Robert

Robert gave me an "I love you" card this morning. For no reason, except that he loves me. How sweet is that?

What did I do?

I did something to the format of my blog. I don't know what it was. I was editing a blog entry and I deleted something I shouldn't have. I am sure that is what happened. Past entries were completely unreadable. I am sad. I should go to bed and leave things well enough alone.

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

By Margaret Sidney

"The little old kitchen had quieted down from the bustle and confusion of midday, and now, with its afternoon manners on, presented a holiday aspect that, as the principal room in the brown house, it was eminently proper it should have. It was just on the edge of the twilight, and the little Peppers, all except Ben, the oldest of the flock, were enjoying a breathing spell, as their mother called it, which meant some quiet work suitable for the hour. All the breathing spell they could remember, however, poor things, for times were always hard with them nowadays; and since the father died when Phronsie was a baby, Mrs. Pepper had had hard work to scrape together money enough to put bread into her children's mouths and to pay the rent of the little brown house. But she had met life too bravely to be beaten down now. So with a stout heart and a cheery face, she had worked away day after day at making coats and tailoring and mending of all descriptions; and she had seen with pride that couldn't be concealed her noisy, happy brood growing up around her and filling her heart with comfort, and making the little brown house fairly ring with jollity and fun."

When I was in 6th grade we had a Christmas party in Mr. Bolger's class. Everyone had drawn a name to exchange gifts. I don't know that I remember who gave me my present. But I remember that it was wrapped in kleenex type paper with a ribbon. I wonder now what the circumstances were of the child who gave me the gift. I loved that book. It just struck a cord in me. I still have it around the house somewhere.

Reading has been such a huge part of my life. I know there are people who do not enjoy reading. Where would the world be without the majesty, mystery, and fantasy of books?

While in 1st grade I went to live with my paternal grandparents for a while as my brother was very sick. Any germs I would bring home from school were a threat to his life. In fact, I did contract the chicken pox and that could have been fatal to him. Anyway, my Grandma Dayhoff would read to me at bedtime. My father liked reading. He liked Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. I know that my mother enjoys reading non-fiction history.

In high school with easy access to the library on campus I could read a book a day. When homework got done, I do not know. My social life was actually pretty good and I taught primary and cooked dinner but reading books was my obsession. Overall I may not have absorbedeverything that I read. But I sure enjoyed it. Reading has been my refuge many times.
Thank you little Peppers one and all. You helped me learn to love reading and what a blessing that has been in my life.

Rocktober!
The Colorado Rockies are in the World Series opposing the Boston Red Sox. So far they aren't doing too well with 0-2. They have played the first two games at Fenway Park in Boston.
We don't usually get too far into sports although when a local team does well we enjoy the fun and comradery that goes along with the game.
Our little Ottley grandsons, Taylor, Andrew, and Cameron, are convinced that the Red Sox will win the series. And they may be correct! It is fun to hear them over the phone be excited about the games and to tease them about who the winning team will be. Of course, we in Colorado want the Colorado Rockies to win! But if they don't it will all be fun to us. Maybe not to every fan, but to us.
I found that I don't really even have any purple clothes to wear to support the team. But I did go "sox-less" for two days. Get it? "No Red Sox"
Our other little grandson, Jayme, broke his arm a couple of weeks ago jumping off of a trampoline. When he finally got a cast on it he chose a blue one. Then he drew a big "Y" on it for..... BYU. He and his brother, Kyle are big sports fans and they are just little guys.
A little competition is good so long as we don't let it rule our lives.

What does this scripture mean to you?

1 Corinthians 9: 24
"Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. "

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Robert Schuller

Words are very powerful. They can hurt, motivate, uplift, teach, inspire. Sarah Twiss from Church has the quote above on her emails. Quite an interesting question to ponder.

The possibilities are mind-boggling.

What do you think you would do? I know many people who have a "List of Things To Do". (One thing I need to do is find out if the punctuation goes inside the quotes or not. :)

I have been pondering making a list. As usual, I have thought of several different ways to do this. But the main type of list would be the types of things that pertain to the "what if you could not fail category." Now these are all things for my adult self, not from the beginning of my life. The goals from early in my life, I have met except two I can think of. Maybe I had better not go there. I might think of too many that I have not accomplished.

