Kindred Spirits

When I was in Jr High, the librarian introduced me to a great book "Anne of Green Gables."  I was thrilled to learn that the story didn't just end there, but was

continued for several more books which I read with great joy and enthusiasm.  I identified greatly with Anne, living in a

sort of dream world, having an explosive

temper, overly dramatic in everyday things, and the lack of "kindred spirits" in my young teen life.  I did take solace in one of the phrases in that first book and have held it in my mind all these years, especially on bad days or days when I totally screwed up--"Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it."  I have these books and read them usually once each year.  It gives me joy.

This past weekend, Bill bought me the "Anne of Green Gables" collection of all 3 movies.  As I sat watching the begining of these movies, I noticed that I knew someone who was like each of the characters in these movies.  Oh not just here in St Joseph but as my life continues to unfold, people living in all the places I have lived.  There have been the Rachel Lind ladies, always busy and in everyone else's business, and the quiet Matthew Cuthberts.  For me, I have had my own Diana Berry--her name is Laura.  She has been my friend for about 24 years now, and I would be lost without her--she is my most kindred spirit.

Like Anne and Gilbert Blythe, my own relationship with my Bill didn't start out all that well.  He flipped rubber bands at me when I was 7--something he doesn't even remember--and I didn't forgive him for it until after I was 16.  It was poorly done of me, but then there is an example of being overly dramatic.  Now he is my everthing now--my life, my breath, my eternal companion.

Time has passed and I still seek each day for the scope of my imagination--what is there for me to discover, explore, or just plain experience.  There is so much there for us to know, feel, touch, and see.  Each day is a wonder and a mystery waiting to unfold.  I don't know why I am in such a reflective mood lately, perhaps it is that I have had a lot of time to think lately, or the over abundance of hormones going on in my body, who knows.  I like it, so I will go with it and see where it takes me.  The most wonderful thing I have found over the years is that the world is indeed filled with many, many kindred spirits.

Words

When I was a teenager, I was in a musical that had a song with the phrase

"words, words,

 such boring words,

this is rediculous,

why am I doing this!?"

I don't remember the the rest of the song, or even the play I was in, however these words have stuck with me through the years as a sort of touch stone to what I see, hear, or read.  Words define many things for me--what I believe, emotions of the day, the very essence of my comunication.  

Through the years, there have been words that have isolated times, or events that, whether good or bad, have stairstepped through my life, some defining who I am, how I feel or what I do.  Some of them are. . .

How about if you and I got married?

Babe, I love you.

Hey babe, how about we make some short people.

Congratulations you are pregnant.

I am sorry, but you have lost your babies

Your Grandmother died today.

I am sorry to have to tell you Bill, but you have cancer.

Congratulations Elder Helm, you have been called to the Pocatello Idaho mission.

Mom, I love you.

The list goes on and on, far too many for this page.  This past week I added a couple of new phrases. . .

Cheryl, your growths were benign, you don't have cancer.

You have healed amazingly well.  Good job.

I cannot express my feelings of being so blessed and so joyful.  These are definatly NOT boring words and they are NOT rediculous!!

January/February Catch-up

January and February have been really busy months for our family.  Jessica was in the full swing of the swim season,  having made the Central JV Swim team.  She swam in several meets, a few of them she swam as an alternate on the varsity team.  We are so excited to see how well she is did and can't wait for the summer rec. league to start.  Jessica is 200 pounds of solid muscle.  Not someone anyone would want to mess with.  Here are some pictures from her season. . .

This is the team doing their warm up yell

We loved it when she lapped all the other swimmers.

I wanted to take a moment and talk about courage.  Jessica was ill and missed a Thursday practice, she has early morning seminary and so misses the early Friday morning practice each week.  Since Monday was a holiday and the school doesn't usually practice on days when there is no school, she didn't know that they had decided to have an extra practice on the Monday holiday so she missed that.  The rule is that if you miss 3 practices in a row, you swim every event and your times don't count--if you win, you are disqualified.   In a usual meet a swimmer swims 3-4 events, on occasion they may swim 5 events, but after that it is just too much.  They don't have the energy to swim.  Three girls missed the 3 days and so were swimming the 10 events.  The other two cried,  and complained and really didn't swim that well because why should they, the time didn't count.  Not Jessica, above a picture I took after she found out that she had to swim the 10 events.  I watched as she got out of the pool and went right around to the blocks to start the next event, time and time again.  Each event taking such a tole on her that she was struggling to get out of the pool, each time getting out and giving me the thumbs up signal.  She finished each event, even ones that she had never swam before.  During one event about 1/2 way through--the 400 meter--16 lengths of the pool she was getting tired fast and at one point was 2 full laps, the others finished, and she swam on.  As she pulled herself out of the pool, the entire pool eruped in a standing ovation, not just her team, but the other 2 teams and their parents as well,  for her courage in finishing.  It was an amazing moment that I will never forget.  Fantastic Job Jessa.

Also in January were the winter concerts.  Danial plays percussion instruments, here he is with his bells.

On the day of my surgery Jessica also had a concert, she plays the french horn in the winter.  Here is her band on the stage.

On January 26, Elder Matthew Helm turned 20.  We sent him his birthday box.  He loved his scarf and other goodies that we sent.  However it felt weird not to be celebrating his birthday, so we had the Elders over as proxy sons to celebrate his birthday with us.  They loved it.   Bill got a cake that had a John Deer tractor on it in the "field is white and ready to harvest" theme, and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" for Matt.  Mandy and I knit simple scarves for Elder Dickson and Elder Rodas as well. 

