Right now, as part of our training, we are spending nearly all our time on our own family research.
And if you look at the logic of it, that means more and more people all the time: each time we find one new person in our family tree, the door is opened to at least two parents. So the list of people we need to investigate increases rapidly: each success means the list grows longer.
It is delightful to discover the parents of an ancestor. Last week I found Elizabeth Wheeler's parents, Joseph and Sarah Wheeler. And then this week I found Sarah's maiden name: Manners.
I also had great correspondence with someone alive today who is descended from my third great grandfather, Alfred Adams. In fact, I found a whole family of descendants. And one, Cousin Helen Leaver from Colorado, has sent me a great deal of information, including a photo of Alfred's daughter Mary Jane Stottlar. She is a sister of our antecedent Augustus Albert Adams. These are the two children of Hannah Scott's four who lived to adulthood.
So where is the irony? While we are searching out our ancestors, we are unable to see many of our own children and grandchildren! We are learning about those who have died but we the living are mysteries to our descendants. That's ironic.
For this moment in our lives we are fully committed to being here, on location at the great Family History Library, an amazing repository of information about those who have lived and died, not only in the US but also in Europe and in many other parts of the world. And it's growing all the time. The library has thousands of microfilms in drawers that take up a huge amount of floor space and that extend so high that a tall person needs a stool to reach the top.
And just one microfilm contains names, dates, and places of thousands and thousands. Just the other day I was reading a film of the parish records made over the past 600 years from one small town in England, the town of Calne where our ancestors hovered for at least many generations. Just picking out the family names from that one town, I have pages of notes in small writing showing the christenings of babies, and their parents' names, and the date. It is possible to build entire families from such a record, ours and others'. That's how I found the names of Elizabeth Wheeler's parents, and verified her maiden name.
Sometimes after work we see our grandkids who live here in Salt Lake. We are not integral with their lives, though we are trying to get to know them and find things to do with them that they would enjoy.
But it may be that the only way our children are going to know us is if we right our own family histories, especially our own personal histories.
That's a project that would require a great deal of attention, and ironically it would come at the expense of actually spending time with our descendants.
There may be no other way. I don't like it. But I don't have a better solution for now. PL
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Our kindred dead, newly found, and living people too - Part 1
The first week of training, when we worked intensively on our own family lines, I felt like I was standing still. No one emerged from the shadows. I learned technique, but didn't find a soul. Until that first Friday afternoon. Since then, I've received a torrent of discoveries. I'll post them one by one.
I'll begin with Elizabeth. Here's who she is: my father's mother's father's mother. She was born in Laycock, Wiltshire, England and had a whole family before her husband died and she met and married Charles Wilcox Tanner, in Calne, Wiltshire. They had 3 little boys and came with them to the US in 1853. Their youngest, Charles, was my grandmother's father.
Previously, we (I plus my great researcher-daughter Elizabeth aka Bonnie) knew that her maiden name was Wheeler because we found her marriage certificate for her first marriage, and it was given there. But I didn't know her parents.
So I went to the FHL (Family History Library, here in Salt Lake) and got out a microfilm for Laycock in the early 1800s (actually 1550 to 1900, approx.). I went through painstakingly - the pages were shadowed with age long before they were microfilmed - until I reached approximately the right date. And there she was: Elizabeth, dau of Joseph and Sarah Wheeler, christened 7 Jul 1807.
So now we knew the parents. The natural question was whether they had other children. I plugged the parents' names into ancestry.com's England and Wales Christening Records, and found all 9 of their children.
I've now put them together as a family in PAF and in New Family Search.
I love putting families together! I was able to determine from the dates of their christenings that there were probably no missing children for this family.
Joseph and Sarah are my great great great grandparents. Now I wonder who their parents were? Next step: marriage record in Laycock, around 1805, in the same microfilm.
I'll begin with Elizabeth. Here's who she is: my father's mother's father's mother. She was born in Laycock, Wiltshire, England and had a whole family before her husband died and she met and married Charles Wilcox Tanner, in Calne, Wiltshire. They had 3 little boys and came with them to the US in 1853. Their youngest, Charles, was my grandmother's father.
Previously, we (I plus my great researcher-daughter Elizabeth aka Bonnie) knew that her maiden name was Wheeler because we found her marriage certificate for her first marriage, and it was given there. But I didn't know her parents.
So I went to the FHL (Family History Library, here in Salt Lake) and got out a microfilm for Laycock in the early 1800s (actually 1550 to 1900, approx.). I went through painstakingly - the pages were shadowed with age long before they were microfilmed - until I reached approximately the right date. And there she was: Elizabeth, dau of Joseph and Sarah Wheeler, christened 7 Jul 1807.
So now we knew the parents. The natural question was whether they had other children. I plugged the parents' names into ancestry.com's England and Wales Christening Records, and found all 9 of their children.
I've now put them together as a family in PAF and in New Family Search.
I love putting families together! I was able to determine from the dates of their christenings that there were probably no missing children for this family.
Joseph and Sarah are my great great great grandparents. Now I wonder who their parents were? Next step: marriage record in Laycock, around 1805, in the same microfilm.
Training is over...
We have just completed our two weeks of intensive training in the Family and Church History Mission department. It was amazing!
The 34 or so of us met in 4 labs on the third floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The labs were filled with computers, and we met each day, all day long, with a trainer apiece. Each trainee and trainer shared a computer. A written manual guided the way. The trainer pointed at the screen with a soft-tipped stick. Following instructions, the trainee learned all the tricks of using PAF, Family Search, New Family Search, and Ancestry.com.
Some of us had more experience than others. Because we each had our own trainer, though, we were able to go at our own pace.
I have had a lot of experience with computers, some with the various programs - and absolutely no discipline in sourcing the results of my research. That was my biggest lesson: how to source effectively. I now have census record and World War 1 draft card images attached to the people they refer to. It is very satisfying!
One surprise is that we are using PAF (Personal Ancestral File, a free download at http://familysearch.org/) as the main location for all our records. It's easy to create sources in PAF, and an enormous family can fit all its records, including images and photos, on a memory stick. No internet connection is needed, then, to add a fact or a new photo. PAF is easy to use, and I've enjoyed getting to know it again.
Our days consisted of intense instruction, practice, snack breaks, an hour for lunch, more of the same in the afternoon, and trips at times to the Family History Library. The FHL is about 300 steps from our apartment, so it's easy to drop in there and take a look at christening records made nearly 500 years ago that have been preserved on microfilm.
But now training is over. On Friday we had our 'Go Forth' day, a beautiful event filled with inspiring talks, announcement of our assignments, and a trip to the Temple with everyone in our Training Zone.
The Family and Church History Mission is made up of 28 zones, so after training we are assigned to one where we will spend 6 months to a year, or possibly more. Some zones work on the technical side, such as digitizing or repairing books, or entering data. Others are there to help patrons visiting the FHL to find what they're looking for. John and I were assigned to the International Reference zone.
In International Reference, we help people looking for ancestors from countries other than the US, Canada, or the British Isles, which have their own zones (and their own floors of the FHL). International has its own floor, and covers every other part of the world. Some of the patrons are English-speaking, but a large number are not. We need to be able to communicate the basics in foreign languages on a regular basis. Both John and I have studied several languages, so maybe that's why we received this calling. It sounds really exciting, and of course more than a bit challenging!
We have our first meeting in the zone on Monday, when we begin more training and have a new manual to absorb, specific to that zone. I am really excited to learn more about what we'll be doing.
These are all the details of our life, but the bigger work is about finding and linking to our kindred dead. All our training was focused on our own family histories. Our hearts are fully engaged with these loved ones from the past, most of whom we don't know and haven't even heard of. We have had many touching successes during our training period. I will write about these elsewhere.
I have learned so much these past two weeks! We feel it a true blessing to be able to be here at this time. Living on Temple Square is a wonderful experience: we are able to walk to work, and come home for lunch. We have new friends. One son lives 5 minutes away by car, another less than half an hour away. We have friends in the Provo area and also just north of SLC whom we are able to visit. Senior missionaries have a lot of latitude in their after-hours activities, and can travel a radius of 60 miles. We have a small apartment, sufficient for our needs, at a very reasonable price. We walk over to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsals and performances each Sunday morning, and to church at the old and lovely Salt Lake City Stake building half a block away. It is a lovely life. No gardens, of course, and no long trips. But it suits us very well.
And since we can't come to you, why don't you come to us? Or better yet, come be part of this mission? (They need you - they are short 125 missionaries and have projects on hold for lack of faithful servants.)
The 34 or so of us met in 4 labs on the third floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. The labs were filled with computers, and we met each day, all day long, with a trainer apiece. Each trainee and trainer shared a computer. A written manual guided the way. The trainer pointed at the screen with a soft-tipped stick. Following instructions, the trainee learned all the tricks of using PAF, Family Search, New Family Search, and Ancestry.com.
Some of us had more experience than others. Because we each had our own trainer, though, we were able to go at our own pace.
I have had a lot of experience with computers, some with the various programs - and absolutely no discipline in sourcing the results of my research. That was my biggest lesson: how to source effectively. I now have census record and World War 1 draft card images attached to the people they refer to. It is very satisfying!
One surprise is that we are using PAF (Personal Ancestral File, a free download at http://familysearch.org/) as the main location for all our records. It's easy to create sources in PAF, and an enormous family can fit all its records, including images and photos, on a memory stick. No internet connection is needed, then, to add a fact or a new photo. PAF is easy to use, and I've enjoyed getting to know it again.
Our days consisted of intense instruction, practice, snack breaks, an hour for lunch, more of the same in the afternoon, and trips at times to the Family History Library. The FHL is about 300 steps from our apartment, so it's easy to drop in there and take a look at christening records made nearly 500 years ago that have been preserved on microfilm.
But now training is over. On Friday we had our 'Go Forth' day, a beautiful event filled with inspiring talks, announcement of our assignments, and a trip to the Temple with everyone in our Training Zone.
The Family and Church History Mission is made up of 28 zones, so after training we are assigned to one where we will spend 6 months to a year, or possibly more. Some zones work on the technical side, such as digitizing or repairing books, or entering data. Others are there to help patrons visiting the FHL to find what they're looking for. John and I were assigned to the International Reference zone.
In International Reference, we help people looking for ancestors from countries other than the US, Canada, or the British Isles, which have their own zones (and their own floors of the FHL). International has its own floor, and covers every other part of the world. Some of the patrons are English-speaking, but a large number are not. We need to be able to communicate the basics in foreign languages on a regular basis. Both John and I have studied several languages, so maybe that's why we received this calling. It sounds really exciting, and of course more than a bit challenging!
We have our first meeting in the zone on Monday, when we begin more training and have a new manual to absorb, specific to that zone. I am really excited to learn more about what we'll be doing.
These are all the details of our life, but the bigger work is about finding and linking to our kindred dead. All our training was focused on our own family histories. Our hearts are fully engaged with these loved ones from the past, most of whom we don't know and haven't even heard of. We have had many touching successes during our training period. I will write about these elsewhere.
I have learned so much these past two weeks! We feel it a true blessing to be able to be here at this time. Living on Temple Square is a wonderful experience: we are able to walk to work, and come home for lunch. We have new friends. One son lives 5 minutes away by car, another less than half an hour away. We have friends in the Provo area and also just north of SLC whom we are able to visit. Senior missionaries have a lot of latitude in their after-hours activities, and can travel a radius of 60 miles. We have a small apartment, sufficient for our needs, at a very reasonable price. We walk over to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsals and performances each Sunday morning, and to church at the old and lovely Salt Lake City Stake building half a block away. It is a lovely life. No gardens, of course, and no long trips. But it suits us very well.
And since we can't come to you, why don't you come to us? Or better yet, come be part of this mission? (They need you - they are short 125 missionaries and have projects on hold for lack of faithful servants.)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Visits
Last week I enjoyed reconnecting with many wonderful friends and family members, and also met some new cousins. Here's the way it happened:
Friday. Left the house at 7:45 am, took the shuttle to SEA-TAC, flew to JFK, flew to Hartford, took the shuttle to La Quinta for a good night's sleep.
Saturday. Took the shuttle to Enterprise to pick up my car. Sat in the car and downloaded GoogleMaps to my Blackberry. Discovered I had GPS. Entered Aunt Dot's address and got directions. Spent an hour trying to follow them. Ended up driving through scary parts of Hartford. Got to Dot's latish (1 pm). Took her to lunch in Farmington, got back around 3 PM, had a message from Cousin Paul Strauss that he'd love us to come to Cheshire to see him and family. We did that. Had a great visit with our Chinese cousins Hailey (7) and Kira (2 1/2). Took photos, will post. Had good conversations w/ Paul and his wife Mary. Drove home, dropped Dot off, and drove to Natick, again going through Hartford to get to I-84. I got to the Daniels' about 10:40 pm. Long day! They had gone to bed, since I was again running late.
Sunday. Woke up in time for church, we headed out in two cars: Peter in one, me and Val in the other, so Peter could come home after the first meeting. Met Danny Ainge, the bishop. Enjoyed great talks. One was my a sportscaster from a local network news program but I don't remember his name. Then I met some friends from years past: Mary Anne Foley and Jane Nebeker Murphy. It was like meeting life-long friends, though it's been 27 years. I found out during Sunday School that my Blackberry could access the scriptures online at lds.org, so I was able to enjoy the lesson. I found out in Relief Society that I don't know many people there at Weston Ward. And I found out afterwards that Jane had divorced Bernie Murphy after a 9 year separtion. Their 3 kids are grown... And while I was waiting to sing in the choir just for the fun of it and because Val was staying for that, Jane came and got me because the Lavins were in the foyer. What a wonderful thing to see them! I got to talk to Marsha quite a bit, saw Tony's kids, found out Jolene was in North Carolina with many goats (7?) (or maybe 5), and that they were visiting just for that week. I did get to share a few thoughts w/ Dick, too... Then choir was over and on the way out I saw Fred Bowman, who I heard had gotten married, had a leaping hug w/ him, and then went home w/ Val. We took a walk around the lake at Wellesley College, including hugging the edge of the Hunnewell Estate (or was it Honeywell?), walking between their topiaries and the lake. Then we went back and meditated while Peter made curry. We ate, talked, went to bed. Nice visit. Oh yes - while Val worked to get ready for the next day's teaching, Peter read the paper and occasionally watched The Game, and I watched it and did my very best to get tose Sox to win, but it was The 7th Game and, well. I stayed up to 11:30 to see the end and shoulda gone to bed.
Monday. Got up almost on EDT, at maybe 7:30 aka 4:30 am. Took a shower, packed up, took off for Hadley MA where I had an appt w/ some Shaklee people. I planned to be there at 10:30 and that's when I got there. Talked to Joyce and Bill, took them to lunch, talked some more, meditated, took off for Hartford just ahead of rush hour, gassed up for $2.27 a gallon, and got to Hartford 15 min early, at 5:30. Picked up Dot soon thereafter, went around the corner to the home of Cousin Bob Killian. There we met not only Bob, but Jim Killian (uncle to Bob), Candy (Bob's wife), and Cindy (Bob's younger sister). The purposes were first to meet and second to figure out who everyone was vis-a-vis each other. While we had the wonderful hors-d'oeuvres, we chatted to the point where I began to feel that we were imposters in their wonderful home full of their wonderful hospitality. I got out my computer and went wirelessly to task trying to find the link. Dinner was served, so we exited to the dining room. Bob helped Candy cook steaks in the kitchen while we sat and chatted in the vein of Catholic culture and politics Democrat-style. I felt right at home. My relatives are all part of the party machinery in Hartford, with Bob himself being the elected Probate Court judge for the past 24 years. (Uncle Jim, actually our cousin but Bob's uncle, spent most of his adult life in San Francisco - never married, and apparently enjoyed politics more from a distance.) While we were at dinner, Bob came in w/ his computer because their daughter Virginia was calling on Skype from Chicago. That, folks, is the cousin who wrote the comment here about Robert K Killian (q.v.). She is about 28 and is married and teaches...nice girl, has a dog. (The Killians have a younger daughter who lives near to them.) So we ate steak, had rice pudding for dessert, and with the exclusion of the LDS member of the family managed to consume several bottles of this that and the other thing. We went back to the living room, made our connections, and we left. My plan was to spend the night at Dot's so she made me up the other bed in her room (Uncle Bob's, still there) and we had a pleasant end of the day and good night's sleep.
Tuesday. Lucy and Alan Katz, having arrived home from England the night before, were expecting me, and I drove the 75 min or so to Easton. We visited, went out to eat, had great conversation with Lucy about ethics, morality, and religion. And politics. Slept. Wonderful day!