Temple marriage (check)
Children (check)



1. Learn to ski (check)
2. Live in Colorado (check)
3. Travel to England (check)
4. Write a book or so.
5. Earn a college degree. (I have not but some of my children have. Hurray!)
6. Travel to Hawaii (check. In fact, I have traveled a few places I did not plan on. For instance, I have traveled to Guatemala and Mexico. They were not on my list.)
7. Travel to Australia
8. Have some kind of sewing business; bags, children's clothing, children's quilts.
9. Retire :)
10. Go on several missions
11. Live close to my children and grandchildren
12. Read Jesus the Christ
13. Sing with the MoTab
14. Be skinny
15. Cruise to Alaska
16. Organize my family history
17. Road trip after road trip with Robert

There are probably more. Time to put on my thinking cap. These are do-able.

Oh. And why the Halloween Doggies? I love doggies and I love Halloween.

BOO!

P.S. Funny Halloween story. I was making a Halloween bib for one of my grandchildren. I wanted to embroider some Halloween words around the edge with my embroidery machine. I thought it would be cute to put the word "Boo" on the edge. I practiced at first for size and set up. As the machine was sewing I noticed that the boo words were too close together and it looked like a continuous string of the words boob.

I laughed till I cried. :)

I read this post on a blog called: Taniwa

It truly humbled me and gave words to a feeling I have had for a long time and also needed to remember.

A Long Walk

"I remember hearing a story about a missionary who lived in Central America for many years and when she was getting ready to return to America, the missions board sent out an announcement to all the churches she had ministered to that she was leaving. One day an old man arrived at her door carrying two coconuts as a thank you gift for her time with them. She was very touched by the gift but she was more concerned about the man whom she knew had had a four day walk from his village just to give her the coconuts. "Thank you so much for your gift, but what a long walk you had to have!" The old man replied, 'Long walk part of gift.'"

I have felt this message as I have lived my life. Sewing for my family, making gifts, searching for something special, cleaning house, cooking meals, doing laundry, going on a date with my husband, preparing a lesson for Church, cooking a meal for a family with a new baby or sickness, even in my employment which I didn't plan to do, but chose to do to help my husband and family. Even as I have had the feeling of importance to what I would do, I did not know how to put it into words. This story provides the words so profoundly.

I don't think I can ever look at a gift, a visit, a phone call, a letter, the same again. And I don't mean just on my part, but on the part of every person who comes through my life.

And on further contemplation, how does the Lord look at the time we take out of our so busy lives to "talk" to Him, to read His words, to serve others and thereby serve Him?

Taniwa continues...

"I say, yeah to all of us who give our time to the people around us. It is the most valuable possession we have even if no one can see it. Next time you're making something for someone and wonder why, when you have so many other things to do, remember, 'Long walk part of gift.'"

Powerful.

I am a worrier. I don't remember when I started worrying. Maybe I have worried all my life?
As a child I remember worrying that my parents would be gone when I got home from school. Totally gone.
Another childhood worry: forgetting my homework. I remember when I got over that one. I was in 11th grade and didn't have my English homework. A feeling came completely over me that was a real eye-opener. "What would the teacher do to me if I didn't have it? Fail me? Embarrass me? Send me to jail?" It wasn't like I was in the habit of forgetting my homework. (National Honor Society)
In junior highschool and highschool I worried that no one would like me. And sometimes they didn't. Highschool probably scarred me for life. :(
Once I started having kids I worried about teaching my children, keeping them safe spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Overall I had no training or education to help me do that. That worried me too. I always clung to a statement I heard once, "I know I will make lots of mistakes but overall I want my children to know that I have always loved them." I also clung to having Family Home Evening as a way to keep my children where they needed to be.
With no "Church" background to train me it was something I worried about a lot then as I continue to do now. At least now I have my own background to sustain me having developed my own testimony and experiences.
Now I worry about adult children. I realize that I cannot "own" their problems, issues, etc. I worry about their spouses and their children. I worry about their jobs. I worry about car accidents. I worry about health. I worry about their finances. I worry if they are reading their scriptures.
Other worries: Testimonies, Robert's health, my health, my mother's health, skiing, 4 wheeling, money, travel, a clean house, broken things, ALL THAT MATERIAL IN THE BASEMENT!
Do you think I need counseling? Sometimes I think I do. Other times I just tell myself to GROW UP. What is that scripture in Nephi? Lehi says something to Laman and Lemuel like, "stand up my sons, and be men."
"Men (and women) are that they might have joy." Time to look for the joy, Janice.

I just took a quiz: Which Austen heroine are you?


: A N N E ::

You are Anne Elliot of Persuasion! Let's face it, you're easily persuaded, especially when faced with choices that are or aren't 'the Elliot way.' But this doesn't mean that you don't have conviction. Actually, your sense of duty is overwhelming. And though you won't stick your neck out too often, you have learned to speak up when it counts. To boot, you know how to handle sticky situations. You love deeply and constantly.


