Juxtaposition

Have I said lately how much I LOVE living in Pennsylvania??
I was sitting at the morning room table eating breakfast and reading the paper when I was blinded by the sunrise streaming through the windows. I looked up at the hills behind us where the light was just coming over the trees, and I was looking through snow flurries! It was like watching dust motes in a sunbeam during the summer. Out the front windows (west) the sky was dark and threatening (28 degrees), but out the back (east) the sunrise was brilliant. Through the skylights the clouds were moving fast (winds are 35 with 50 mph gusts). The clouds are overtaking the horizon now and the sun is dimming to a bright disk through them.
We had to cancel seminary because 3 of my 4 school districts were on 2-hr delays today. The ice storm yesterday was over before church so we didn't have to cancel that. But it was a little scary driving over the shortcut to the building because it is curvy and woodsy. Over a dozen places across the road showed evidence of branches/trees that had broken from the weight of the ice and the force of the winds. Fortunately they had been cleared by the time I drove through at noon, but I didn't risk running that gauntlet again at 5:30 after choir.
Today is a great day to bake and decorate. Dad comes home on Wednesday, and he may get to enjoy some of this winter wonderland with two more storms predicted for Thursday and Sunday. I hope all of you have time to savor the beauty of where you live today.

They're done!!

Here are the quilts!!



I made these three twin bed sized quilts for my hairdresser--an inactive member who lives in Maryland with her three young kids. We have become friends since June, and she asked me to help her with a "forever" gift for her children--the replacement of their baby quilts given to them by the Relief Society in their former Utah ward. Each one took about 15 hours to complete, and I will run them over to the mall this morning. She had wanted to pay me to make them, but that is ridiculous. I will only ask for the cost of the materials.
Stacey had been raised in the church, gone to seminary, married in the Bountiful temple. Her father was a bishop but he had an affair during that time which blew the whole family out of the water. Her mother moved out here, Stacey's husband divorced her because she couldn't get past the betrayal she felt from the church, and she fell into our hands when she came out here to join her mother and started working at the place we always go to get our hair cut. We talk every month about church things, and maybe this project will touch a part of her heart and soften and heal.
Anyway, now I can decorate, bake, and get ready for visiting grandchildren. I feel at ease.

It's n(ice) outside!!

Wow!! When I left for seminary at 5 am it was 35 and just starting to drizzle.
When I got home 2 hrs later it was still raining, but temp was down to 32.

I have been home an hour, the temp is now 29 and just look at the beauty hanging from my deck railings! It was a little d(icey) walking across to get the second picture with granular ice on the deck. I am glad I can hide in the house today, but it is so pretty!

Ricka came to seminary with me and made a guest appearance at the appropriate time. I was teaching Numbers 21, and she helped make the story of the brass serpent come alive. Now I am heading to the basement to finish the last of three quilts for my hairdresser. I told her I would have them by tomorrow, and it is beginning to reach crunch time! More when they are delivered.

"Baby, it's cold outside"

This was the beginning of our "snow flurries" on Wednesday morning at 7:30. I just got back from taking Bill to the BWI airport as fluffy stuff was starting.
By mid-morning it was building nicely, and the cats were entertained by the flakes floating outside the windows. They kept batting at ones that came close.
We were forecast to get 1-2 inches, but it snowed for 14 hours and we ended up with over 5 inches!!
I absolutely love it!! Of course, I canceled seminary on Thursday morning. All our schools were on 2 hour delays anyway, but it was cozy to sit in the living room, wrapped up in a throw, watching the fireplace, and drinking hot cocoa!! Snow is great if you don't have to shovel or drive in it. Although that can be fun, too, but not at 14 degrees!!
It is still out there today (Friday) and I hope it lasts for Dad's return tomorrow. We've had more flurries/snow showers today and there is freezing rain for tomorrow. Sledding, anyone??

"And we (were) out (t)here havin' fun, in the warm (Arizona) sun..."