Wednesday. I worked while Lucy did some things she needed to do, including a chemo treatment. I went to Greenwich and met with our new tax accountants for a couple of hours, then took them to lunch. I got back around 3 pm. The Katzes' granddaughter Ginger turned 4 so we went out to supper with Steve, Laura, Owen, and Ginger. More talk, sleep.
Thursday. Lucy had an appointment in the morning, and I worked. Then we had a quick lunch and headed off to Norwalk City Hall Vital Records office. We spent the next 3.5 hours researching the Tanner line. Lucy's a research whiz! Then we went to Starbucks so she could have a pick-me-up, then back to the house. I cooked supper, then bundled up for the trip home.
Friday. I intended to wake up by 7:15 so I would have time to drive back to Hartford. That worked out, so I arrived at Bradley early, dropped off the car, took the shuttle to Delta, etc etc. I had a 4 hour layover at JFK. I got to Seattle in plenty of time for the shuttle to Anacortes, took the 2 1/2 hour ride to Anacortes, and was picked up by D at 11:40 pm PT. Long day!
Saturday. Good to be home! And it was good to see so many family members and friends...
Friday. Left the house at 7:45 am, took the shuttle to SEA-TAC, flew to JFK, flew to Hartford, took the shuttle to La Quinta for a good night's sleep.
Saturday. Took the shuttle to Enterprise to pick up my car. Sat in the car and downloaded GoogleMaps to my Blackberry. Discovered I had GPS. Entered Aunt Dot's address and got directions. Spent an hour trying to follow them. Ended up driving through scary parts of Hartford. Got to Dot's latish (1 pm). Took her to lunch in Farmington, got back around 3 PM, had a message from Cousin Paul Strauss that he'd love us to come to Cheshire to see him and family. We did that. Had a great visit with our Chinese cousins Hailey (7) and Kira (2 1/2). Took photos, will post. Had good conversations w/ Paul and his wife Mary. Drove home, dropped Dot off, and drove to Natick, again going through Hartford to get to I-84. I got to the Daniels' about 10:40 pm. Long day! They had gone to bed, since I was again running late.
Sunday. Woke up in time for church, we headed out in two cars: Peter in one, me and Val in the other, so Peter could come home after the first meeting. Met Danny Ainge, the bishop. Enjoyed great talks. One was my a sportscaster from a local network news program but I don't remember his name. Then I met some friends from years past: Mary Anne Foley and Jane Nebeker Murphy. It was like meeting life-long friends, though it's been 27 years. I found out during Sunday School that my Blackberry could access the scriptures online at lds.org, so I was able to enjoy the lesson. I found out in Relief Society that I don't know many people there at Weston Ward. And I found out afterwards that Jane had divorced Bernie Murphy after a 9 year separtion. Their 3 kids are grown... And while I was waiting to sing in the choir just for the fun of it and because Val was staying for that, Jane came and got me because the Lavins were in the foyer. What a wonderful thing to see them! I got to talk to Marsha quite a bit, saw Tony's kids, found out Jolene was in North Carolina with many goats (7?) (or maybe 5), and that they were visiting just for that week. I did get to share a few thoughts w/ Dick, too... Then choir was over and on the way out I saw Fred Bowman, who I heard had gotten married, had a leaping hug w/ him, and then went home w/ Val. We took a walk around the lake at Wellesley College, including hugging the edge of the Hunnewell Estate (or was it Honeywell?), walking between their topiaries and the lake. Then we went back and meditated while Peter made curry. We ate, talked, went to bed. Nice visit. Oh yes - while Val worked to get ready for the next day's teaching, Peter read the paper and occasionally watched The Game, and I watched it and did my very best to get tose Sox to win, but it was The 7th Game and, well. I stayed up to 11:30 to see the end and shoulda gone to bed.
Monday. Got up almost on EDT, at maybe 7:30 aka 4:30 am. Took a shower, packed up, took off for Hadley MA where I had an appt w/ some Shaklee people. I planned to be there at 10:30 and that's when I got there. Talked to Joyce and Bill, took them to lunch, talked some more, meditated, took off for Hartford just ahead of rush hour, gassed up for $2.27 a gallon, and got to Hartford 15 min early, at 5:30. Picked up Dot soon thereafter, went around the corner to the home of Cousin Bob Killian. There we met not only Bob, but Jim Killian (uncle to Bob), Candy (Bob's wife), and Cindy (Bob's younger sister). The purposes were first to meet and second to figure out who everyone was vis-a-vis each other. While we had the wonderful hors-d'oeuvres, we chatted to the point where I began to feel that we were imposters in their wonderful home full of their wonderful hospitality. I got out my computer and went wirelessly to task trying to find the link. Dinner was served, so we exited to the dining room. Bob helped Candy cook steaks in the kitchen while we sat and chatted in the vein of Catholic culture and politics Democrat-style. I felt right at home. My relatives are all part of the party machinery in Hartford, with Bob himself being the elected Probate Court judge for the past 24 years. (Uncle Jim, actually our cousin but Bob's uncle, spent most of his adult life in San Francisco - never married, and apparently enjoyed politics more from a distance.) While we were at dinner, Bob came in w/ his computer because their daughter Virginia was calling on Skype from Chicago. That, folks, is the cousin who wrote the comment here about Robert K Killian (q.v.). She is about 28 and is married and teaches...nice girl, has a dog. (The Killians have a younger daughter who lives near to them.) So we ate steak, had rice pudding for dessert, and with the exclusion of the LDS member of the family managed to consume several bottles of this that and the other thing. We went back to the living room, made our connections, and we left. My plan was to spend the night at Dot's so she made me up the other bed in her room (Uncle Bob's, still there) and we had a pleasant end of the day and good night's sleep.
Tuesday. Lucy and Alan Katz, having arrived home from England the night before, were expecting me, and I drove the 75 min or so to Easton. We visited, went out to eat, had great conversation with Lucy about ethics, morality, and religion. And politics. Slept. Wonderful day!
Wednesday. I worked while Lucy did some things she needed to do, including a chemo treatment. I went to Greenwich and met with our new tax accountants for a couple of hours, then took them to lunch. I got back around 3 pm. The Katzes' granddaughter Ginger turned 4 so we went out to supper with Steve, Laura, Owen, and Ginger. More talk, sleep.
Thursday. Lucy had an appointment in the morning, and I worked. Then we had a quick lunch and headed off to Norwalk City Hall Vital Records office. We spent the next 3.5 hours researching the Tanner line. Lucy's a research whiz! Then we went to Starbucks so she could have a pick-me-up, then back to the house. I cooked supper, then bundled up for the trip home.
Friday. I intended to wake up by 7:15 so I would have time to drive back to Hartford. That worked out, so I arrived at Bradley early, dropped off the car, took the shuttle to Delta, etc etc. I had a 4 hour layover at JFK. I got to Seattle in plenty of time for the shuttle to Anacortes, took the 2 1/2 hour ride to Anacortes, and was picked up by D at 11:40 pm PT. Long day!
Saturday. Good to be home! And it was good to see so many family members and friends...
Set Apart
Today we were set apart. We are missionaries. We are very happy.
We were set apart by Pres Rhine, our stake president, in the Anacortes building. We had several guests, our dearest friends from the ward: Nancy Oczkewicz, Kay and Larry Winebrenner, Bishop Rutter, his second counselor Bro Treiber, Fred Stone, Karen and Norm Buker, and my dear 'brother' Norman Landerman-Moore.
I was set apart first. D and Pres Rhine did it, w/ Pres Rhine as voice. I was blessed with health and strength and the ability to inspire and teach the family history patrons effectively. I was also blessed that during our service our own family would be blessed with the things they need. There was much more that is only vague in my memory. It was very nice.
Then D was set apart. Pres Rhine was voice again, and Bsp Rutter assisted. D's blessings emphasized more of the technical side of the work, and mentioned patrons only toward the end. Again he was blessed w/ health and strength, patience, and blessings for his family during his time of service.
So we are missionaries now.
Our report date is still 12 days away. But this was our last Sunday here. Next week we will attend w/ our new branch.
Which reminds me that we were both promised wonderful new friendships. Stay tuned...
We only hope the friends we are leaving behind will find their way to SLC and visit and have some fun with the wonderful family history facilities that will be our bailiwick. They think they will...
We were set apart by Pres Rhine, our stake president, in the Anacortes building. We had several guests, our dearest friends from the ward: Nancy Oczkewicz, Kay and Larry Winebrenner, Bishop Rutter, his second counselor Bro Treiber, Fred Stone, Karen and Norm Buker, and my dear 'brother' Norman Landerman-Moore.
I was set apart first. D and Pres Rhine did it, w/ Pres Rhine as voice. I was blessed with health and strength and the ability to inspire and teach the family history patrons effectively. I was also blessed that during our service our own family would be blessed with the things they need. There was much more that is only vague in my memory. It was very nice.
Then D was set apart. Pres Rhine was voice again, and Bsp Rutter assisted. D's blessings emphasized more of the technical side of the work, and mentioned patrons only toward the end. Again he was blessed w/ health and strength, patience, and blessings for his family during his time of service.
So we are missionaries now.
Our report date is still 12 days away. But this was our last Sunday here. Next week we will attend w/ our new branch.
Which reminds me that we were both promised wonderful new friendships. Stay tuned...
We only hope the friends we are leaving behind will find their way to SLC and visit and have some fun with the wonderful family history facilities that will be our bailiwick. They think they will...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A Delightful Take On An LDS Ordinance
This Irish journalist has something to say to concerned Catholic bishops:
What if the Mormons were right?
Thanks, Dionni, for sending this to me. PL
PS I have now changed the link to a more permanent location. Try again if it didn't work earlier.
What if the Mormons were right?
Thanks, Dionni, for sending this to me. PL
PS I have now changed the link to a more permanent location. Try again if it didn't work earlier.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Justice and Heredity
Recent sound research shows again and again that a person's character grows to be more like his heredity (nature) and less like his upbringing (nurture) the older he gets. By 50, it's just about all heredity.
Obviously level of education and probably hosts of other factors influence the outcome of heredity, but still, the principle holds. Twin studies confirm it: studies on identical, fraternal, and virtual twins (those who are raised in the same household but are less than 9 months apart).
These are the things I've been reading, and they make sense. At least they are gospel-compatible: the essential principle underlying the gospel is that we are each responsible for ourselves, and that it is through personal repentance that we are redeemed. It is not the fault of our parents, the way we turned out - but it is in great part due to our heredity.
There are some interesting implications of this for family history research, though they're all pretty subjective.
What traits follow the family lines? How mixed up do they get? What can we learn from our ancestors by noting family traits in the current generations? Are traits survival characteristics or just random behavioral tendencies? I'm thinking about it and doing some reading. No one knows of course. But there are clues...to be continued.
Obviously level of education and probably hosts of other factors influence the outcome of heredity, but still, the principle holds. Twin studies confirm it: studies on identical, fraternal, and virtual twins (those who are raised in the same household but are less than 9 months apart).
These are the things I've been reading, and they make sense. At least they are gospel-compatible: the essential principle underlying the gospel is that we are each responsible for ourselves, and that it is through personal repentance that we are redeemed. It is not the fault of our parents, the way we turned out - but it is in great part due to our heredity.
There are some interesting implications of this for family history research, though they're all pretty subjective.
What traits follow the family lines? How mixed up do they get? What can we learn from our ancestors by noting family traits in the current generations? Are traits survival characteristics or just random behavioral tendencies? I'm thinking about it and doing some reading. No one knows of course. But there are clues...to be continued.
D in Beijing
D will be going to Beijing on Sep 22 to do the commentary for the next Chinese manned launch, Shenzhou 7, on CCTV9. Since weather can affect the launch, we don't know when he'll be back, but he told them he could stay only till Oct 4. He is working on getting a visa now. He's going on Hainan airlines straight from Seattle to Beijing. He's going to write a book on his hours off...
Monday, August 25, 2008
Poignant Realization
Back in about 1979 or so, when we lived in Massachusetts, I had a poignant realization. We had waited for years and years for our cousins to return from overseas duty to the US so our kids could get to know them. We were really looking forward to renewing acquaintances and raising our kids together. But when they came back, they decided to move to Colorado, nearly the whole width of the country away. I was so sad! Even though we did what we could to go see them, it was years between visits and the kids ended up barely knowing each other.
Now we are having a parallel experience, and the poignancy is far more intense, because we realize that many of our grandchildren are going to grow up with knowing us only as very occasional visitors.
I am very dedicated to putting family together. I spend hours and hours trying to find and understand my ancestors just for that reason. We have driven many hours every month to visit a couple of our grandchildren who had to move away. We have driven hours and hours at other times to be sure we see grandchildren.
A lot of the separation was inevitable when we were locked into being in Tucson for most of the year. That's the way things are in our culture right now, with families thinking little of separation if it's because of a career. When our grown kids started setting up their work locations far away, we took it with a grain of salt because it didn't seem permanent.
Now it seems devastating. Of course we have moved away from everyone ourselves. But we picked a place where we felt the family would most likely gather sooner or later.
But it's not going to happen. Maybe in 20 years or so we will stop living our dream and try to go where everyone is, but by then every one of our grandchildren now living will be out of their homes, and many - most - will have homes of their own.
We could stay in Tucson instead of Anacortes. We love Tucson. But the values we can live in Anacortes are closer to ours. We like the climate, we like eating for free out of the garden, we love a place where we can be outside every month of the year, every day of the year. We love the water and the wildness and the easy access to all sorts of biomes and ecosystems and opportunities for adventure.
So it's a challenging tug of war, our desire to be part of the lives of our grandchildren traded off against our desire to live in a life-supporting setting where we could even live self-sufficently if we had to or wanted to.
Our most fervent hopes are that every family member would live in a place that we could reach for a weekend visit - say within 6 hours maximum. That would take a miracle. But even if some lived in ONE remote location that we could visit quarterly, it would be a help.
Otherwise the few memories they have of us will fade away.
I saw a photo of my grandmother a couple of months ago and didn't recognize her at all. She has a big smile on her face and all I remember of her is that she was grouchy. HOW HORRIBLE!
I don't want to be forgotten!
Sigh. I can only pray.
Now we are having a parallel experience, and the poignancy is far more intense, because we realize that many of our grandchildren are going to grow up with knowing us only as very occasional visitors.
I am very dedicated to putting family together. I spend hours and hours trying to find and understand my ancestors just for that reason. We have driven many hours every month to visit a couple of our grandchildren who had to move away. We have driven hours and hours at other times to be sure we see grandchildren.
A lot of the separation was inevitable when we were locked into being in Tucson for most of the year. That's the way things are in our culture right now, with families thinking little of separation if it's because of a career. When our grown kids started setting up their work locations far away, we took it with a grain of salt because it didn't seem permanent.
Now it seems devastating. Of course we have moved away from everyone ourselves. But we picked a place where we felt the family would most likely gather sooner or later.
But it's not going to happen. Maybe in 20 years or so we will stop living our dream and try to go where everyone is, but by then every one of our grandchildren now living will be out of their homes, and many - most - will have homes of their own.
We could stay in Tucson instead of Anacortes. We love Tucson. But the values we can live in Anacortes are closer to ours. We like the climate, we like eating for free out of the garden, we love a place where we can be outside every month of the year, every day of the year. We love the water and the wildness and the easy access to all sorts of biomes and ecosystems and opportunities for adventure.
So it's a challenging tug of war, our desire to be part of the lives of our grandchildren traded off against our desire to live in a life-supporting setting where we could even live self-sufficently if we had to or wanted to.
Our most fervent hopes are that every family member would live in a place that we could reach for a weekend visit - say within 6 hours maximum. That would take a miracle. But even if some lived in ONE remote location that we could visit quarterly, it would be a help.
Otherwise the few memories they have of us will fade away.
I saw a photo of my grandmother a couple of months ago and didn't recognize her at all. She has a big smile on her face and all I remember of her is that she was grouchy. HOW HORRIBLE!
I don't want to be forgotten!
Sigh. I can only pray.
Still Moving
I am still doing my sprint-walking 6 mornings a week. But now I have added on the time for warm-ups and cool-offs, which are 3 minutes each.
We may end up walking a lot on our missions but it won't be from our apt to our worksite. That might add up to a tenth of a mile in a stretch. But we're ready for more...just don't know how we'll get it.
PL
We may end up walking a lot on our missions but it won't be from our apt to our worksite. That might add up to a tenth of a mile in a stretch. But we're ready for more...just don't know how we'll get it.
PL
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Walking Intervals Day 6
I have been walking intervals now for a week. Very wonderful! I think I'm getting something like 25% more exercise in the same amount of time, based on distance. Cool!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Our SLC Apartment
We just received our housing assignment for our mission. Our address will be: 131 W 200 N #5. It is in the Garden Apartments complex, half a block due west of the Conference Center.