HURRAY! Because I love Anne Elliott.

What am I doing awake at 2:00 a.m.?

Robert & I were invited to go to Puerto Vallarta with Bonnie and Kent Fairchild.
Originally I was excited, then scared, then excited. Excited to go on a trip...Pleased to be invited....Scared because we don't speak Spanish....Scared because I always get scared...Excited because after the Fairchilds arrived the day before us they sent an email with directions and then I knew it would be fun.
And it was!
No problem with Spanish as all the service people spoke alot more English than we speak Spanish.
Let's see, what other great things?
2 bedroom condo at Paradise Village was great!! Clean, cool, quiet, close to everything, modern, new.
Beach was clean, nice water (not blue) good waves for boogie boards, covered umbrellas to sit and watch the ocean and read, etc.
Beautiful settings.
Friendly people.
Church found easily and met Pres. and Sister Watkins from the Guadalajara Mission. They took us for a tour on Sunday afternoon while they were in town for meetings.
Talked ALOT about couple missions. Not just about the Guadalajara Mission, but the Ottley and Fairchild missions. (Coming up soon for both!)
Canopy tour was so fun this time! In Guatemala I was scared to death. (After giving it thought, maybe too tired, raining, heights) But this time I went on my own and it was soooo FUN!
Ate dinner in the jungle on the property where John Huston, the director, used to live. Didn't see his house. That was disappointing but the jungle at night with candles and torches was so neat.
Bonnie and Kent Fairchild, the friends we were invited by are great and we enjoyed the fabulous time together.
The pools at the resort were fun. All kinds: hot tub, lap pool, salt water pool, regular pool. Two huge crocodile slides which were accessed by a climb up a tower and across a swinging bridge.
There are always some down sides to things, but overall we really enjoyed ourselves. The trip went very smoothly. AND I got a great tan!

I received this story from a friend this morning. While I do not have a daughter named Rachel and no one has ever given me a week at a gym for my birthday, and I am not 60 years old yet, I identify with the story and laughed so hard that I cried and all of my make up is gone.

Dear Diary,

For my sixtieth birthday this year, my daughter Rachel (the
dear) purchased a week of personal training at the local health club for
me. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school
football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try.

I called the club and made my reservations with a personal
trainer named Belinda, who identified herself as a 26-year-old aerobics
instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. My daughter
seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me
to keep a diary to chart my progress.

MONDAY :

Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found
it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Belinda
waiting for me. She is something of a Greek goddess - with blond hair,
dancing eyes and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Belinda gave me a
tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in
which she conducted her aerobics class after my workout today. Very
inspiring! Belinda was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut
was already aching from holding it in the whole time she was around.
This is going to be a FANTASTIC week-!!

TUESDAY :

I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the
door. Belinda made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the
air -- then she put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the
treadmill, but I made the full mile. Belinda's rewarding smile made it
all worthwhile. I feel GREAT-!! It's a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY :

The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on
the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have
a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn't try to
steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot.

Belinda was impatient with me, insisting that my screams
bothered other club members. Her voice is a little too perky for early
in the morning and when she scolds, she gets this nasally whine that is
VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Belinda put
me on the stair 'monster'. Why would anyone invent a machine to
simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Belinda told me it
would help me get in shape and enjoy life. She said some other words
too.

THURSDAY :

Belinda was waiting for me with her vampire-like teeth exposed
as her thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn't
help being a half an hour late, it took me that long to tie my shoes.
Belinda took me to work out with dumbbells. When she was not looking, I
ran and hid in the restroom. She sent another skinny instructor to find
me. Then, as punishment, she put me on the rowing machine -- which I
sank.

FRIDAY :

I hate that Belinda more than any human being has ever hated
any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny,
anemic, anorexic little cheerleader. If there was a part of my body I
could move without unbearable pain, I would beat her with it.

Belinda wanted me to work on my triceps. I don't have any
triceps! And if you don't want dents in the floor, don't hand me the
barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill
flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why
couldn't it have been someone softer, like the drama coach or the choir
director?

SATURDAY:

Belinda left a message on my answering machine in her grating,
shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing her
made me want to smash the machine with my planner. However, I lacked the
strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight
hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY :

I'm having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can
go and give thanks that this week is over. I will also pray that next year
my daughter Rachel , will choose a gift for me that is fun -- like a
root canal or a hysterectomy.