What a wonderful week we had with everybody in Arizona. Flights and car trips were perfect. Kids had great fun together with cousins--Kennan and Ilana are best friends forever, and inseparable for the time here. The babies and toddlers were so cute. Aspen looks just like Ilana at that age, Ronan has the best eye-bright smile, and Eme is going to keep Lynn on her toes! She says "gramma" really well and takes my finger to go anywhere she wants. There were video game competitions for all ages (3-33) and the science center and zoo kept grandpa busy. Tom beat my best score on the DS (~47,000 to something over 70,000, but he cheated!)
We ate well and often, and Lynn is a tremendous organizer. Thank you for everything, including the extra hour of sleep so we got to Joann's at 7 instead of the usual 6. That was fun for all us girls, especially introducing Heather to hanging out at the craft place together.
Families like this are a joy to share forever. And the hugs are unbelievable!!

"Over the River and through the Woods..."

Well, that's the way we will be leaving Grandmother's house tonight. Kennan and Austin are here with me, and after church today we will head over to the Four Points hotel at BWI for the night.
Our flight to Phoenix leaves at 6:25 am, and it makes no sense to get little people up at 2, drive for over an hour, and figure out where to park the car for a week and schlep bags all over. The hotel lets us park the car in their lot for a week, shuttles us to the airport next door in record time, and we get about 2 1/2 hrs more sleep. Besides, hotel beds are really fun when you're younger.
Today after I met Misti in Frederick, we drove back here, had dinner at Friendly's, watched a dance studio perform at the mall, and shopped for flight treats. I suspect they would not be getting the same assortment of non-nutritive goodies if it were a parent doing the shopping, but what are grandparents for??
So bring on the turkey!! Lynn and I will shop on Monday. Dad, with Bill, Tom, and Heather, will arrive that night. Julie and Justin will come on Wednesday, and the fun will bubble over in the warm Arizona sunshine. Thursday we stuff ourselves (and not the turkey--we have "dressing" outside the bird). Then at the crack of dawn Friday (6 am?) the girls will haul out of bed and race to Joann's in jammies for a party at the store that is accused of "sucking the life out of" some husbands (thanks, Justin). Luckily I brought an extra suitcase!!
Saturday everyone goes back home full of love and hugs. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. For the others who will be at other grandparents with other wonderful families, know we will be thinking (and talking) about you--and missing you and loving you. You will be part of our fond memories and plans for future get-togethers.
And don't forget Tricia's BAGS. This is a great time to reflect on our blessings, accomplishments, and goals. (I know it is not New Year's--but I always count September as the start of the new year anyway). Love to all, and thanks for being ours.

Let the Holidays Begin!!

I am ready for some serious celebrating!
We had another funeral on Saturday. This time it was a sudden stroke in a "dry member" who was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all. Brother Stan Deibler and his amazing wife spent several weeks in New Orleans helping with Katrina clean-up. He was the first non-member I have ever heard speak in Sacrament when he and his wife reported on their experiences. It was memorable and touching. Coming so close on the heels of Dustin's service, many ward members were commenting on how overwhelmed they were feeling.
It is time to have some joy--and we are looking forward to a couple of precious new babies in the ward to bring that to us.

Some times are much sadder than others

There have been a lot of tears around here since a week ago Wednesday night. Last year I had 12 seminary students. Six of them graduated, some went off to college (2 to BYU and 1 to BYU-Idaho) and the others stayed here. The two boys who stayed were working to pay for their missions. It was a good group of kids.

Last Wednesday night the bishop called to tell me one of them, Dustin, had been killed in a motorcycle accident on the way home from work. He had gotten the bike less than two weeks earlier. He hadn't been speeding, there were no drugs or alcohol, the roads were dry, he wasn't doing anything crazy--he just was inexperienced. His brother was following him in the pickup, and saw him lose control on a curve. Dustin left the road, hit a tree, broke his neck. Tim, his brother, had just come back from his mission a few months ago. He reached Dustin, was able to administer to him, but Dustin never regained consciousness.