Our ward is the Salt Lake City Stake 2nd Branch. It meets directly across 200 N from our apartment. Our church meetings are from 1:30 to 4:30.
Our apartment is available beginning Nov 6. We have an appointment to pick up the keys at 10 am that day.
Our first mission meeting is a luncheon on Friday Nov 7. We start training on Monday Nov 10. Training lasts 2 weeks, at the end of which we will receive our assignment.
I need to find my winter boots.
Our ward is the Salt Lake City Stake 2nd Branch. It meets directly across 200 N from our apartment. Our church meetings are from 1:30 to 4:30.
Our apartment is available beginning Nov 6. We have an appointment to pick up the keys at 10 am that day.
Our first mission meeting is a luncheon on Friday Nov 7. We start training on Monday Nov 10. Training lasts 2 weeks, at the end of which we will receive our assignment.
I need to find my winter boots.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Trouble With Isabelle
For those who have been following my efforts to find the elusive Isabelle Tanner. I've posted on how I found her, and have written about it in detail on Helium.com as an instructional piece for anyone wanting to know how to do family history.
HOWEVER!
Just recently I met a new relative, Fran D'Alessio of Norwalk CT, on a genealogy site. Without going into the details of how I connected with her, I ended up talking with her for quite some time, and discovered that she had had access to a Tanner family Bible at one time. She had copied out all the information and given it back to a family member - and has no idea where it is now.
Many of the 'facts' in the Bible were not correct, and in fact were the cause of much wasted time in my search for the origins of the Tanner family, because my cousin Bennie Tanner, whom I found in 1981 and talked with on the phone, was using that Bible for the information he passed to me about the family, information that was not true.
The bad information could easily be refuted by census records, which I sent to Fran.
A few entries in the Bible concerned Isabelle. Someone had recorded the name of her husband (John Gilbert) and at least one daughter, just the facts I had independently discovered this past Spring. But one fact was entirely different: she was listed as the daughter of Frederick Tanner, not Charles Tanner.
Charles Tanner was my great grandfather, the youngest child of Charles Wilcox Tanner and Elizabeth, formerly married to George Bailey, dec. Frederick was the second son.
Charles W and Elizabeth had brought their family to the US when Charles was 3 years old. They settled in Bristol RI. By adulthood, Charles had made it to Norwalk for some unknown reason, Frederick had disappeared, and so had the oldest son.
The Tanner Bible has Frederick and his wife in Norwalk around 1880, though. Isabelle was born in 1888 there. She is listed in the 1900 census as the daughter of Mary Jane Tanner, Charles's wife.
So either the Bible is wrong again, or Mary Jane had simplified the facts for the census taker! Of course it is possible that Mary Jane and Charles had adopted her, but what I am really interested in is her actual parentage. Well, that and the whole story!
It would be easy to conclude that the Bible was wrong about this as about so many other facts. But the person who probably recorded a great deal that was in the Tanner Bible was Charles Ernest Tanner, son of Charles and Mary Jane. He was my grandmother Ida May's older brother, and supposedly Isabelle's older brother, too. If he recorded that she was the child of Frederick, she could easily have been. It would be an odd thing to make up!
So I am perplexed, and have a great deal more to learn.
We have sealed Isabelle to Charles and Mary Jane Tanner. Mary Jane claimed her as a daughter, and that's what we went by. Time - or Eternity - will tell.
If anyone can shed light on this mystery, or would like to help uncover new facts, please feel free! PL
HOWEVER!
Just recently I met a new relative, Fran D'Alessio of Norwalk CT, on a genealogy site. Without going into the details of how I connected with her, I ended up talking with her for quite some time, and discovered that she had had access to a Tanner family Bible at one time. She had copied out all the information and given it back to a family member - and has no idea where it is now.
Many of the 'facts' in the Bible were not correct, and in fact were the cause of much wasted time in my search for the origins of the Tanner family, because my cousin Bennie Tanner, whom I found in 1981 and talked with on the phone, was using that Bible for the information he passed to me about the family, information that was not true.
The bad information could easily be refuted by census records, which I sent to Fran.
A few entries in the Bible concerned Isabelle. Someone had recorded the name of her husband (John Gilbert) and at least one daughter, just the facts I had independently discovered this past Spring. But one fact was entirely different: she was listed as the daughter of Frederick Tanner, not Charles Tanner.
Charles Tanner was my great grandfather, the youngest child of Charles Wilcox Tanner and Elizabeth, formerly married to George Bailey, dec. Frederick was the second son.
Charles W and Elizabeth had brought their family to the US when Charles was 3 years old. They settled in Bristol RI. By adulthood, Charles had made it to Norwalk for some unknown reason, Frederick had disappeared, and so had the oldest son.
The Tanner Bible has Frederick and his wife in Norwalk around 1880, though. Isabelle was born in 1888 there. She is listed in the 1900 census as the daughter of Mary Jane Tanner, Charles's wife.
So either the Bible is wrong again, or Mary Jane had simplified the facts for the census taker! Of course it is possible that Mary Jane and Charles had adopted her, but what I am really interested in is her actual parentage. Well, that and the whole story!
It would be easy to conclude that the Bible was wrong about this as about so many other facts. But the person who probably recorded a great deal that was in the Tanner Bible was Charles Ernest Tanner, son of Charles and Mary Jane. He was my grandmother Ida May's older brother, and supposedly Isabelle's older brother, too. If he recorded that she was the child of Frederick, she could easily have been. It would be an odd thing to make up!
So I am perplexed, and have a great deal more to learn.
We have sealed Isabelle to Charles and Mary Jane Tanner. Mary Jane claimed her as a daughter, and that's what we went by. Time - or Eternity - will tell.
If anyone can shed light on this mystery, or would like to help uncover new facts, please feel free! PL
Walking Intervals
Now that it's easier to walk (I'm no longer anemic, the days are cool), I have been doing a half hour walk each morning, and then occasionally another one in the evening. After having built up using mailboxes (q.v.) while still in Tucson, I decided that just walking would do here in Anacortes.
Until today. Yesterday I heard a Canadian doctor describe a technique for improving the exercise value of walking, and I decided to try what he suggested.
The suggestion: After a warm-up period of 5 minutes, alternate a 30 second walking sprint with a 30 second comfortable stride for the remainder of the time. Then cool down for 5 minutes.
I began the program this morning. Keeping an eye on my timer, I sprinted and strode for 33 minutes, and finished my usual course 4 minutes faster than usual - which meant adding distance till fill out the time.
The area of our neighborhood consists of hills and more hills. I decided to sprint according to the timer and not heed the change in terrain. The uphill sprints were particularly intense.
I had thought I was walking fast on all my walks. I want to use the time well. But the sprints were definitely faster than what I had been doing.
Today my lower legs felt the extra exercise. The whole program was satisfactory for me, and I'm happy that my walks are doing more now. I'm definitely sticking with this program!
Until today. Yesterday I heard a Canadian doctor describe a technique for improving the exercise value of walking, and I decided to try what he suggested.
The suggestion: After a warm-up period of 5 minutes, alternate a 30 second walking sprint with a 30 second comfortable stride for the remainder of the time. Then cool down for 5 minutes.
I began the program this morning. Keeping an eye on my timer, I sprinted and strode for 33 minutes, and finished my usual course 4 minutes faster than usual - which meant adding distance till fill out the time.
The area of our neighborhood consists of hills and more hills. I decided to sprint according to the timer and not heed the change in terrain. The uphill sprints were particularly intense.
I had thought I was walking fast on all my walks. I want to use the time well. But the sprints were definitely faster than what I had been doing.
Today my lower legs felt the extra exercise. The whole program was satisfactory for me, and I'm happy that my walks are doing more now. I'm definitely sticking with this program!
Monday, June 23, 2008
An Appealing Mission Task
Here is one of the appealing tasks we could be assigned to for our mission. I'm copying it from the mission handbook:
Medieval Zone FHL B2 (Family History Library Basement Level 2)
"The Medieval Zone provides service by researching and organizing medieval records. They develop, maintain, and make available the Medieval Family Files (with temple ordinance date when competed) for selected individuals who lived before 1600. The need is to prepare early records that may have been filmed but not yet reduced to digital form, and are not well resourced, nor merged into family units. The goal is to avoid so much duplication as presently experienced. Although the principal effort is aimed at data from England, there are also substantial efforts in German, French, Polynesian and Scandinavian underway. Another unique feature of this work is in the level of effort being accomplished by workers at home. This zone is uniquely equipped to do this kind of work. The zone has no contact with library patrons and, as the work becomes very complicated quite frequently, everyone is highly trained and uses the best of technology and experience."
Sounds good to us! They all sound good, but some especially so...
Medieval Zone FHL B2 (Family History Library Basement Level 2)
"The Medieval Zone provides service by researching and organizing medieval records. They develop, maintain, and make available the Medieval Family Files (with temple ordinance date when competed) for selected individuals who lived before 1600. The need is to prepare early records that may have been filmed but not yet reduced to digital form, and are not well resourced, nor merged into family units. The goal is to avoid so much duplication as presently experienced. Although the principal effort is aimed at data from England, there are also substantial efforts in German, French, Polynesian and Scandinavian underway. Another unique feature of this work is in the level of effort being accomplished by workers at home. This zone is uniquely equipped to do this kind of work. The zone has no contact with library patrons and, as the work becomes very complicated quite frequently, everyone is highly trained and uses the best of technology and experience."
Sounds good to us! They all sound good, but some especially so...
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Packet!
We received our missionary packet today, the one that lays out all the details of the mission.
It turns out that the mission is divided into the two main divisions, Church History and Family History, and then each of them is divided into many many subdivisions. We read their descriptions as soon as the packet came, and we already have clear preferences. More on this as time goes by.
In general, there are the outer, public areas that everyone knows about, such as the Family History Center, and the Church History and Art Museum, and work among the patrons there. Within these divisions are areas pertaining to parts of the world, such as Chinese, or Scandinavian, where specialization is possible. There's a Deaf specialty, also.
And then there are areas where archives are handled. For example, there is a facility in Orem that is just opening, which when up and running will work 24/7 to digitize vast amounts of church-related printed material.
In the Church History section, journals are often sent to the church which have to be analyzed for authenticity and relevance (my words, actually); also summarized and passed on to the professional historians.
There are teaching assignments also. And more you will hear more about shortly.
We learned a few things about our apartment and our branch, too. We don't know which apartment we'll find room in, but the map we were sent shows various complexes surrounding Temple Square, all within 1/4 mile. We need to take cooking and eating tools, linens, and of course personal care items, and there were a few comments that suggested the apartments are only incompletely furnished and we might need to buy some furniture - too bad given how much we'll have in storage here! We'll call for more details.
Our branch meets at the Salt Lake Stake Center at 143 West 200 North. It is made up of half of the missionaries working in this mission, and our class of November 2008 entering missionaries all attend together. (The other branch meets in the JSM Bldg.) We meet at 1:30 with RS / P first.
Our cohort of 20 (those entering in November) are to do activities together at least every 3 months. In other words, we are a 'family' or a team, regardless of our assignments. We had something a little less structured but similar when we were in Beijing, and it was quite satisfactory.
We work 8 to 4 every day, with the exception of about 20% of the assignments, which have Saturday hours and shiftwork during the week. We are given 4 hours a week during work time to do our own family history research, and are required to bring our PAF files for 4 generations plus names and dates for the 5th generation, along w/ our Patriarchal Blessings.
That's a quick overview. It's exciting and I've left a lot out. I'll tell you more about our favorite areas soon.
One delightful development: the mission has 3 choirs, general, men's, and women's. We'll be there!
It is possible to be invited to extend. I hope we qualify...
It turns out that the mission is divided into the two main divisions, Church History and Family History, and then each of them is divided into many many subdivisions. We read their descriptions as soon as the packet came, and we already have clear preferences. More on this as time goes by.
In general, there are the outer, public areas that everyone knows about, such as the Family History Center, and the Church History and Art Museum, and work among the patrons there. Within these divisions are areas pertaining to parts of the world, such as Chinese, or Scandinavian, where specialization is possible. There's a Deaf specialty, also.
And then there are areas where archives are handled. For example, there is a facility in Orem that is just opening, which when up and running will work 24/7 to digitize vast amounts of church-related printed material.
In the Church History section, journals are often sent to the church which have to be analyzed for authenticity and relevance (my words, actually); also summarized and passed on to the professional historians.
There are teaching assignments also. And more you will hear more about shortly.
We learned a few things about our apartment and our branch, too. We don't know which apartment we'll find room in, but the map we were sent shows various complexes surrounding Temple Square, all within 1/4 mile. We need to take cooking and eating tools, linens, and of course personal care items, and there were a few comments that suggested the apartments are only incompletely furnished and we might need to buy some furniture - too bad given how much we'll have in storage here! We'll call for more details.
Our branch meets at the Salt Lake Stake Center at 143 West 200 North. It is made up of half of the missionaries working in this mission, and our class of November 2008 entering missionaries all attend together. (The other branch meets in the JSM Bldg.) We meet at 1:30 with RS / P first.
Our cohort of 20 (those entering in November) are to do activities together at least every 3 months. In other words, we are a 'family' or a team, regardless of our assignments. We had something a little less structured but similar when we were in Beijing, and it was quite satisfactory.
We work 8 to 4 every day, with the exception of about 20% of the assignments, which have Saturday hours and shiftwork during the week. We are given 4 hours a week during work time to do our own family history research, and are required to bring our PAF files for 4 generations plus names and dates for the 5th generation, along w/ our Patriarchal Blessings.
That's a quick overview. It's exciting and I've left a lot out. I'll tell you more about our favorite areas soon.
One delightful development: the mission has 3 choirs, general, men's, and women's. We'll be there!
It is possible to be invited to extend. I hope we qualify...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Houses And Other Encumbrances
Today we have our 6 properties, and from the moment we conceived of going on our mission sooner rather than waiting, our goal has been to lessen the load.
That means either selling or renting out all of them.
We have no idea how long this mission will last - 12 months to 4 years, probably at least 18 months. So we have no business owning several domiciles and the huge bills and responsibilities that are part of owning properties.
We put the land on the market some time ago, and now we have this Anacortes house for sale and also the Tucson Sallee Place home for sale. We have been successful in getting renters where we weren't able to sell, or the timing was wrong to sell. So we're making progress.
The Anacortes house is being shown tomorrow and looks great (except for the lawn, which is only partly mowed due to rain).
Our goal hasn't changed. We report to church headquarters for training in 4 1/2 months. There's still time!
If the Anacortes house sells quickly, which it could - this market is not like the supersaturated Tucson one - then we will possibly see if we can start our mission sooner. We'll cross that bridge when the time comes.
We would consider ourselves very blessed to have the land and Sallee Place house sell. What a relief that would be!
Your prayers and positive expectations are welcome!
That means either selling or renting out all of them.
We have no idea how long this mission will last - 12 months to 4 years, probably at least 18 months. So we have no business owning several domiciles and the huge bills and responsibilities that are part of owning properties.
We put the land on the market some time ago, and now we have this Anacortes house for sale and also the Tucson Sallee Place home for sale. We have been successful in getting renters where we weren't able to sell, or the timing was wrong to sell. So we're making progress.
The Anacortes house is being shown tomorrow and looks great (except for the lawn, which is only partly mowed due to rain).
Our goal hasn't changed. We report to church headquarters for training in 4 1/2 months. There's still time!
If the Anacortes house sells quickly, which it could - this market is not like the supersaturated Tucson one - then we will possibly see if we can start our mission sooner. We'll cross that bridge when the time comes.
We would consider ourselves very blessed to have the land and Sallee Place house sell. What a relief that would be!
Your prayers and positive expectations are welcome!
Pre-Mission Travels
We expect to take a month to travel before we end up in Salt Lake for our mission.
We have people we don't want to postpone seeing, and we want to feel free to extend our mission if we want to without getting Wanderlust.
Here's our pathway, without firm dates so far. If you are on this list, be forewarned. And then later we'll add some dates:
1. Drive (in the Durango) to Great Falls MT to see grandkids and drop off a bed.
2. Drive to Salt Lake City UT to drop off our mission belongings. Quick hello to friends and family.
3. Drive to Boulder UT to meet someone coming from Tucson with our Prius, who will take our Durango back to Tucson.
4. Drive to Denver or Colorado Springs (in the Prius) to see the Samuelsons.
5. Drive to Fairfield IA to see Kay Ferguson.
6. Drive to Paulding OH to see Deb and Sara and Sara's kids.
7. Drive to New England to see: Jim and Lenny, Lucy and Allan, Patrice and Harry, Valerie and Peter, Bill and Joyce, Dorothy, and as many other people as we can find and fit in.