I used the yarn from the dreaded bam bam baaaaaam sweater that was 18 sizes to big for Bill, perhaps by consecrating the yarn from this horrible debacle and knitting it for the Elders we will finally end the "knitting Bill sweater" curse.  The curse is supposed to be that if you knit your boyfriend a sweater, then you will break up before it is finished.  Well I got the guy 26 years ago, just can't seem to knit him a sweater that will fit.  This is to date my single knitting failure that keeps coming back.  So here is to hoping the curse is broken at last.

Homemade--Handcrafted--Handmade

I was reading online today about how words define who we are and what we do.  Take "homemade" for instance.  When I hear the word homemade, I think usually of food.  This isn't just because I like to eat good food, but is a statement of superior goodness of the food because it is "homemade" instead of store bought or a mix.  Homemade chicken noodle soup, is one of my favorite things to eat when I don't feel well.  Now there is a certain brand that makes chicken noodle soup that I grew up with as the standard for "get well" eating, however I have to tell you, it is nothing compared to the veggie rich, thick noodle, goodness of a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup.  One is food that feeds you--sort of--the other feeds not only your tummy, but your soul.  It just plain tastes and looks good. 
When I was growing up, I thought that "store bought" clothes were the ones to aspire to.  Somehow I felt that my homemade clothes were inferior.  And yet when I think back, it is the clothes that my mother and grandmother made me that I remember the most--my black concert dress--my mother made me, that was tons prettier than all the other girls concert clothes (I still have it), my mittens lovingly made each year by my grandmother, to keep my hands warm.  Each item, and I still have quite a few, has a memory attached to it.  It took time and love to complete, time that they thought of me the entire time they were making these things for me. 
So today I came upon the word "handcrafted," which was used to describe a person who knits items.  This person was called a fiber artist.  The word "handcrafted," elevating the work to a piece of art.  The funny part was that in this little shop online, this person had 2 items up for sale.  The first one was described as "homemade" and had a price of $5.  The second one said it was "handcrafted" and was priced at $15.  In the description of each item the same materials and pattern were used.  They were each identical, the only difference being the term "homemade" and "handcrafted."  As I sat here debating back and forth between the two, the "handcrafted" item sold.  What made it better than the "homemade" item?  Just wording.  The power of words to entice one to buy the "better" item.  So do I make things that are homemade, as my mother and grandmother before me, or am I an artist who creates handcrafted items?  I usually use the term "handmade."  Does this combine the two terms "handcrafted and homemade"? Do these terms make me feel better or worse about myself?  I don't know. . .why should it matter.  Actually it doesn't really matter to me.  I knit, sew, bead, tat, quilt, and embroider to suit myself--to give myself joy.  And if it happens to give someone else joy as well so much the better.  They can decide whether it was "homemade" or "handcrafted" for themselves. 

Very Blessed

My surgery went very well and I am feeling that Heavenly Father has greatly blessed me.  Going in I was told by my surgeons that there was a slight chance that part of the surgery could be done laprascopicly (bad spelling) but not to count on it.  Then the morning of the surgery the 2 surgeons got together and has an idea how it could work.  They would make 5 incisions using the larger one for the hernia to extract the masses that needed to come out.  Well it worked!!  What a blessing to only have 4 little 1 1/2 inch insisions and one that is 3 1/4 inches long instead of a huge insision.  So far the pathology says that everything is good.  It will be another week before we get the final report.  I am optimistic that all will be well.  I am feeling pretty good and am now up and about a bit.  Next week will be even better.  Oh and I lost 11 pounds.  Not the best way to loose the weight, but it is my current silver lining.  Best news is that my doctors said that I can go back to the swimming pool on March 5th.  As that is my birthday, I can't think of a better present.  I can hardly wait!   

Abundantly Blessed

I have my bag packed, and have left very detailed instructions for my family on 3x5 cards--it took 26 of them.  Tomorrow I have my surgery.  This morning when I woke up I felt anxious and even apprehensive about tomorrow and then the blessings began.  So much love, good wishes, I can't explain.  I have recieved calls from all over the U.S. from friends and family all letting me know their prayers are with me.  Many emails wishing me the same.  Some of these from people I don't even know, but "oh you helped my daughter, or little sister or brother, when you lived in ________(I have lived in so many places) and well just wanted you to know we are praying for you."  So many people from so many different places and faiths.  So to all of you...Thank you!  You are an answer to my prayers!  Thank you for your prayers.  Thank you for taking time to call, email or PM me.  I had no idea that so many people even knew me, let alone cared.  I am overwhelmed and humbled by your good wishes and prayers.  Thank you and may our Heavenly Father bless  you and your families in all you do.  With my faith and the faith of so many of my friends, I know I will be watched over and blessed during my surgery.
With much love,

Stretching Myself

Lets see if this works.  So I thought this would look cool at the end of my blogs.  I find html writing frustrating, difficult  exilerating, (even with a wizard program doing it)  and now my head hurts.  Actually it wasn't the getting the signature that was so difficult, it was making it work in my blog.  Computer people are so smart in my book!!  Me, well I can put together a scrapbook page, but computer code . . .not in this lifetime