Bishop wanted me to be prepared for the kids on Thursday morning with an appropriate "lesson". I immediately called Dad for help. On our shelves are books he used as a bishop. One of those is by Elder Russell M. Nelson, The Gateway We Call Death. I took the time to read it overnight and shared much of it with the students who came. We are still mourning.

Needless to say, the ward has been deeply affected by this. Dustin's dad is our Elder's Quorum President. His mom is my closest friend here. We are VT companions and worked together in Primary. Melinda used to teach seminary and subbed for me several times last year. She had come over here with her youngest, Aaron (11), right after I broke my leg and they vacuumed my whole house. Dustin is the one who put in all our driveway pavers.

The funeral was yesterday. It was amazing. The family had chosen to donate his usable organs. He was a state champion wrestler, and in excellent shape. The casket was closed, so there was no viewing, just visitation that started an hour before the service at the ward building. Dad and I got there a half hour early and stood in line for over an hour to get into the building. The line stretched around to the back of the building. Cars were being parked in the side and back fields. The rain stopped for the time we were all standing outside. The actual service started over an hour late. There were over 650 people who stayed, many left because it was taking so long. Close to a hundred went to the graveside, driving for over an hour to the cemetery.

The lesson is there is no way to know what is out there for any of us. All we can do is love each other and say so frequently. Never let the last words between you be angry or hurtful. Live so you will have no regrets regardless of what happens.

Farewell, old friends

On October 12 we went to the doctor and were told there was some clouding at the top of the x-ray even though the bottom half was still sharp and clearly broken. Although it had only been two weeks since I had moved out of the hard cast into the walking boot and started physical therapy, I was graduated to an air cast. I have now had that for 12 days.
At first I kept the boot on when I went outside. On the day after I got the new plastic thing, Dad and I went to the National Apple Harvest Festival, and he pushed me around the fairgrounds in the wheelchair. Then I quit wearing the boot permanently and went to the air cast full time. My ankle still swelled up significantly each day that I didn't keep it up some, but I am impatient. I did my exercises and kept my appointments with PT. I could only wear my Crocs with the cast.
Then last Saturday Dad and I went to a gala celebration up at Hershey (more to follow with pictures) and I actually wore shoes!!
Now I have even spent a few days without the cast, but the swelling continues to be an issue. It goes down each night, but I really don't like to just sit much. There is no pain, and I don't go back to see the doctor until November 9.
Let's just call this adventure OVER.

The Secret O'Life

James Taylor has it right--"The secret o'life is enjoying the passage of time." I love the lyrics of this ballad. It was perfect for October 15, 2007, my 6oth. Thank you to all who phoned and sent bouquets--fruit and flower.











(I am still learning about positioning images.)

Here is one of the traditional ones from Dad:


I don't know if everyone knows why I always get roses and pumpkins for my birthday, so let me tell the story of my first married birthday.
You see, I was lucky to fall in love with someone whose birthday was the same date as my own--the 15th--and I even scheduled our wedding for the same date. There was a good reason for this effort. I married someone with a TERRIBLE memory. (I have proof that he used to write notes to himself up at CalTech so he wouldn't forget that we had a date!)
Anyway, we didn't have a lot of extra money and all of it was carefully budgeted each month. On a beautiful Saturday in October (the 6th, to be exact), Ed was acting really strange. He said he had to run some errands and would be gone a while. That was completely out of character because Saturdays were our days together to play. But off he went alone, and when he returned we drove over to his parents' house to celebrate Ken's birthday with dinner and presents.
When we finally got home, it was late. We came upstairs to our little apartment, and then he said he had to go back to the car (our beautiful little blue VW bug, Bismarck). I was in the bedroom when he came in with a couple of shopping bags, a big grin, and "Happy Birthday!" All I could do was sit on the bed and say, in shock, "But it's not my birthday. It's Ken's."
He was stunned, and so disappointed. He had planned and sneaked around and was so proud of his surprise. All he could do when he found his voice again was to say, "Oh. Well, I guess you might as well open these now anyway." He had gone back to Pasadena from Westwood where we lived (about 20 miles?) to pick out a set of olive green Corning Ware pans (I still use one of them!) and a very pretty slip.
By the time my real birthday came, he had no more budget for shopping, so he brought me a single rose and a funny pumpkin. Ever since, those have been my presents. Sometimes there are more roses, and sometimes the pumpkins are huge or tiny or really ugly--but that is what always appears on the table when I get up in the morning. And he has never again gotten confused.
I love him.