8. Drive to Eden Prairie MN to see Adamses.
9. Drive to Cowley WY to see Toni, Rich, and the boys.
10. Drive to Salt Lake for our mission, arriving approx Nov 5 in the evening.
This is the best guess right now, some 3 mos and several days before we'd have to leave.
What is not on this list, and still a possibility, is a trip to England with Lucy and Allan Katz. They lived there for a year and would be great tour guides. Plus, we've been planning a walking tour w/ them, plus some family history in the same locale where they wanted to tour, for some time, long before Lucy retired. But we may not be able to afford it this year. If we do go, the trip will be shoehorned in just after arriving in New England. That means an early start date for the trip.
As it is now, the trip will need to be close to a month long. With England, add 2-3 weeks.
If you have any input about when you don't want us to be somewhere, let me know quick! And I am looking for volunteers to drive the Prius to Boulder, and the Durango to Tucson, on the date when we would be there, which, best guestimate, would be about Oct 15.
Here are some durations of visit. This would be subject to some flexibility as needed - we may build in 1-2 days for flexing the plan:
Great Falls - 2 nights, one full day
Salt Lake - 2 nights, one full day
Boulder - 1 night
Denver/CO Springs - 2 nights, one full day
Nebraska - 1 night
Fairfield IA - 2 nights, one full day
Paulding OH - 2 nights, one full day
New England - 1 week
midway to MN - 1 night
Eden Prairie MN - 2 nights, 1 full day
midway to Cowley - 1 night
Cowley - 2 nights, 1 full day
Total: 25 nights on the road, 26 days - Approx dates Oct 10 to Nov 5 (no-England version),
It will be nice to be based in SLC after that. We have so very many wonderful family members and friends we can visit on our days off! Because we will have something like 1 to 3 years for those visits, we're waiting to do them when we're living right there on the Wasatch Front.
We're getting excited.
We have people we don't want to postpone seeing, and we want to feel free to extend our mission if we want to without getting Wanderlust.
Here's our pathway, without firm dates so far. If you are on this list, be forewarned. And then later we'll add some dates:
1. Drive (in the Durango) to Great Falls MT to see grandkids and drop off a bed.
2. Drive to Salt Lake City UT to drop off our mission belongings. Quick hello to friends and family.
3. Drive to Boulder UT to meet someone coming from Tucson with our Prius, who will take our Durango back to Tucson.
4. Drive to Denver or Colorado Springs (in the Prius) to see the Samuelsons.
5. Drive to Fairfield IA to see Kay Ferguson.
6. Drive to Paulding OH to see Deb and Sara and Sara's kids.
7. Drive to New England to see: Jim and Lenny, Lucy and Allan, Patrice and Harry, Valerie and Peter, Bill and Joyce, Dorothy, and as many other people as we can find and fit in.
8. Drive to Eden Prairie MN to see Adamses.
9. Drive to Cowley WY to see Toni, Rich, and the boys.
10. Drive to Salt Lake for our mission, arriving approx Nov 5 in the evening.
This is the best guess right now, some 3 mos and several days before we'd have to leave.
What is not on this list, and still a possibility, is a trip to England with Lucy and Allan Katz. They lived there for a year and would be great tour guides. Plus, we've been planning a walking tour w/ them, plus some family history in the same locale where they wanted to tour, for some time, long before Lucy retired. But we may not be able to afford it this year. If we do go, the trip will be shoehorned in just after arriving in New England. That means an early start date for the trip.
As it is now, the trip will need to be close to a month long. With England, add 2-3 weeks.
If you have any input about when you don't want us to be somewhere, let me know quick! And I am looking for volunteers to drive the Prius to Boulder, and the Durango to Tucson, on the date when we would be there, which, best guestimate, would be about Oct 15.
Here are some durations of visit. This would be subject to some flexibility as needed - we may build in 1-2 days for flexing the plan:
Great Falls - 2 nights, one full day
Salt Lake - 2 nights, one full day
Boulder - 1 night
Denver/CO Springs - 2 nights, one full day
Nebraska - 1 night
Fairfield IA - 2 nights, one full day
Paulding OH - 2 nights, one full day
New England - 1 week
midway to MN - 1 night
Eden Prairie MN - 2 nights, 1 full day
midway to Cowley - 1 night
Cowley - 2 nights, 1 full day
Total: 25 nights on the road, 26 days - Approx dates Oct 10 to Nov 5 (no-England version),
It will be nice to be based in SLC after that. We have so very many wonderful family members and friends we can visit on our days off! Because we will have something like 1 to 3 years for those visits, we're waiting to do them when we're living right there on the Wasatch Front.
We're getting excited.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
A House, A Home, Pt 2
Our house is on the market - or to be clearer, our WA home is on the market. It looks great!
There's a little left to do, but the bedroom is painted (as you saw), the deck railing is pressure-washed and is now partly painted, thanks to a sunny respite. Flowers (deep-pink rhododendrons, a purple iris, a deep-red rose, and many chive blossoms) are on the table in a small vase. The counters are clear, the front lawn is mowed and weeded and the back will be done tomorrow. All clutter is out of site, or on its way to the storage area. The stove is clean, the granite counters are shiny.
All that's left to do is to find something like a printer table to hide the cable spaghetti on our family room floor, and to put the TV on, because a TV on a printer box on the hearth is not as attractive as it might be. And I have one more business-related box to secret away.
Tuesday the carpet cleaners come. A week later we have our Realtors' open house.
Pretty much, we're good to go. Now bring on the buyers!
This is a good little house. The yard is wonderful - just the right size. We could grow all our own produce here. It's tempting to keep it.
But we will be away for over a year, maybe even over a year and a half. And that's a long time to be making house payments, and paying the tax bill and utilities, and getting the lawn mowed by someone who won't forget and who understands about doing the trim, too, and raking the leaves.
So we are selling it. Sigh!
One lesson learned: it is easier, on average, to live without one's junk than to live with it. Tomorrow we have an expedition with several boxes we brought up in the trailer, to take them to the storeroom. Knowing you will be living without purse, scrip, or boxes in a few months sure makes the decision easier. (Not quite true about the scrip, but still...)
There's a little left to do, but the bedroom is painted (as you saw), the deck railing is pressure-washed and is now partly painted, thanks to a sunny respite. Flowers (deep-pink rhododendrons, a purple iris, a deep-red rose, and many chive blossoms) are on the table in a small vase. The counters are clear, the front lawn is mowed and weeded and the back will be done tomorrow. All clutter is out of site, or on its way to the storage area. The stove is clean, the granite counters are shiny.
All that's left to do is to find something like a printer table to hide the cable spaghetti on our family room floor, and to put the TV on, because a TV on a printer box on the hearth is not as attractive as it might be. And I have one more business-related box to secret away.
Tuesday the carpet cleaners come. A week later we have our Realtors' open house.
Pretty much, we're good to go. Now bring on the buyers!
This is a good little house. The yard is wonderful - just the right size. We could grow all our own produce here. It's tempting to keep it.
But we will be away for over a year, maybe even over a year and a half. And that's a long time to be making house payments, and paying the tax bill and utilities, and getting the lawn mowed by someone who won't forget and who understands about doing the trim, too, and raking the leaves.
So we are selling it. Sigh!
One lesson learned: it is easier, on average, to live without one's junk than to live with it. Tomorrow we have an expedition with several boxes we brought up in the trailer, to take them to the storeroom. Knowing you will be living without purse, scrip, or boxes in a few months sure makes the decision easier. (Not quite true about the scrip, but still...)
Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Morning After, And After That
So what purpose does this blog serve now?
It may not be kept as a blow-by-blow account of things, but there is much preparation - and transformation, I think - left to be experienced. So I will keep it for myself, and for whatever other wise purposes there may be, and you can read it or not as you will...
Preparations to date: We have written our acceptance letters and will have them endorsed by our bishop today. This is not quite as straightforward as it might sound: first we have to have our records transferred to this ward, and then we can have our bishop endorse our letters.
Bishop B Anderson from Tucson had the foresight to list Anacortes as our home ward, so even though he did all the hard parts as we filled out the papers, and offered us great counsel and encouragement and used his time for interviews and so on, he is not the bishop of the so recently called missionaries. That is Bishop J Rutter of Anacortes, who met us last week.
So first we switch our membership, and then our bishop signs, and then we send the acceptance letters to church headquarters.
The next step of preparation that we have begun is to figure out about our stuff. We are limited in what we need to take with us, what we can take with us, and the rest has to be stored here.
That's because we are putting this house on the market this week. And unless it and another major property of ours sells, we won't have a house at all - just two storage units, one filled to the door with our belongings from Tucson, and the other awaiting our furnishings from here.
But what goes where? We now have three lists: Storage unit, Salt Lake, or Tucson.
We thought there might be things that should go back to Tucson, for someone's use there, and that can be accomplished when we trade cars with Katie and Tyler.
So that's the next item for planning: when to trade cars - we have the big one, and they have our beloved Prius, which now barely accommodates the 5 of them. So we need to switch, and with a distance of nearly2000 miles between us, doing that is not trivial.
We have also considered what to do if this house sells before we're ready to leave. We have some contingencies, but it all depends - primarily on when this house needs to be vacated. (The market in Anacortes is not nearly as bleak as the one in Tucson, and our house, a one-storey rambler, is of a popular type.)
So: membership, stuff, houses, and cars.
And just a side note: the general presidential election is held 3 days before we report. We've got to figure out how to vote in that also. Probably absentee from AZ, because we won't really be residents of WA at all by then...(and we have plenty of properties left in AZ to use for addresses!).
So these are the infinitely fascinating things we'll be talking about - these and I hope some elements of spiritual preparation. Stay tuned ... ????
It may not be kept as a blow-by-blow account of things, but there is much preparation - and transformation, I think - left to be experienced. So I will keep it for myself, and for whatever other wise purposes there may be, and you can read it or not as you will...
Preparations to date: We have written our acceptance letters and will have them endorsed by our bishop today. This is not quite as straightforward as it might sound: first we have to have our records transferred to this ward, and then we can have our bishop endorse our letters.
Bishop B Anderson from Tucson had the foresight to list Anacortes as our home ward, so even though he did all the hard parts as we filled out the papers, and offered us great counsel and encouragement and used his time for interviews and so on, he is not the bishop of the so recently called missionaries. That is Bishop J Rutter of Anacortes, who met us last week.
So first we switch our membership, and then our bishop signs, and then we send the acceptance letters to church headquarters.
The next step of preparation that we have begun is to figure out about our stuff. We are limited in what we need to take with us, what we can take with us, and the rest has to be stored here.
That's because we are putting this house on the market this week. And unless it and another major property of ours sells, we won't have a house at all - just two storage units, one filled to the door with our belongings from Tucson, and the other awaiting our furnishings from here.
But what goes where? We now have three lists: Storage unit, Salt Lake, or Tucson.
We thought there might be things that should go back to Tucson, for someone's use there, and that can be accomplished when we trade cars with Katie and Tyler.
So that's the next item for planning: when to trade cars - we have the big one, and they have our beloved Prius, which now barely accommodates the 5 of them. So we need to switch, and with a distance of nearly2000 miles between us, doing that is not trivial.
We have also considered what to do if this house sells before we're ready to leave. We have some contingencies, but it all depends - primarily on when this house needs to be vacated. (The market in Anacortes is not nearly as bleak as the one in Tucson, and our house, a one-storey rambler, is of a popular type.)
So: membership, stuff, houses, and cars.
And just a side note: the general presidential election is held 3 days before we report. We've got to figure out how to vote in that also. Probably absentee from AZ, because we won't really be residents of WA at all by then...(and we have plenty of properties left in AZ to use for addresses!).
So these are the infinitely fascinating things we'll be talking about - these and I hope some elements of spiritual preparation. Stay tuned ... ????
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Mission Call
Here are the details of our Call, signed by the President of the Church on June 3, 2008:
We are called to serve at church headquarters in the Family and Church History Mission. We report on 7 Nov 2008, and it is anticipated that we will serve for 12 months.
(We have been informed that it is easy to extend that period up to 3+ years.)
We will receive further instructions in the mail in the next few days, and we'll let you know what those are.
We were joined on our conference call by several family members. Thanks to all those who were there, and we missed those who didn't get the word in time.
Now we will continue our preparations, and your prayers are solicited on behalf of our success in matters such as selling our Tucson house and land, as well as maintaining our good health and all other matters, both worldly and spiritual, in which we stand in need of success and/or improvement. Thanks!
We are called to serve at church headquarters in the Family and Church History Mission. We report on 7 Nov 2008, and it is anticipated that we will serve for 12 months.
(We have been informed that it is easy to extend that period up to 3+ years.)
We will receive further instructions in the mail in the next few days, and we'll let you know what those are.
We were joined on our conference call by several family members. Thanks to all those who were there, and we missed those who didn't get the word in time.
Now we will continue our preparations, and your prayers are solicited on behalf of our success in matters such as selling our Tucson house and land, as well as maintaining our good health and all other matters, both worldly and spiritual, in which we stand in need of success and/or improvement. Thanks!
It's HERE!
but we haven't opened it yet. We are thinking about how to proceed. Prayerfully, I can assure you.
For all you faithful blog-watchers, we will have a conference call at 6 pm tonight (PT, incl Tucson, or 7 pm in MT and UT), which we hope will allow anyone interested to be there: it's after day activites and before evening activities - we hope!
The number is 308-344-6400, pin 887953#. If you have trouble getting in, hang up and enter the pin slowly, even if it tells you it is invalid. And stand away from a computer while doing that. Maybe call in a few minutes early so you can be sure to be there.
Keep an eye on this blog for changes: If I hear that this time is bad for a few of you, we will try to find a better one. And of course I will post the details right after the call for anyone who has to miss it.
YAY! They do want us after all...any last guesses?
For all you faithful blog-watchers, we will have a conference call at 6 pm tonight (PT, incl Tucson, or 7 pm in MT and UT), which we hope will allow anyone interested to be there: it's after day activites and before evening activities - we hope!
The number is 308-344-6400, pin 887953#. If you have trouble getting in, hang up and enter the pin slowly, even if it tells you it is invalid. And stand away from a computer while doing that. Maybe call in a few minutes early so you can be sure to be there.
Keep an eye on this blog for changes: If I hear that this time is bad for a few of you, we will try to find a better one. And of course I will post the details right after the call for anyone who has to miss it.
YAY! They do want us after all...any last guesses?
Friday, June 6, 2008
Not This Week, I Guess...
The mail just came. At least the mailtruck just went by. But nothing for us. I suppose there is some small hope it will come tomorrow, but it seems unlikely it would take 4 days from Salt Lake, and we know they're mailed on Tuesdays.
So it looks like we wait for another week...
So it looks like we wait for another week...
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Waiting...
It's nearly 11 am on the first day the call could come (on this revised schedule previously laid out).
I just ran out in the rain and checked the mailbox. It's empty - mail hasn't come.
It is not lost on me that someday all this will be history, well-known, understood, absorbed, assimilated, written, finished, archived, journaled, told to future generations, and even forgotten. But right now it is all future, all potential, all what-ifs and full of hope and a little terror (what if it's Ohio?).
Maybe it will switch from unknown to enlightenment in the next hour. Or not till tomorrow, or next week, or the one after that... But maybe in this next hour.
Whatever it is, it will be life-changing, it will change OUR lives - and the only way to walk through this is by faith, and an earnest desire to make the best of everything, and the firm knowledge that we will do so.
Maybe no one is watching with us. But it feels like a roomful, at least.
I just ran out in the rain and checked the mailbox. It's empty - mail hasn't come.
It is not lost on me that someday all this will be history, well-known, understood, absorbed, assimilated, written, finished, archived, journaled, told to future generations, and even forgotten. But right now it is all future, all potential, all what-ifs and full of hope and a little terror (what if it's Ohio?).
Maybe it will switch from unknown to enlightenment in the next hour. Or not till tomorrow, or next week, or the one after that... But maybe in this next hour.
Whatever it is, it will be life-changing, it will change OUR lives - and the only way to walk through this is by faith, and an earnest desire to make the best of everything, and the firm knowledge that we will do so.
Maybe no one is watching with us. But it feels like a roomful, at least.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Late Spring Cheerfulness
Now that I have the knack of getting photos into blogs - even if not where I want them - I have a few more to share. These are of our house from the back.
Our Newly Painted Room
When we moved into this house two years ago, after we got back from China - having bought it sight unseen - we knew we had to do something about the deep turquoise master bedroom right away.
This climate can use some bright colors at times, so we decided to make it a good solid clear yellow.
Yellow, even with primer and two coats, over deep turquoise has a tendency to look greenish.
