which has an age restriction – and I know for a fact that they are all younger than required age. 

            There have been some who've asked for her email address and we have given out mine, as Jenna does not have one.  She did have one through the school, but has forgotten it.  But I don’t imagine she could start a facebook account with a school email address anyway. 

            I could pay 50 cents to start an email account for her – or lie about her age – which evidently is what most of her friends or acquaintances (or their parents) have done.  How important is it for her to have this that we need to lie about it?  Thus she still isn’t on facebook.

            The novelty will where off – even with the JibJabs – which is her favorite part about going on facebook right now anyway.  Laughing at her silly uncle who has children who enjoy telling him what pictures to use and then laughing at themselves as their heads move to animated bodies.

            There are pros and cons to being on facebook.  Many people have connected through facebook.  Many have been slandered or lost their jobs.  Users need to be wise.  But there is still corruption that the user can’t always control.

            It is far more important to me to teach Jenna honesty than to have her engage in the temporary satisfaction of being on Facebook.  She’ll get there soon enough.