Days of Whine and Roses

(Let's pretend this was posted last Thursday.)

My husband is perfect for me. On Wednesday (Oct 3) I came home from PT in tears. IT HURT!! Because my foot had been locked up in the hard cast for 7 weeks, the ankle did not want to move. It was pushed and stretched and exercised for an hour and a half, and I was sent home with a piece of foam and a stretchy band to continue exercising it 3 times a day.

But here is the catch--when it is not being worked, IT GOES BACK INTO THE BOOT AND IS FROZEN AGAIN!! This is really stupid.

Dad listened to my rantings, then stopped at the store and bought me this beautiful bouquet.

I love him. But it continues to hurt.

Tricia, you are amazing!

I learned a lesson that taught me I AM NOT techno-geeky.

I have been off-line for more than a week because I am stubborn and something I wanted to do was not happening.
Lynn was helpful.
Jen was helpful.
Dad figuratively threw up his hands.
And I kept hitting my head against a wall.

All because I wanted to post a picture and the "Add image" icon did nothing every time I clicked it. I know because I clicked it a dozen times a day!! (Didn't Einstein say the definition of insanity was continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result?)

Enter Tricia who patiently took me to places on my computer I have never had the inclination or nerve to go. Finally she said to ditch Explorer and go to Firefox, and here I am!!

Back to the story.

TA DAH!!

I am getting so techno-geeky. (Actually, Dad held my hand all the way through. It took us about a dozen tries to get the image sized correctly. He would adjust the picture size and email it to me.) I have to get my own photo software now.
I started PT yesterday and did my exercises today twice. Tomorrow and Thursday I go back (3 times a week).
Seminary for the second day was great. The class is up to Genesis 11-17 this week. We talked about the whole "Sarai is my sister" thing in Egypt. I am really glad I had read Orson Scott Card's Sarah because it all made perfect sense--Abram was not killed because he was the 'brother' (murder being less a problem than adultery), Sarai was not harmed because it took a long time to get the desert grime/sheep smell off, and that gave Pharoah time to really appreciate Abram's knowledge of astronomy.
I liked the intriguing idea from the Institute manual that Melchizedek might have been Noah's son Shem. Any thoughts on that???

Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It's off, off, off, I go!

Yes, it is off!! But it is still good news/bad news. There is absolutely no healing evidenced on the latest x-ray. My doctor decided to stimulate the bones to grow together by pushing them together to remind them they belonged together--a lot of teogtherness. I am in a high-tech walking boot with a hand-pumped air bladder around my ankle, and I am to walk as much as I want to for the next two weeks as well as go to PT before the next evaluation.
So, Dad and I spent Saturday walking around (with crutches) at an alpaca farm (www.pasoligaros.com) to celebrate National Alpaca Farm Weekend. The critters were really soft and cute, and I got some yarn to knit a shawl in natural fur colors. Then we stopped at a u-pick pumpkin patch and got some pumpkins of various sizes, colors, and shapes.
Ken came by for dinner and a lot of laughing. He was in Baltimore for a trade show. He was going home to do a pre-harvest evaluation for this year's crop of pumpkin seed oil. Did you know he and Jay are the first American producers of this product? That is really exciting.
Sunday I made the next big jump and drove the car. When we went to Sacrament meeting, we told the Bishop I would be back to seminary this morning. I am soooo delighted to have the kids again. Dad went with me to help with tables and to carry things in. I have to figure out how to manage by myself because he returns to CA on Thursday.
The bottom line is, I AM FREE. I can drive, and get around more and more without the crutches. We are in the process of finding a therapy provider through our insurance company then that piece will fit in.
Anyway, this was more like a group email, but I want to thank all of you for your prayers and love. Thanks to Ken there will be major improvements by the next posting!! See you later :)

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow. You're only a day away :)

I have made it this far, but I think I am at my limit. There better be progress at the doctor's office, or I am taking all the chocolate we gave him back!! Dad should have landed by now, and it isn't too stormy so he should be home in an hour.