And it wasn't until we had these coats on that we noticed there was something wrong with the woodwork. It was looking grayish. On closer inspection we found it was actually a very pale shade of lavender. NOT GOOD with yellow! It just looked dingey.
So Monday we started painting. Our friend Judy, who is mildly insane in that she adores painting, especially the fussy stuff like woodwork, joined us in Fixing The Room.
What an awesome job she did! We now have yellow yellow walls, and white white woodwork. Last night we went out and bought blue curtains (all we could find, actually, that would fit) and found they went perfectly with an indigo and pure white embroidered coverlet that we brought back from China. And now we have a lovely bedroom!
As you've seen, I've added some photos. I didn't want to leave them at the top, but I can't get them to move...
This room is the only one that NEEDS painting. But it makes the neutral colors professionally done by the seller two years ago look very dull.
As we continue preparing the house to be sold, we are solving problems one room at a time. I'll probably share our successes with you again.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
What Elder Godfrey Said - Then And Now
Last Friday when I called Elder Godfrey from the Missionary Department to request our address change, and he told me about the mustache and all that old news, he also said our call would be mailed on Tuesday (today).
Just now I talked to him again to find out where to send the new photo he requested.
And attempted to verify that we were expecting the call later this week.
And he said, well, if all goes well, the computer system works, no secretaries are sick and so on, we could expect it in two or three or maybe four weeks.
I reminded him that last Friday he said it would go out today and he said, well, if that's what he said then that was probably good, but he didn't have the stacks any more and couldn't say for sure.
Now the interesting thing about this is that over the past several weeks I have shared with several family members that I knew that it wasn't coming two weeks ago (though we thought it should, by rights) and it wasn't coming last week (though technically it should have, from what we knew). I also shared that as I looked at the weeks ahead, I saw that this week there was a faint chance, but that my real sense of it was that it was actually coming the following week, or more likely the week after. This was a clear vision of a reality, and didn't make any sense at the time.
When Elder Godfrey said it was coming this week, I accepted that with delight, but was surprised because of that prior clear vision. Now what he's saying is more compatible with the original vision of it.
So now we can all just sit back and wait for a miracle (its coming this week) or a wait a little longer for what is more likely...
Stay tuned!
Just now I talked to him again to find out where to send the new photo he requested.
And attempted to verify that we were expecting the call later this week.
And he said, well, if all goes well, the computer system works, no secretaries are sick and so on, we could expect it in two or three or maybe four weeks.
I reminded him that last Friday he said it would go out today and he said, well, if that's what he said then that was probably good, but he didn't have the stacks any more and couldn't say for sure.
Now the interesting thing about this is that over the past several weeks I have shared with several family members that I knew that it wasn't coming two weeks ago (though we thought it should, by rights) and it wasn't coming last week (though technically it should have, from what we knew). I also shared that as I looked at the weeks ahead, I saw that this week there was a faint chance, but that my real sense of it was that it was actually coming the following week, or more likely the week after. This was a clear vision of a reality, and didn't make any sense at the time.
When Elder Godfrey said it was coming this week, I accepted that with delight, but was surprised because of that prior clear vision. Now what he's saying is more compatible with the original vision of it.
So now we can all just sit back and wait for a miracle (its coming this week) or a wait a little longer for what is more likely...
Stay tuned!
Monday, June 2, 2008
One Step Of Progress
Just now I received a call from our rental agent in Benson. Our house there is now rented with a year's lease. YAYAYAYAYAY! This house has been vacant since last October, and a real drain on us.
Now we have the opportunity to wait and sell it at a more advantageous time. (This is the least conceivable advantageous time, with prices down a hefty amount and days on market at record highs in the Tucson area.)
One of the mission preparation steps we undertook in January was the resolving of all the real estate challenges: selling or renting our properties that we were not currently using. So this first success in that area is very welcome in a week during which we are expecting our call, and in which we fasted with our mission-preparation steps foremost in our minds.
We pray constantly for additional relief in this area.
Now we have the opportunity to wait and sell it at a more advantageous time. (This is the least conceivable advantageous time, with prices down a hefty amount and days on market at record highs in the Tucson area.)
One of the mission preparation steps we undertook in January was the resolving of all the real estate challenges: selling or renting our properties that we were not currently using. So this first success in that area is very welcome in a week during which we are expecting our call, and in which we fasted with our mission-preparation steps foremost in our minds.
We pray constantly for additional relief in this area.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
A House, A Home
Yesterday I had good cause to notice the difference between a house and a home.
Five months to the day after we had our last meal, just the two of us at our little table, before leaving for Tucson, just before leaving our little 'second home' behind, we sat together again at home in Anacortes.
In reality, I think there is no such thing as a second home. Home is where the heart is, and also the essentials of life: the favorite frying pan, the family-history archives and heirlooms, the folders full of income-tax returns. (This observation presumes that all these things are in one place.)
Saturday night we arrived back in Anacortes, having driven for 16 hours minus a 50 minute lunch break, and having stopped at the store on the way in to pick up some essentials to get us through till Monday.
As we sat at that same little table, eating a bite of supper at 11 pm, the circle closed. We were right where we'd been. The 5 highly stressful months in Tucson were effectively excluded. We were home now, and all that was 'other'. I was neither all happy nor all sad: it just WAS. It was the first moment when I fully realized that home was here now.
Why not all happy? We love Tucson. We just can't have it. It's hard to live in two places. Going back and forth, the original model of having two houses, means never being 'home'. It's stressful and unsettling. One has to pick.
Further, in these years of missions and travel, having domiciles sprinkled here and there is unnecessary and not even appealing. One is enough.
And one is good. I have said for several months that we want to be homeless when we go on our mission. That sounds a bit cute. Other senior-missionary couples have said it. But the fact is, we don't want to be homeless. We want a homebase to return to. We want friends who miss us. We want a recognizable HOME for family members to visit and grow fond of, because it's ours and has a great deal of us in it and around it.
And for now, this little house in Anacortes is home. As we go about putting things away from the 5 months out of town, the very decisions are different now that this is home. The awkwardnesses or compromises of what goes where are not as tolerated, for example. Things need to be 'right' about it, because it's home.
Not that this is the ultimate house. It is still going on the market. Anacortes is home, and this is our current house. But as soon as we can we'll be finding and moving to the final house, which will become our true home.
We haven't had a true home since Sweetwater. We left there in 1997. The time has come...
Five months to the day after we had our last meal, just the two of us at our little table, before leaving for Tucson, just before leaving our little 'second home' behind, we sat together again at home in Anacortes.
In reality, I think there is no such thing as a second home. Home is where the heart is, and also the essentials of life: the favorite frying pan, the family-history archives and heirlooms, the folders full of income-tax returns. (This observation presumes that all these things are in one place.)
Saturday night we arrived back in Anacortes, having driven for 16 hours minus a 50 minute lunch break, and having stopped at the store on the way in to pick up some essentials to get us through till Monday.
As we sat at that same little table, eating a bite of supper at 11 pm, the circle closed. We were right where we'd been. The 5 highly stressful months in Tucson were effectively excluded. We were home now, and all that was 'other'. I was neither all happy nor all sad: it just WAS. It was the first moment when I fully realized that home was here now.
Why not all happy? We love Tucson. We just can't have it. It's hard to live in two places. Going back and forth, the original model of having two houses, means never being 'home'. It's stressful and unsettling. One has to pick.
Further, in these years of missions and travel, having domiciles sprinkled here and there is unnecessary and not even appealing. One is enough.
And one is good. I have said for several months that we want to be homeless when we go on our mission. That sounds a bit cute. Other senior-missionary couples have said it. But the fact is, we don't want to be homeless. We want a homebase to return to. We want friends who miss us. We want a recognizable HOME for family members to visit and grow fond of, because it's ours and has a great deal of us in it and around it.
And for now, this little house in Anacortes is home. As we go about putting things away from the 5 months out of town, the very decisions are different now that this is home. The awkwardnesses or compromises of what goes where are not as tolerated, for example. Things need to be 'right' about it, because it's home.
Not that this is the ultimate house. It is still going on the market. Anacortes is home, and this is our current house. But as soon as we can we'll be finding and moving to the final house, which will become our true home.
We haven't had a true home since Sweetwater. We left there in 1997. The time has come...
Here in Anacortes...
Here we are at home in Anacortes, with all our stuff.
This afternoon we put a lot of it away. We also have the internet sort of working. And we harvested 3-4 lbs of edible-pod peas, and cut off the old asparagus stalks so we might get some spears this season. The broccoli raab had just about taken over the garden, with 8 foot stalks, and the brussels sprouts are nowhere to be seen. And alfalfa abounds...
But the garden is little and we had fun in the cool (65 degree) sun and we'll have a little harvest for our supper.
Also some beasties went to snail heaven today....
This afternoon we put a lot of it away. We also have the internet sort of working. And we harvested 3-4 lbs of edible-pod peas, and cut off the old asparagus stalks so we might get some spears this season. The broccoli raab had just about taken over the garden, with 8 foot stalks, and the brussels sprouts are nowhere to be seen. And alfalfa abounds...
But the garden is little and we had fun in the cool (65 degree) sun and we'll have a little harvest for our supper.
Also some beasties went to snail heaven today....
Friday, May 30, 2008
Mystery of Missing Mission Call Starts with M
I just talked to the kind Bro Godfrey from the mission department, having called him because we needed to change our address from Chris's to Rye Court, Anacortes.
He said, funny thing you should have called - I have just talked to your stake president....
It turns out that they had processed our papers, and knew that I was probably related to John, an astronomer...
But they couldn't send us our call because of our photo.
!!!!!!
What was wrong with our photo?
The MUSTACHE! One has a choice: mustache or mission.
He said if I would cross my heart and hope to die, he would go ahead and send our call along with the others for processing, and that it would go out in the mail next Tuesday. He laughed and said it could not go out today no matter what.
But I had to promise to provide a new photo with no mustache!
I said I would but that it would take a few days while we were in transit. He was ok w/ that.
So next Thursday or so, we should get our call. We are having it sent to our home address so we don't have to hang out at the post office. It has been cleared by the Apostles already.
The actual mustache-bearer is not overjoyed, but will comply. Right before we do the photo, I think...
He said, funny thing you should have called - I have just talked to your stake president....
It turns out that they had processed our papers, and knew that I was probably related to John, an astronomer...
But they couldn't send us our call because of our photo.
!!!!!!
What was wrong with our photo?
The MUSTACHE! One has a choice: mustache or mission.
He said if I would cross my heart and hope to die, he would go ahead and send our call along with the others for processing, and that it would go out in the mail next Tuesday. He laughed and said it could not go out today no matter what.
But I had to promise to provide a new photo with no mustache!
I said I would but that it would take a few days while we were in transit. He was ok w/ that.
So next Thursday or so, we should get our call. We are having it sent to our home address so we don't have to hang out at the post office. It has been cleared by the Apostles already.
The actual mustache-bearer is not overjoyed, but will comply. Right before we do the photo, I think...
Thursday, May 29, 2008
An Hour Later...
The mail just came!
The spirit of prophecy is upon me.
Did I mention yesterday at this time that ...
I didn't think it would come today? Actually, I was pretty sure it wouldn't come today.
Of course we're talking here about our MISSION CALL!
Well....
It didn't come today.
The mail comes at 10 am tomorrow....
:)
Actually, I don't think it's going to come then, either. :-
The spirit of prophecy is upon me.
Did I mention yesterday at this time that ...
I didn't think it would come today? Actually, I was pretty sure it wouldn't come today.
Of course we're talking here about our MISSION CALL!
Well....
It didn't come today.
The mail comes at 10 am tomorrow....
:)
Actually, I don't think it's going to come then, either. :-
Mail Comes at 10 am MT...
...and right now it is...10:04!
And it hasn't come yet.
Just thought you'd like to know...
And it hasn't come yet.
Just thought you'd like to know...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sealings
After much planning and careful coordination with Chris and the Romneys, today we had our long-planned family sealing session. Much thanks to our special friends!
It was a spirit-filled event, with many happy family members in attendance, too many to count. Humility, hope, and repentance filled some hearts, and also relief.
Babies (Leslie, William Edward, Teresa, Charles H, Chauncey) were made part of their forever-families, and parents were joined to receive them. Couples greeted each other with open arms.
The work is just beginning, and we know we'll have ever so many more helpers for future searches.
We'd like to schedule another sealing in SLC when everyone can make it. We'll know better what dates might work in another day or two, when we learn whether we will be in Mongolia at this time next year, or Salt Lake, or Milwaukee or Atlanta or Yellowknife. Once we know, the planning will begin in earnest.
Already Chris and the girls will do baptisms this Saturday, with 18 scheduled so far. If you'd like to do some of the work for these loved ones, please let me know.
It was a spirit-filled event, with many happy family members in attendance, too many to count. Humility, hope, and repentance filled some hearts, and also relief.
Babies (Leslie, William Edward, Teresa, Charles H, Chauncey) were made part of their forever-families, and parents were joined to receive them. Couples greeted each other with open arms.
The work is just beginning, and we know we'll have ever so many more helpers for future searches.
We'd like to schedule another sealing in SLC when everyone can make it. We'll know better what dates might work in another day or two, when we learn whether we will be in Mongolia at this time next year, or Salt Lake, or Milwaukee or Atlanta or Yellowknife. Once we know, the planning will begin in earnest.
Already Chris and the girls will do baptisms this Saturday, with 18 scheduled so far. If you'd like to do some of the work for these loved ones, please let me know.
Checking the Mailbox, Wed 28 May 2008
It's a beautiful day here in Salt Lake City, about 72, sunny with some fluffy white clouds. We had a wonderful sealing session at the temple this morning. Afterwards it was time to check the mailbox.
Actually, when we got back, Andrya had already brought the mail in, but I didn't know that. The mailbox was empty...
But inside the mail was on the counter in the kitchen. AND!!!!
Our call envelope was not there. It didn't come today.
Sigh!
So now we have ONE MORE CHANCE - tomorrow. After that, we'll have left.
Or actually, we don't have to leave till Fri afternoon, so that is actually the last chance. Stay tuned!
Actually, when we got back, Andrya had already brought the mail in, but I didn't know that. The mailbox was empty...
But inside the mail was on the counter in the kitchen. AND!!!!
Our call envelope was not there. It didn't come today.
Sigh!
So now we have ONE MORE CHANCE - tomorrow. After that, we'll have left.
Or actually, we don't have to leave till Fri afternoon, so that is actually the last chance. Stay tuned!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Peace
Here we are in Boulder UT. If you haven't been, you might want to make the effort to come. The scenery alone would make it worthwhile, and there's no describing it. Red, yellow, rugged, wet, cold...
Down the street from where we're being hosted, Navajo sheep graze in a field next to Belgian draft horses. These churro sheep are great to eat, but even more valuable as a source of the finest wool, or maybe mohair.
Back toward town, cattle appear and disappear again as they are moved from one field to another. These are grass-fed, mostly Black Angus (so probably corn-finished). Across the street is our friend's famous restaurant, Hell's Backbone Grill (named after a well-known nearby land formation).
We ate at the grill last night as guests of the establishment. We had, variously, trout, trout, chicken enchiladas, and meat loaf. But these are not the usual presentations of these standard foods. They were exceptional, but again, indescribable. Save your pennies and come taste these novel combinations. One clue: my trout came with quinoa mixed with lots of pine nuts and other things, and worked perfectly with the trout.
Everything at the restaurant comes from nearby, or as nearby as possible. It also comes with Buddhist prayer flags. One of the owners is Buddhist and practices the doctrine of extreme friendliness and kindness and caring.
So this has been a great stopover on our way north. First, the unseasonably cold weather has prepared us to some degree for the transition from Tucson. We drove in snow yesterday when we were out trying to see the sights. Next, we have been treated very well by our hostess. And third, we have enjoyed the company of three of our granddaughters and their father, our eldest son.
Tomorrow we go to church in this small Mormon community with half the town likely to be in attendance. Because we are friends with the owner of the biggest commercial establishment in town - the restaurant - we will be somewhat famous when we get there.
Then tomorrow afternoon we get to tour the organic farm that supplies the produce for the restaurant. It's 6.1 acres and they use everything they grow for the restaurant.
This is a neat place. The wetness comes as drainage from the surrounding mountains. It's delightfully damp and makes gardening and farming doable.
Come see!
Down the street from where we're being hosted, Navajo sheep graze in a field next to Belgian draft horses. These churro sheep are great to eat, but even more valuable as a source of the finest wool, or maybe mohair.
Back toward town, cattle appear and disappear again as they are moved from one field to another. These are grass-fed, mostly Black Angus (so probably corn-finished). Across the street is our friend's famous restaurant, Hell's Backbone Grill (named after a well-known nearby land formation).