Since he left over the weekend--
I reached my personal best tonight on Planet Puzzle Logic (Ninetendo DS)--22,450!!
I finished typing all the notes for God's Secretaries for seminary.
I've read the first three No. 1 Ladies Detective series.
I've made three house elf hats.
I completed three half-finished counted cross stitch projects.
I cleared off my desk of 6 month's piling.
I wrote "thank you's" to everyone from the ward who brought meals, or even called me.
I watched the entire first season (22 episodes) of Remington Steele.
And I just started Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler.

I want to walk to the mailbox, I want to pull weeds, I want to wander through the boxes in the basement and find pictures to post on this blog.

I want out of this cast!!!

(Deep sigh) Okay, I am done.

Do you remember "GARANIMALS"?

I smiled at Tricia's account of Dan's 'saving' behavior. It reminded me of his dad's interesting dress history.
When we first met, Ed's wardrobe at Cal Tech was very utilitarian: black slacks, white short-sleeved shirts, black socks. This was everyday wear--no decisions. He also had two sport coats (blue and maroon), a couple of yellow Oxford shirts (button-down collars), and some skinny ties. That was dress-up for Church or dates. (Yes, he wore a sports coat and tie to Disneyland on our first date, but it was a different time.) He had to buy a suit and a long-sleeved white shirt for our wedding.
Life was simple. He never had to decide if things went together.
Over time I think I have helped him expand his color palette, but the colored shirts and varied shades of gray and khaki pants has meant decisions. He bought some shirts on his own at the Joseph A. Banks store. He even chose a couple of stripes! But when I was in CA, he pulled all the pants and shirts out and had me tell him what he could wear with what.
It was a little confusing for him, and at one point he said, "I wish they just had Garanimals on them!"
Yesterday he had to buy a suit in CA without me, and it only took three phone calls. I smile.

Honey for a Child's Heart

This is the title of a wonderful little book about the importance of poetry and reading in raising children. I always had books that were mine alone as a child. The oldest one that I still have is an anthology given to me by my Aunt Ruth (my Dad's sister) for Christmas 1958. It no longer has a back cover, and many of the last pages are consequently missing; but it was my favorite because it started with nursery rhymes and progressed through to excerpts from classics--there was something for every stage of childhood. The illustrations were wonderful, too.
Tom's comment about some of the poetry we shared sent me to the library (in-house) to find the originals of the two he mentioned. Here they are:

THE MOON'S THE NORTH WIND'S COOKY

Vachel Lindsay

The Moon's the North Wind's cooky.

He bites it, day by day,

Until there's but a rim of scraps

That crumble all away.

The South Wind is a baker.

He kneads clouds in his den,

And bakes a crisp new moon that . . . greedy

North . . . Wind . . . eats . . . again!

(from A Pocketful of Rhymes, ed. Katherine Love)

HALFWAY DOWN

A.A. Milne

Halfway down the stairs

Is a stair

Where I sit.

There isn't any

Other Stair

Quite like

It.

I'm not at the bottom,

I'm not at the top;

So this is the stair

Where

I always

Stop.

Halfway up the stairs

Isn't up,

And it isn't down.

It isn't in the nursery,

It isn't in the town.

And all sorts of funny thoughts

Run round my head:

"It isn't really

Anywhere!

It's somewhere else

Instead!"

(from When We Were Very Young)

This last poem I would recite to kids as we sat on the beautiful curved stairs in the Woodland house.

I am so grateful that the joy of reading has passed to another generation.

Turn around, turn around, turn around and you're a...