We ate at the grill last night as guests of the establishment. We had, variously, trout, trout, chicken enchiladas, and meat loaf. But these are not the usual presentations of these standard foods. They were exceptional, but again, indescribable. Save your pennies and come taste these novel combinations. One clue: my trout came with quinoa mixed with lots of pine nuts and other things, and worked perfectly with the trout.
Everything at the restaurant comes from nearby, or as nearby as possible. It also comes with Buddhist prayer flags. One of the owners is Buddhist and practices the doctrine of extreme friendliness and kindness and caring.
So this has been a great stopover on our way north. First, the unseasonably cold weather has prepared us to some degree for the transition from Tucson. We drove in snow yesterday when we were out trying to see the sights. Next, we have been treated very well by our hostess. And third, we have enjoyed the company of three of our granddaughters and their father, our eldest son.
Tomorrow we go to church in this small Mormon community with half the town likely to be in attendance. Because we are friends with the owner of the biggest commercial establishment in town - the restaurant - we will be somewhat famous when we get there.
Then tomorrow afternoon we get to tour the organic farm that supplies the produce for the restaurant. It's 6.1 acres and they use everything they grow for the restaurant.
This is a neat place. The wetness comes as drainage from the surrounding mountains. It's delightfully damp and makes gardening and farming doable.
Come see!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Still Sitting In The Closet..
When all your stuff is in boxes (except for your computer) it's hard to be productive, helpful, creative, or anything else.
So I'm still sitting in the closet. The movers have been here for just under 9 hours. They still have boxes to put in the truck, and haven't started on the ones from the garage. They are doing a beautiful job - a knife couldn't be inserted between the boxes. That's because the estimate was too low, the cu ft too skimpy, and the truck too small.
It may be another hour. We've changed plans several times today, as the promised finish time of 3:30 came and went. It's 7 pm now, actually 7:10. We had to cancel taking Madi and Sam out for dinner, all dressed up, for one thing, and I'm very sad about that.
I am fairly certain this will be behind us tomorrow. Then we take a rest day, attend to a few last-minute details, and prepare to head out early Thurs to see Van and the girls in Boulder UT at 6 pm MT. Lots to look forward to! That's why we want to get a little rest. We hope NOT to get up at 4:xx tomorrow morning!
We're grateful to the Pershings for housing us, and to the Paulls and then the Lemburgs for feeding us.
And you all for your tacit support.
I think I'm glad the mission call isn't coming this week after all. We want to savor the experience and be spiritually prepared when it happens, and right now - we're just too tired!
But next week we'll be ready! Don't forget to keep an eye on this blog and then call our conference line that night at 6:30 PT to hear all about it: 308-344-6400 pin 887953#.
Love you all!
So I'm still sitting in the closet. The movers have been here for just under 9 hours. They still have boxes to put in the truck, and haven't started on the ones from the garage. They are doing a beautiful job - a knife couldn't be inserted between the boxes. That's because the estimate was too low, the cu ft too skimpy, and the truck too small.
It may be another hour. We've changed plans several times today, as the promised finish time of 3:30 came and went. It's 7 pm now, actually 7:10. We had to cancel taking Madi and Sam out for dinner, all dressed up, for one thing, and I'm very sad about that.
I am fairly certain this will be behind us tomorrow. Then we take a rest day, attend to a few last-minute details, and prepare to head out early Thurs to see Van and the girls in Boulder UT at 6 pm MT. Lots to look forward to! That's why we want to get a little rest. We hope NOT to get up at 4:xx tomorrow morning!
We're grateful to the Pershings for housing us, and to the Paulls and then the Lemburgs for feeding us.
And you all for your tacit support.
I think I'm glad the mission call isn't coming this week after all. We want to savor the experience and be spiritually prepared when it happens, and right now - we're just too tired!
But next week we'll be ready! Don't forget to keep an eye on this blog and then call our conference line that night at 6:30 PT to hear all about it: 308-344-6400 pin 887953#.
Love you all!
Sitting In My Closet
Here I am, an hour after the movers were to have been done, sitting in my closet. They have progressed to the stage where they are carrying things out to the van. They have been here 6 hours, and our belongs are wrapped in miles and miles of plastic tape. It is an environmental nightmare.
I am in my closet because there is no furniture in here. An electrical outlet in the bathroom just outside the closet door is keeping the two laptops happy. I am sitting on the floor. Just a few minutes ago I woke up from a fitful 10 min nap with my head on a computer case.
Moving is the pits. STUFF is an abomination - until you don't have a chair to sit on or a bed or pillow for your weary head.
The movers are Russian, or rather Khazk or Kazakh or Kazahk or one of those. One is kind of Mongolian or Hun type, oriental plus Slavic. The other is strictly Turkic or Altaic. They are from the same unnamed city; the former has been in the US for 4 years (and his wife is back home). They drove 10 hours to get here from LA, then got to work. Tonight they go to drop things off in Phoenix, then may head back to LA. I guess it doesn't pay to sleep. I treated them to Bianchi's meatball grinders for lunch, and cokes. They ate while standing at the counter, half of the sub each so they wouldn't fall asleep, then went and sat on the front 'porch' for a smoke.
I have decided to sit in the closet rather than develop the relationship further. I know I would be closing the door each time they go through it, so it's better that I have taken myself out of the action.
The whole process has been annoying: packed drawers were unpacked - POLICY! (and fills up more boxes). A lot of baloney. But it's almost done.
Maybe another hour. We're ready to be done.
Now for the big shocker that we finally figured out: we had thought that the blankets would be draped onto the furniture. We didn't know everything would be taped on in multiple layers and twists and turns. The problem is that they will need their blankets back when they deliver the furniture to the storage facility, so it will be stored - and moved, when we have a place for it - without the blankets that they have spent 6 hours putting on. What about the next move?
Too much to contemplate! It's not likely to happen till 2 years for 2.5 years from now, I think. Unless we go on another mission, and then even longer.
Moral: I have no idea. We have lovely furniture we bought in 1969, and there's not much like it out there today. I guess we could have ditched it and started over. Or not moved, ever. That would mean living in a 3 /1 1200 sf house in Lexington MA, the first home of some of these pieces. No move to Wellesley, South Natick, Sweetwater, a storage unit, or Sallee Pl.
Or else you just put up w/ moving day from time to time. We hope that after today there's only one more time .
I am in my closet because there is no furniture in here. An electrical outlet in the bathroom just outside the closet door is keeping the two laptops happy. I am sitting on the floor. Just a few minutes ago I woke up from a fitful 10 min nap with my head on a computer case.
Moving is the pits. STUFF is an abomination - until you don't have a chair to sit on or a bed or pillow for your weary head.
The movers are Russian, or rather Khazk or Kazakh or Kazahk or one of those. One is kind of Mongolian or Hun type, oriental plus Slavic. The other is strictly Turkic or Altaic. They are from the same unnamed city; the former has been in the US for 4 years (and his wife is back home). They drove 10 hours to get here from LA, then got to work. Tonight they go to drop things off in Phoenix, then may head back to LA. I guess it doesn't pay to sleep. I treated them to Bianchi's meatball grinders for lunch, and cokes. They ate while standing at the counter, half of the sub each so they wouldn't fall asleep, then went and sat on the front 'porch' for a smoke.
I have decided to sit in the closet rather than develop the relationship further. I know I would be closing the door each time they go through it, so it's better that I have taken myself out of the action.
The whole process has been annoying: packed drawers were unpacked - POLICY! (and fills up more boxes). A lot of baloney. But it's almost done.
Maybe another hour. We're ready to be done.
Now for the big shocker that we finally figured out: we had thought that the blankets would be draped onto the furniture. We didn't know everything would be taped on in multiple layers and twists and turns. The problem is that they will need their blankets back when they deliver the furniture to the storage facility, so it will be stored - and moved, when we have a place for it - without the blankets that they have spent 6 hours putting on. What about the next move?
Too much to contemplate! It's not likely to happen till 2 years for 2.5 years from now, I think. Unless we go on another mission, and then even longer.
Moral: I have no idea. We have lovely furniture we bought in 1969, and there's not much like it out there today. I guess we could have ditched it and started over. Or not moved, ever. That would mean living in a 3 /1 1200 sf house in Lexington MA, the first home of some of these pieces. No move to Wellesley, South Natick, Sweetwater, a storage unit, or Sallee Pl.
Or else you just put up w/ moving day from time to time. We hope that after today there's only one more time .
Monday, May 19, 2008
Leaving Tucson
In a day and a half, we leave Tucson.
How does that feel? Well, half the story is already written: we love where we are going.
The other half made us feel pretty good, too: the temp in Tucson hit 103 degrees today (65 in Anacortes).
I don't want to hide in an air-conditioned house, but that's what I end up doing here. Part of it's the heat, and part is the pollen. The valley is filled with blooming trees that are stunning and viciously itch-inducing. My eyes seem to be the major complainers.
Even so, it is hard to leave the home we have had, at least part time but mostly full time, for the past nearly 27 years.
Of course it's mostly the people. We know many people here, have some friends, have even more family.
But we have friends and family in many communities, in many states, and have learned to live without being in physical contact with them.
So we think this won't be any different: we will miss them, but it seems that in this modern world we can't have them - not all of them.
None of these observations will keep me from trying to get everyone permanently together in a microcosmic universe. We may be apart, but we don't have to like it, and we don't have to tolerate it. So now it's time for some serious plotting. Hehe.
How does that feel? Well, half the story is already written: we love where we are going.
The other half made us feel pretty good, too: the temp in Tucson hit 103 degrees today (65 in Anacortes).
I don't want to hide in an air-conditioned house, but that's what I end up doing here. Part of it's the heat, and part is the pollen. The valley is filled with blooming trees that are stunning and viciously itch-inducing. My eyes seem to be the major complainers.
Even so, it is hard to leave the home we have had, at least part time but mostly full time, for the past nearly 27 years.
Of course it's mostly the people. We know many people here, have some friends, have even more family.
But we have friends and family in many communities, in many states, and have learned to live without being in physical contact with them.
So we think this won't be any different: we will miss them, but it seems that in this modern world we can't have them - not all of them.
None of these observations will keep me from trying to get everyone permanently together in a microcosmic universe. We may be apart, but we don't have to like it, and we don't have to tolerate it. So now it's time for some serious plotting. Hehe.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Progress On Move
These cute grandkids keep coming over and that doesn't make moving any easier!
But as for our infinite quantity of belongings, we are continuing to close doors, literally: both front bedrooms are CLOSED. Their bathroom is CLOSED. The supply closet is CLOSED as of 30 minutes ago...
The living room is lined w/ boxes and has furniture awaiting their ride north, but otherwise it is done.
That leaves the kitchen (needs to be used for another day and a half), family room (an hour's work needed from me), D's office (needs furniture moved out, closet needs an hour's attention from me), our room's closet is CLOSED, bathroom almost, bedroom almost... Clothes are all sorted and packed, and that was the biggest deal in the bedroom.
We'll make it. Monday is another day, not without its challenges (103 degrees, for example). That's the day we load the car and U-Haul trailer. Everything else goes in the moving van on Tuesday morning (104 degrees forecast). That night we have a date, then Wed morning I have an appt, then Wed noon we have a date, then Wed afternoon we leave and go as far as N AZ.
On Thurs we meet up w/ Van and the girls...
But as for our infinite quantity of belongings, we are continuing to close doors, literally: both front bedrooms are CLOSED. Their bathroom is CLOSED. The supply closet is CLOSED as of 30 minutes ago...
The living room is lined w/ boxes and has furniture awaiting their ride north, but otherwise it is done.
That leaves the kitchen (needs to be used for another day and a half), family room (an hour's work needed from me), D's office (needs furniture moved out, closet needs an hour's attention from me), our room's closet is CLOSED, bathroom almost, bedroom almost... Clothes are all sorted and packed, and that was the biggest deal in the bedroom.
We'll make it. Monday is another day, not without its challenges (103 degrees, for example). That's the day we load the car and U-Haul trailer. Everything else goes in the moving van on Tuesday morning (104 degrees forecast). That night we have a date, then Wed morning I have an appt, then Wed noon we have a date, then Wed afternoon we leave and go as far as N AZ.
On Thurs we meet up w/ Van and the girls...
Sis Baty Called Back...
I was asleep when she called, and later I almost forgot about it.
She said she had a message from me on her answering machine. I reminded her about our conversation, that the message I left predated that. This was yesterday.
It was kind of funny. We've had a new call from SLC every day this week, or just about. This one was NOTHING. But the others were all potential roadblocks. So this was just one of those teasers.
But so far so good, and we may make it to the committee this week!
She said she had a message from me on her answering machine. I reminded her about our conversation, that the message I left predated that. This was yesterday.
It was kind of funny. We've had a new call from SLC every day this week, or just about. This one was NOTHING. But the others were all potential roadblocks. So this was just one of those teasers.
But so far so good, and we may make it to the committee this week!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Blue Suit
Today as I was finishing the last of my mother's boxes, I encountered an item that brought back a lot of memories.
Actually, as I have been doing these 10 final boxes of hers, I have been steeped in memories, plus items that predate me, plus a lot of junk. It's lovely to have a place like Deseret Industries to donate unwanted stuff to!
And before I start about the blue suit, I want to make this categorical statement: storing precious things in a box for 60 or more years does not add to their beauty. Moth doth corrupt, etc.
But about the blue suit:
It turns out that Nana had some items that I would not have associated with her. For example, she had probably 50 handkerchiefs, all pristine (except for the 60 years) and most quite lovely. I know she was fond of textiles and this was part of that love, I suspect. Another example is her collection of gloves.
I never saw my mother wear gloves! Or maybe on Easter. But she had many many lovely pairs. I have given a lot of them to DI, because they are too small for me, and still in beautiful shape. I have saved a more exotic dress-uppy sort of pair for a granddaughter. Among them all I found a pair of my own gloves.
They are in perfect condition. I know I had gloves as a child (beyond the ones for playing in the snow) and then I had these, and one other pair. (Come to think of it, I had to wear white gloves to dancing school, but these were a different sort, a lighter weight, purely decorative.)
These gloves I found today are white. I recognized them immediately. They are for a middle-school sized girl. I wore them with the blue suit I made for Easter when I was in Grade 8 or 9.
This blue suit was one of the fanciest things I had made at that point. It had a relatively straight skirt, calf-length, of medium blue wool. The jacket was of the same fabric, short, with big blue buttons up the front. What made the sewing a challenge is that it had a 'waistband' at the bottom (of the jacket), so all the fullness of the jacket needed to be captured smoothly into the waistband. Then to complicate matters, the back had a huge pleat in it from yoke to waistband that gave the jacket some fulness in the back. Whether the jacket had a collar I don't remember.
I have a photo somewhere of me wearing it. I had on a white blouse and the white gloves I found today. I thought I'd hold onto the gloves. The suit is no doubt long-gone.
I don't remember the clothes we bought, but I do remember the ones I made. I just wanted to share the joy I had in creating that suit. That's why I'm keeping the gloves.
Actually, as I have been doing these 10 final boxes of hers, I have been steeped in memories, plus items that predate me, plus a lot of junk. It's lovely to have a place like Deseret Industries to donate unwanted stuff to!
And before I start about the blue suit, I want to make this categorical statement: storing precious things in a box for 60 or more years does not add to their beauty. Moth doth corrupt, etc.
But about the blue suit:
It turns out that Nana had some items that I would not have associated with her. For example, she had probably 50 handkerchiefs, all pristine (except for the 60 years) and most quite lovely. I know she was fond of textiles and this was part of that love, I suspect. Another example is her collection of gloves.
I never saw my mother wear gloves! Or maybe on Easter. But she had many many lovely pairs. I have given a lot of them to DI, because they are too small for me, and still in beautiful shape. I have saved a more exotic dress-uppy sort of pair for a granddaughter. Among them all I found a pair of my own gloves.
They are in perfect condition. I know I had gloves as a child (beyond the ones for playing in the snow) and then I had these, and one other pair. (Come to think of it, I had to wear white gloves to dancing school, but these were a different sort, a lighter weight, purely decorative.)
These gloves I found today are white. I recognized them immediately. They are for a middle-school sized girl. I wore them with the blue suit I made for Easter when I was in Grade 8 or 9.
This blue suit was one of the fanciest things I had made at that point. It had a relatively straight skirt, calf-length, of medium blue wool. The jacket was of the same fabric, short, with big blue buttons up the front. What made the sewing a challenge is that it had a 'waistband' at the bottom (of the jacket), so all the fullness of the jacket needed to be captured smoothly into the waistband. Then to complicate matters, the back had a huge pleat in it from yoke to waistband that gave the jacket some fulness in the back. Whether the jacket had a collar I don't remember.
I have a photo somewhere of me wearing it. I had on a white blouse and the white gloves I found today. I thought I'd hold onto the gloves. The suit is no doubt long-gone.
I don't remember the clothes we bought, but I do remember the ones I made. I just wanted to share the joy I had in creating that suit. That's why I'm keeping the gloves.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mission Update 5/15/08
We just got a call from the Missionary Dept. They would like to send us on a mission but Bro Lewis's blood pressure is too high.
Sis Lewis: Oh, Sis Baty called about that last week and wouldn't release our papers to you until we could give her a good report.
Bro Evans: Oh she already did that!
Sis Lewis: Yes, would you like to know what the numbers were?
Bro Evans: Oh yes, certainly.
Sis Lewis: (reports the three days of good numbers)
Bro Evans: Sounds like you folks should go on a mission! Congratulations on the good blood pressure! You've missed the committee rotation for this week but they will go to the committee next week, and you should get a letter from us, oh, in about 2 weeks.
Sis Lewis: hmm, we'll be in Salt Lake by then!
Bro Evans: Let me ck the address, oh yes, Quail Run Sandy, very good.
Sis Lewis (w/ a sigh): Thank you!
Bro Evans: Bye
So...about Wed May 28 or Thurs May 29, at Chris's, just as he and Andrya had hoped. Unless someone else would like to know something else! :)
Sis Lewis: Oh, Sis Baty called about that last week and wouldn't release our papers to you until we could give her a good report.
Bro Evans: Oh she already did that!
Sis Lewis: Yes, would you like to know what the numbers were?
Bro Evans: Oh yes, certainly.
Sis Lewis: (reports the three days of good numbers)
Bro Evans: Sounds like you folks should go on a mission! Congratulations on the good blood pressure! You've missed the committee rotation for this week but they will go to the committee next week, and you should get a letter from us, oh, in about 2 weeks.
Sis Lewis: hmm, we'll be in Salt Lake by then!
Bro Evans: Let me ck the address, oh yes, Quail Run Sandy, very good.
Sis Lewis (w/ a sigh): Thank you!
Bro Evans: Bye
So...about Wed May 28 or Thurs May 29, at Chris's, just as he and Andrya had hoped. Unless someone else would like to know something else! :)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Other mtDNA - A Wish List
For MY lineage, since I don't have a Y chromosome, I can only get mtDNA. It's an interesting thought about how to do this since my father is dead and my brother has the same as mine.
So first, how to get my father's. Well, that would come from his mother, and she is dead and had no daughters. But she did have a sister, who is also dead. Her sister, I just found out, had daughters. One of them lived in CA until 15 years ago or so! Did she have any daughters? I haven't been able to find out. But if she did, or if her sisters did (and I don't know what happened to them - yet) then they have the same mtDNA as my father and his mother and that whole maternal line.
What about my maternal grandfather? He had sisters. Where are their female offspring? I'll have to ask Dot...
And my paternal grandfather? That would be his sisters' daughters' daughters. I met one of those daughters once, one of Aunt Ella's daughters. In 1980, before mtDNA testing. I wonder if she had daughters...I wonder if she's still alive. Someone w/ her name is alive in the right part of Stamford.... That would give us Margaret Fagan's maternal line.
The question is, does it matter? I think so! Genetics has a lot to do with temperament and tendencies, and populations have characteristics that differentiate them from other populations. The implications for understanding are enormous! What do you think?
Obviously this is just an example from my own results. Whose samples do you need before it's too late?
So first, how to get my father's. Well, that would come from his mother, and she is dead and had no daughters. But she did have a sister, who is also dead. Her sister, I just found out, had daughters. One of them lived in CA until 15 years ago or so! Did she have any daughters? I haven't been able to find out. But if she did, or if her sisters did (and I don't know what happened to them - yet) then they have the same mtDNA as my father and his mother and that whole maternal line.
What about my maternal grandfather? He had sisters. Where are their female offspring? I'll have to ask Dot...
And my paternal grandfather? That would be his sisters' daughters' daughters. I met one of those daughters once, one of Aunt Ella's daughters. In 1980, before mtDNA testing. I wonder if she had daughters...I wonder if she's still alive. Someone w/ her name is alive in the right part of Stamford.... That would give us Margaret Fagan's maternal line.
The question is, does it matter? I think so! Genetics has a lot to do with temperament and tendencies, and populations have characteristics that differentiate them from other populations. The implications for understanding are enormous! What do you think?
Obviously this is just an example from my own results. Whose samples do you need before it's too late?
Haplotype Results
I have my Sorenson Molecular Genetic haplotype results for my mtDNA.
I belong to haplotype U5a1 with an additional detail that I haven't been able to track down.
This group entered Europe very early, possibly from the Near East, about 50,000 years ago. It followed the retreating glaciers closely, and arrived before agriculture.
(This is interestingly the same pattern that we discovered when I was investigating wheat sensitivity: predating agriculture, following the glaciers - ie hunter-gathers.)
This group inhabited the periphery of northwestern Europe, though apparently were not Celtic and did not occupy the British Isles at this time.
The mtDNA is passed from mother to daughter down through the ages. Sons get it from their mothers but can't pass it on.
So our mtDNA came from my mother, my grandmother Teresa Clark, her mother Mary Quigley from County Monaghan in Ireland ...and that's about all we know. Looking at a surname map of the British Isles, we see Quigley is not Irish but British, as is Clark. My guess is that the Quigleys and Clarks were part of garrisons in Ireland, married locally, and found their offspring marrying locally also. I have to figure out the generations and timing and see if this works.
The part of England where the Quigleys and Clarks are found are the northern parts on the east coast, with the Clarks distributed much more widely in England than the Quigleys. The northern part of the east coast is a good place for northern mainlanders to wander to and stay, and that notion is compatible with the mtDNA results.
It's a tall tale with some possibilities behind it. Does anyone want to help find out more?
I belong to haplotype U5a1 with an additional detail that I haven't been able to track down.
This group entered Europe very early, possibly from the Near East, about 50,000 years ago. It followed the retreating glaciers closely, and arrived before agriculture.
(This is interestingly the same pattern that we discovered when I was investigating wheat sensitivity: predating agriculture, following the glaciers - ie hunter-gathers.)
This group inhabited the periphery of northwestern Europe, though apparently were not Celtic and did not occupy the British Isles at this time.
The mtDNA is passed from mother to daughter down through the ages. Sons get it from their mothers but can't pass it on.
So our mtDNA came from my mother, my grandmother Teresa Clark, her mother Mary Quigley from County Monaghan in Ireland ...and that's about all we know. Looking at a surname map of the British Isles, we see Quigley is not Irish but British, as is Clark. My guess is that the Quigleys and Clarks were part of garrisons in Ireland, married locally, and found their offspring marrying locally also. I have to figure out the generations and timing and see if this works.
The part of England where the Quigleys and Clarks are found are the northern parts on the east coast, with the Clarks distributed much more widely in England than the Quigleys. The northern part of the east coast is a good place for northern mainlanders to wander to and stay, and that notion is compatible with the mtDNA results.
It's a tall tale with some possibilities behind it. Does anyone want to help find out more?
The Best Of The Best
Thanks to Martie, who put this together. It brought such joy that it can't be expressed. I am posting it here so you can partake and enjoy, too - and also so that I'll always have it. I found last night at a moment of regret at having eaten something not so good that it had great therapeutic value.
Happy Mother's Day and Father's Day, Grammy and Grampy
We can't take credit for all the cuteness. We just got things started. What I especially love is the mixing of families, so many connections between family members who don't see each other very often or know each other very well. May they always turn to each other for comfort, support, and fun - as they do here.
We are appreciative of our own children and also very much so of our in-law children, who add so much to the family. We love them, we love their parents.
We are blessed.
Happy Mother's Day and Father's Day, Grammy and Grampy
We can't take credit for all the cuteness. We just got things started. What I especially love is the mixing of families, so many connections between family members who don't see each other very often or know each other very well. May they always turn to each other for comfort, support, and fun - as they do here.
We are appreciative of our own children and also very much so of our in-law children, who add so much to the family. We love them, we love their parents.
We are blessed.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Reunion 2008
This is based on a lot of BIG IFs.
IF we are in SLC for our mission, and IF the SLC family members could handle another reunion (same or different), we could have a reunion over Thanksgiving, because we are scheduled to report on Nov 7 IF we have a SLC mission and IF it begins in Nov (right after our availability date of Nov 1).
IF that plan doesn't appeal, this would be a good time to suggest another one!
I am with Manda. (See Meg's blog.) We need another reunion! Some of those kids are growing awfully fast!
(In another 10 years we're going to have to have color-coded tee shirts so everyone can keep track of whose cousin-kids they're looking at.)
Thanks to MTLM for putting together such a glorious slideshow for Grampy and Grammy, and to Chub for the dubbing!
IF we are in SLC for our mission, and IF the SLC family members could handle another reunion (same or different), we could have a reunion over Thanksgiving, because we are scheduled to report on Nov 7 IF we have a SLC mission and IF it begins in Nov (right after our availability date of Nov 1).
IF that plan doesn't appeal, this would be a good time to suggest another one!
I am with Manda. (See Meg's blog.) We need another reunion! Some of those kids are growing awfully fast!
(In another 10 years we're going to have to have color-coded tee shirts so everyone can keep track of whose cousin-kids they're looking at.)
Thanks to MTLM for putting together such a glorious slideshow for Grampy and Grammy, and to Chub for the dubbing!
Sis Baty Called Back, and...
Sis Baty called back, and asked for D's blood pressure numbers and my blood iron numbers. I gave them to her. She asked what mine had been. I told her. She was delighted in the change. She asked if I was going to keep on taking iron. I told her I certainly was. She asked if I had more energy already...I was agreeable about that.
Then she said...ok, then, I will pass these papers on (said with many exclamation points). !!!!!
So I said THANK YOU (with many more exclamation points). !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And she sounded pleased at that and said a buoyant goodbye.
So that's that. The papers have made it through the first Church Headquarters filter.
(Since I didn't know there was one at this stage, I couldn't venture to guess how many more there might be.)
But...it is possible they will go to the Brethren now.
:)
Then she said...ok, then, I will pass these papers on (said with many exclamation points). !!!!!
So I said THANK YOU (with many more exclamation points). !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And she sounded pleased at that and said a buoyant goodbye.
So that's that. The papers have made it through the first Church Headquarters filter.
(Since I didn't know there was one at this stage, I couldn't venture to guess how many more there might be.)
But...it is possible they will go to the Brethren now.
:)
Impatience And Attitude
I know that any minute now Sis Baty from Church Headquarters could call back.
And I know that she could say, ok, I'll send your papers to the Brethren before lunch.
Or she could say, not yet, keep working on it and call back in 3 months.
I also know she might not call back today.
So I am working on getting myself ready for all these possibilities.
I'll work on that easy, flexible attitude. I might even go get some breakfast instead of sitting here by the phone waiting and talking about waiting and wondering and...
Oh never mind. It's no big deal.
Sigh.
And I know that she could say, ok, I'll send your papers to the Brethren before lunch.
Or she could say, not yet, keep working on it and call back in 3 months.
I also know she might not call back today.
So I am working on getting myself ready for all these possibilities.
I'll work on that easy, flexible attitude. I might even go get some breakfast instead of sitting here by the phone waiting and talking about waiting and wondering and...
Oh never mind. It's no big deal.
Sigh.
Thoughts On Anemia
My iron has been pretty low. Two docs have said, it's not THAT bad. I agree. I am able to walk several miles at a good pace, go up and down stairs without fainting, and keep active.
However, when I see the reference ranges for normal blood iron and see how low mine are, all sorts new possibilities for enjoying physical activity come to mind.
(I will give the reference ranges below so you can see what I mean.)
The realization that I might walk faster, hike longer, hike higher, be more active - these are the enjoyable thoughts I've been having since yesterday.
Whereas walking the mailboxes in our neighborhood has a certain amount of appeal in that I feel I'm progressing when I go farther or faster, I believe it will pale to blah compared to being able to walk for a couple of hours on a trail in the Cascades. Or the length of Long Beach on Vancouver Island. Or down to the shore (and up again!) in a steep and rugged patch of coast.
My heart is normal, so I'm limited in activity only by my oxygen-carrying capacity. And that is fixable.
I was an outdoors kid. I rode my bike (hey, that's another thing I will be able to do better!) all over our part of town. I rode home for lunch from school. I explored on foot, too. I swam for hours at a time. I sailed and rowed. I clammed and fished. I love the outdoors!
This is what I want to transform myself into again, an active outdoors wind-burned red-cheeked vigorous grandma who joyously explores new terrain and walks 10 or 15 miles a day most days. Heaven knows Washington lends itself to the outdoor life year round and why would I want to hang back from all that? The geology alone is worth the move!
So I'm working on building up those iron stores to see how I feel and what I can do when I am 'normal'. (Don't worry - we're only talking about blood iron here. I'll still be me in all the other ways.)
So here are the reference ranges for 'normal' blood iron and my reading of last week:
Hemoglobin 11.5-16.0 g/dL mine: 10.6
Hematocrit 35.0-48.0 percent mine: 33.5
Iron 35-175 ug/dL mine: 21
TIBC 250-400 mine: 383 (ability to absorb)
Saturation 15-50 percent mine: 5
Ferritin 11-307 ng/mL mine: 8 (doc says 11 is not normal - normal is about 250)
So isn't that cool? So much room for improvement and being able to do more. I find this quite exciting.
However, when I see the reference ranges for normal blood iron and see how low mine are, all sorts new possibilities for enjoying physical activity come to mind.
(I will give the reference ranges below so you can see what I mean.)
The realization that I might walk faster, hike longer, hike higher, be more active - these are the enjoyable thoughts I've been having since yesterday.
Whereas walking the mailboxes in our neighborhood has a certain amount of appeal in that I feel I'm progressing when I go farther or faster, I believe it will pale to blah compared to being able to walk for a couple of hours on a trail in the Cascades. Or the length of Long Beach on Vancouver Island. Or down to the shore (and up again!) in a steep and rugged patch of coast.
My heart is normal, so I'm limited in activity only by my oxygen-carrying capacity. And that is fixable.
I was an outdoors kid. I rode my bike (hey, that's another thing I will be able to do better!) all over our part of town. I rode home for lunch from school. I explored on foot, too. I swam for hours at a time. I sailed and rowed. I clammed and fished. I love the outdoors!
This is what I want to transform myself into again, an active outdoors wind-burned red-cheeked vigorous grandma who joyously explores new terrain and walks 10 or 15 miles a day most days. Heaven knows Washington lends itself to the outdoor life year round and why would I want to hang back from all that? The geology alone is worth the move!
So I'm working on building up those iron stores to see how I feel and what I can do when I am 'normal'. (Don't worry - we're only talking about blood iron here. I'll still be me in all the other ways.)
So here are the reference ranges for 'normal' blood iron and my reading of last week:
Hemoglobin 11.5-16.0 g/dL mine: 10.6
Hematocrit 35.0-48.0 percent mine: 33.5
Iron 35-175 ug/dL mine: 21
TIBC 250-400 mine: 383 (ability to absorb)
Saturation 15-50 percent mine: 5
Ferritin 11-307 ng/mL mine: 8 (doc says 11 is not normal - normal is about 250)
So isn't that cool? So much room for improvement and being able to do more. I find this quite exciting.
Update on Papers 5/12/08
I was hoping to have a bit more to tell, but here are the facts. What happens with them will have to wait for a call back from Church Headquarters.
D's bp passed the test. He had 3 days in a row of good readings, the middle one by his doctor, and that is exactly what was required. So - CHECK!
I had my bloodwork done last week as I was already scheduled to do, and received the results yesterday. My anemia is lessened: the hemoglobin has gone from 9.4 to 10.6 (an increase the doc didn't think was possible). The hematocrit went from 30.1 to 33.5.
Neither of these is in the normal range, nor were the other iron-related numbers. What was normal was the test that showed my ability to absorb iron. So it's all a matter of the iron budget, and that is obviously responding positively to the changes I've made.
The question is whether it is enough for Sis Baty from Church Headquarters to pass the papers on to the Brethren or not.
I called this morning at 9 am SLC time, and got her message machine. Now I am waiting for her call back.
I'll let you know...
D's bp passed the test. He had 3 days in a row of good readings, the middle one by his doctor, and that is exactly what was required. So - CHECK!
I had my bloodwork done last week as I was already scheduled to do, and received the results yesterday. My anemia is lessened: the hemoglobin has gone from 9.4 to 10.6 (an increase the doc didn't think was possible). The hematocrit went from 30.1 to 33.5.
Neither of these is in the normal range, nor were the other iron-related numbers. What was normal was the test that showed my ability to absorb iron. So it's all a matter of the iron budget, and that is obviously responding positively to the changes I've made.
The question is whether it is enough for Sis Baty from Church Headquarters to pass the papers on to the Brethren or not.
I called this morning at 9 am SLC time, and got her message machine. Now I am waiting for her call back.
I'll let you know...
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Just Plain Weird
As we ooze along toward our final day here, now 9 days away, and spend our next-to-last Sunday with members of our Tucson ward with whom we've attended church in some cases for 27 years, and have visits from our local kids, and surprise our local grandkids with the nearness of our departure date, and not know the fate of our papers, we are feeling just plain weird.
One thing is definite: the moving van comes on May 20.
And another: we are spending the last two nights we're in town, May 21 and 22, at the Pershings'. So nice of them! (By then our stuff will be on its way.)
And speaking of stuff: I am now down to the last several boxes of Nana's. It's strange to see things from my babyhood mixed with a schoolpaper of Peter's and photos of her with the people she lived with at Sin Vacas. With some fortitude and luck I will be done tomorrow.
Mother's Day meant contact with just about everyone in the family - very nice. It also meant a simultaneous happy birthday to Bu. Back in her birth year Mother's Day was on the 10th, not the 11th, so I spent it in labor but didn't get the baby till the next day. Happy Birthday, Bu!
And thanks, all, for the flowers or calls or messages or ...
The Tucson valley is still yellow w/ blooming palos verdes, intermingled with lavender blooming ironwoods. When we went out the door to church today, at 2:20, it felt like it was 100 degrees (and dry). The car thermometer said 100 degrees and didn't change in the two miles or so to church. On the way home it was 95, at 6 pm. So I think it was actually 100! (The official temperature was only 94, though. Given that nearly every year we have 100 degrees by May 15, it's surprisingly 'cool'.)
So this next to last Sabbath is winding to a close. Tomorrow it's back to work, back to the last boxes, the packing of clothes into suitcases, and probably the purchasing of a bit more food to tide us over. It's tempting just to keep emptying out the pantry and not adding anything more BUT it won't take us long to go through three more kimchi dry soups and 6 more cans of baked beans, and maybe we will supplement them with a dozen eggs and a few other things. We do have 9 more days after all, and then 2 at the Pershings', and then...
One thing is definite: the moving van comes on May 20.
And another: we are spending the last two nights we're in town, May 21 and 22, at the Pershings'. So nice of them! (By then our stuff will be on its way.)
And speaking of stuff: I am now down to the last several boxes of Nana's. It's strange to see things from my babyhood mixed with a schoolpaper of Peter's and photos of her with the people she lived with at Sin Vacas. With some fortitude and luck I will be done tomorrow.
Mother's Day meant contact with just about everyone in the family - very nice. It also meant a simultaneous happy birthday to Bu. Back in her birth year Mother's Day was on the 10th, not the 11th, so I spent it in labor but didn't get the baby till the next day. Happy Birthday, Bu!
And thanks, all, for the flowers or calls or messages or ...
The Tucson valley is still yellow w/ blooming palos verdes, intermingled with lavender blooming ironwoods. When we went out the door to church today, at 2:20, it felt like it was 100 degrees (and dry). The car thermometer said 100 degrees and didn't change in the two miles or so to church. On the way home it was 95, at 6 pm. So I think it was actually 100! (The official temperature was only 94, though. Given that nearly every year we have 100 degrees by May 15, it's surprisingly 'cool'.)
So this next to last Sabbath is winding to a close. Tomorrow it's back to work, back to the last boxes, the packing of clothes into suitcases, and probably the purchasing of a bit more food to tide us over. It's tempting just to keep emptying out the pantry and not adding anything more BUT it won't take us long to go through three more kimchi dry soups and 6 more cans of baked beans, and maybe we will supplement them with a dozen eggs and a few other things. We do have 9 more days after all, and then 2 at the Pershings', and then...
Friday, May 9, 2008
Report May 9
11 Days till the moving van comes.
D has normal blood pressure and the doc expects it to remain that way if he keeps walking/running. We thought running on various beaches and hiking on various trails would be the best way to do this. And to think: no bursage stuck to the laces!
And I have my anemia-checkup appt on Monday.
On Tuesday we call SLC back and report in.
Then possibly the papers will move out of the medical-screening process and we can begin to wait.
But as D says, now there is no urgency - no urgency because we are healthy and likely to remain so and if we don't go now, we'll go later. It's entirely out of our hands. Nice!
D has normal blood pressure and the doc expects it to remain that way if he keeps walking/running. We thought running on various beaches and hiking on various trails would be the best way to do this. And to think: no bursage stuck to the laces!
And I have my anemia-checkup appt on Monday.
On Tuesday we call SLC back and report in.
Then possibly the papers will move out of the medical-screening process and we can begin to wait.
But as D says, now there is no urgency - no urgency because we are healthy and likely to remain so and if we don't go now, we'll go later. It's entirely out of our hands. Nice!
An Odd Change of Perception
To put this in perspective, I just LOVE it when this happens: something comes along that causes an inner change that gives a whole new perspective on things.
The something in this case is the possible postponement of our mission, or at least the increase in hoops to jump through before our papers will be processed. We're making progress to some degree on this, but we won't know till next week how successful we might ultimately be.
But that's not the change in perspective. The change came about because of this but is only peripherally related. Here it is:
Old perception: Details of move, details of trip, details of arrival in Anacortes, timetable for summer, timetable for fall, including trip to East Coast, possibly to England and Ireland, landing in SLC in very early November. Mission.
New perception: Details of move and trip and arrival, build new life in Anacortes. Travel from time to time. Go on a mission or two.
This second is a great gift! It means that instead of being in Anacortes temporarily once again, the only difference from previous years being that our stuff is sitting in a storage area down the street instead of in a house in Tucson, we are now NOT temporary, we are permanent and make life-choices from that homebase.
The externals of our activities would probably not appear to be that different. But inside, it's a huge transformation. Can you get the drift of it? The mission is not LIFE, it is a service project that we have chosen to undertake in the context of the rest of our lives.
It's healthier this way. We both feel much more settled now. It's cool. PL
The something in this case is the possible postponement of our mission, or at least the increase in hoops to jump through before our papers will be processed. We're making progress to some degree on this, but we won't know till next week how successful we might ultimately be.
But that's not the change in perspective. The change came about because of this but is only peripherally related. Here it is:
Old perception: Details of move, details of trip, details of arrival in Anacortes, timetable for summer, timetable for fall, including trip to East Coast, possibly to England and Ireland, landing in SLC in very early November. Mission.
New perception: Details of move and trip and arrival, build new life in Anacortes. Travel from time to time. Go on a mission or two.
This second is a great gift! It means that instead of being in Anacortes temporarily once again, the only difference from previous years being that our stuff is sitting in a storage area down the street instead of in a house in Tucson, we are now NOT temporary, we are permanent and make life-choices from that homebase.
The externals of our activities would probably not appear to be that different. But inside, it's a huge transformation. Can you get the drift of it? The mission is not LIFE, it is a service project that we have chosen to undertake in the context of the rest of our lives.
It's healthier this way. We both feel much more settled now. It's cool. PL
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Children
"Children do not see themselves as apprentice adults. They are trying to be good at being children, which means trying to find a niche within groups of peers - conforming, but also differentiating themselves; competing, but also collaborating. They get their language and their accents largely from their peers, not their parents." Ridley, p 256.
"Ancestral human beings reared their children in groups, with women engaged in what zoologists called 'cooperative breeding'. The natural habitat of the child was therefore a mixed nursery of children of all ages - almost certainly self-segregated by sex for much of the time. It is here, not in the nuclear family or the relation w/ parents, that we should look for the environmental causes of personality." Ridley 256.
"Ancestral human beings reared their children in groups, with women engaged in what zoologists called 'cooperative breeding'. The natural habitat of the child was therefore a mixed nursery of children of all ages - almost certainly self-segregated by sex for much of the time. It is here, not in the nuclear family or the relation w/ parents, that we should look for the environmental causes of personality." Ridley 256.
Revelation II - About Education
"Parents' most important job, therefore, is to provide support and opportunities, not to try to shape children's enduring characteristics." Sandra Scarr, quoted in Ridley, p 254. From Psychology, Public Policy, and the Law (1956).
Revelation!
"Parenting is a revelation to most people. Having assumed you would now be the chief coach and sculptor of a human personality, you find yourself reduced to the role of little more than a helpless spectator cum chauffeur." Matt Ridley, The Agile Gene, page 254.
YES!
YES!
Found In A Box
This poem, from my grad-student days, was in a box of all sorts of other things. This is as good a place as any to store it:
From gossy ruin silv'ry
Streaking skyward, spinning
A chilly dawn of rose, golden
Spears appearing, searing
Somber spheres of slumber,
Rising, glowing gold
Across the rusty hold
Seem soon to ransom gloom.
But then--
A rose surrenders bloom.
It is untitled and sent to a teacher, unsigned.
Does anyone know it? Or did I really write it, as it appears? In any case, I have to say I rather like it!
From gossy ruin silv'ry
Streaking skyward, spinning
A chilly dawn of rose, golden
Spears appearing, searing
Somber spheres of slumber,
Rising, glowing gold
Across the rusty hold
Seem soon to ransom gloom.
But then--
A rose surrenders bloom.
It is untitled and sent to a teacher, unsigned.
Does anyone know it? Or did I really write it, as it appears? In any case, I have to say I rather like it!
Call On Hold - Need Prayers
We just got a call from church headquarters from a sister who apparently goes over the medical stuff with a fine-toothed comb. She found that JSL's blood pressure was high. And that my hemoglobin was low. Here's the story:
JSL has elevated blood pressure (actually up, then down) when he is getting measured in a doctor's office. (Not an unknown phenomenon - called 'white-coat syndrome'.) So they fitted him w/ a cuff and monitor for 24 hours. It pumps your arm up to about 200 every 15 minutes except at night when it's every 1 hour. He came to hate it. His bp was 141/91. His doc wanted him to go on drugs.
The church needs him to have below 140/90 three days in a row.
I don't think that will be hard at all, once he's not in a aggravating setting. Plus he's been walking or running an hour a day and that's the best way to get it down. He is definitely under stress to get us moved and this is the worst it gets. We have no intention for him to go on drugs for 1 point over the standard, esp since they don't address the root cause.
Now for me. This one is trickier and may make it so that we can't go on a mission at all, though as D says, it's just another thing to push against. (We find a lots of barriers, but we have learned just to push against them...)
Context for me: I have just been declared healthy, above average health: normal heart, everything else great too. I walk vigorously for an hour a day when it's not too hot out.
But I do have irritable bowel, managed except when aggravated by some food. One of the real aggravations for it is iron in large quantity.
And when something irritates me, it makes my intestines inflamed. And they bleed, and stop as soon as the irritating substance is out of my system. So with enough aggravation I get anemic.
Plus I've always been anemic. This walking vigorously an hour a day is done w/ low hemoglobin numbers (9.4).
The lady at the church said 'we want you healthy enough to serve'. I'm trying to tell her I am but I have to get my hemoglobin up to 12. It has never been 12.
I need to take more iron. But it is very aggravating, if I take more than a certain amount. It will make me bleed. The last time I increased my iron to overcome 'anemia' I bled enough to take me to the next lower level!
I can eat iron-rich foods, but that takes a long, long time to build up iron levels to 'normal' (which is not normal for me at all).
The way we left it is, when D has his blood pressure behaving (3 days in a row under 140 / 90) then I go get a hemoglobin, and then they will look at our papers.
It is probable that his bp will be ok 3 days from now and that my hemoglobin will never be ok.
So that's why we need prayers. We need a way to show the church that I am healthy and capable without meeting a certain standard of 'average' hemoglobin levels.
I was scheduled to get my hemoglobin done today anyway. I doubt if I've made headway in the past 6 weeks since it was measured before - it's just too soon, plus taking extra iron made me bleed. We'll see shortly.
So we are in a difficult position right now. I suppose we could just unpack and go back to life as we've known it. It's so strange to have come this far and to have an 11th hour challenge.
We will push against it and see if it's real. But don't count on a call any time soon. We need prayers and insights into what to do. Do we stop by the missionary department when we are in SLC and let them see me run up and down the stairs several times? I'll do it...
Your suggestions are welcome, and certainly prayers. Love to all...
JSL has elevated blood pressure (actually up, then down) when he is getting measured in a doctor's office. (Not an unknown phenomenon - called 'white-coat syndrome'.) So they fitted him w/ a cuff and monitor for 24 hours. It pumps your arm up to about 200 every 15 minutes except at night when it's every 1 hour. He came to hate it. His bp was 141/91. His doc wanted him to go on drugs.
The church needs him to have below 140/90 three days in a row.
I don't think that will be hard at all, once he's not in a aggravating setting. Plus he's been walking or running an hour a day and that's the best way to get it down. He is definitely under stress to get us moved and this is the worst it gets. We have no intention for him to go on drugs for 1 point over the standard, esp since they don't address the root cause.
Now for me. This one is trickier and may make it so that we can't go on a mission at all, though as D says, it's just another thing to push against. (We find a lots of barriers, but we have learned just to push against them...)
Context for me: I have just been declared healthy, above average health: normal heart, everything else great too. I walk vigorously for an hour a day when it's not too hot out.
But I do have irritable bowel, managed except when aggravated by some food. One of the real aggravations for it is iron in large quantity.
And when something irritates me, it makes my intestines inflamed. And they bleed, and stop as soon as the irritating substance is out of my system. So with enough aggravation I get anemic.
Plus I've always been anemic. This walking vigorously an hour a day is done w/ low hemoglobin numbers (9.4).
The lady at the church said 'we want you healthy enough to serve'. I'm trying to tell her I am but I have to get my hemoglobin up to 12. It has never been 12.
I need to take more iron. But it is very aggravating, if I take more than a certain amount. It will make me bleed. The last time I increased my iron to overcome 'anemia' I bled enough to take me to the next lower level!
I can eat iron-rich foods, but that takes a long, long time to build up iron levels to 'normal' (which is not normal for me at all).
The way we left it is, when D has his blood pressure behaving (3 days in a row under 140 / 90) then I go get a hemoglobin, and then they will look at our papers.
It is probable that his bp will be ok 3 days from now and that my hemoglobin will never be ok.
So that's why we need prayers. We need a way to show the church that I am healthy and capable without meeting a certain standard of 'average' hemoglobin levels.
I was scheduled to get my hemoglobin done today anyway. I doubt if I've made headway in the past 6 weeks since it was measured before - it's just too soon, plus taking extra iron made me bleed. We'll see shortly.
So we are in a difficult position right now. I suppose we could just unpack and go back to life as we've known it. It's so strange to have come this far and to have an 11th hour challenge.
We will push against it and see if it's real. But don't count on a call any time soon. We need prayers and insights into what to do. Do we stop by the missionary department when we are in SLC and let them see me run up and down the stairs several times? I'll do it...
Your suggestions are welcome, and certainly prayers. Love to all...
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Papers Update 5/6/08
OK, just got a message from our awesome go-the-extra-mile bishop. And it said, when he opened our file it disclosed that...
Our papers are now at Church Headquarters!
OH MY!
It brought tears to my eyes and a pitter-pat to my heart. It looks like this is really going to happen!
We could hear next week I suppose, but it's much more likely that we'll hear the week after. Or the week after that, maybe? What do you think?
How 'bout everyone who reads this vote on 1) when you think they will come, and 2) where you think we will go. Spouses vote separately... (we need lots of votes to make it fun - please vote! Just submit a comment here.)
Anyway, the send-call-to address is still Chris's, just in case we're on the road. So I'd still like to do the conference-call opening, if anyone is game. Not everyone has to be there. See earlier post about this. And let me know in your comment whether you want to be there...or at least be informed that it's happening.
OK, I can't prolong this message any more. I've got to go sort Nana's stuff for the move. 10 boxes left to go. Etc.
WHEEEEEEEE!
Our papers are now at Church Headquarters!
OH MY!
It brought tears to my eyes and a pitter-pat to my heart. It looks like this is really going to happen!
We could hear next week I suppose, but it's much more likely that we'll hear the week after. Or the week after that, maybe? What do you think?
How 'bout everyone who reads this vote on 1) when you think they will come, and 2) where you think we will go. Spouses vote separately... (we need lots of votes to make it fun - please vote! Just submit a comment here.)
Anyway, the send-call-to address is still Chris's, just in case we're on the road. So I'd still like to do the conference-call opening, if anyone is game. Not everyone has to be there. See earlier post about this. And let me know in your comment whether you want to be there...or at least be informed that it's happening.
OK, I can't prolong this message any more. I've got to go sort Nana's stuff for the move. 10 boxes left to go. Etc.
WHEEEEEEEE!
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