It is mid-morning of my first full week alone here while Dad is in CA. Through my iPod in my ears is Kenny Loggins crooning my favorite lullaby, "Where Are You Going?" As you kids remember, I sang exactly three songs to you as little people--this one, "Inch Worm," and "The Marvelous Little Toy." This was always my favorite because it put growing up into perspective. You each "turned around" and grew up right under my nose (and in all cases, above it!). Everyone had different talents and different paths to follow. I have watched in awe as your lives have unfolded and included others. You are so special (and yes, Dan, unique), and I have occasionally been startled by what I have learned about you. I have spent many hours on my knees asking for help from Heavenly Father because you were His first and He knows you best. Those prayers have always been answered. When I had the wedding pictures hanging in the dining room on Sassafras, there was a framed quote in the center of the arrangement. It is my talisman.
"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 4.
No matter what I have been comforted by your testimonies and choices.

Eating Crow--or Bat?

Remember when you didn't have children, but you knew what every parent was doing wrong? Well, we all learned not to judge after we had our own.
I learned another lesson about judging this past week. Years ago when the first Harry Potter book came out, my mom read it and dismissed it as a "children's" book, and wouldn't read any of the series. I tried to convince her they were wonderful, but she had made up her mind.
I did the same thing this summer. When Tricia recommended Twilight, I bought it but I couldn't quite bring myself to read a book about teenaged vampire angst. It sat on the floor for a couple of months. Last week in San Bruno I decided to try it (because Eclipse had knocked Harry Potter off the top of the NYT best seller--ok, I am a snob, but I can repent). Unfortunately, my copy of the first was at home, and I certainly couldn't start with book 3. So Ed took me to Barnes and Noble, and I bought all three (and he never said, "Don't you already have this?" I love him.).
I read all three in 4 days! That's possible when you have nothing else to do. I have one fault when I read a book. After I have become invested in the story and committed to certain of the characters, I ALWAYS read the very last page (only!) to see if those names are still there. If not, I don't read the book--I am not going to waste energy on a bad end. So, I have to admit to the same thing with Eclipse. I was freaked out!! I had to put an emergency call into Lynn to find out if it was going to be okay. I didn't want to know the end, just that it would be okay. She wasn't home, but Eric assured me she had loved the book. She called soon to reassure me that I was going to love the book, too, but that the last page was from the Epilogue and had a different first person narrator. Thank you, Lynn, for understanding your crazy mother. And thank you, Tricia, for staying up on lots of books.
Jen and I talked on Friday, and I agree with her that it is hard to read another book after being so invested in a wonderful tale.
I have one for you, now. I just loaned it to Jen this weekend. The title is Molokai, and I cried a lot through this "based on historical fact" account of the leper colony in Hawaii. I am not a tearful person, but this story just grabs your heart and squeezes.
Thanks for sharing a few minutes with me. I am home alone today, and it feels wonderful to have my home and life to myself.

Home again, home again, jiggedy jig

Well, yes, home again, but no jigs in my future. The doctor said minimal improvement (I'm trying to be positive--I couldn't see any!) The x-rays showed the crack as clearly defined as the first time, although Ed swears there is some fuzziness at both ends. The truth is there is no new tissue/calcification along the length of the break. That means "Come back in two weeks and we'll look again." There is nothing to do but wait.
Anyway, Thursday was an uneventful travel day. Everything was fine here at home. Friday was the doctor's visit and frustration on my part as Ed scurried around cleaning bathrooms and I sat. Now it is Saturday.
Ed and Jen and kids got here last night. The kids will be with us during the day while they go on a stake temple trip. They will go back tonight and then we will go over there tomorrow. Dad goes to Chicago on Monday, and life goes on.
I realized I may be a Cali-girl with sun on my face and sand between my toes, but I love the green of PA. The air is getting crisp and color change is coming. This is why I moved. I need seasons. I just have to accept that this is also a different season in my own life.

Dinner in Daly City

This is quick because Dad's computer has not been available all day, and now he is packing everything up for us to go home tomorrow. He's giving me a few minutes while he undoes all the handicap adjustments he made to his bathroom to accomodate me.
Last night Bill came down from Chico (as Ed appreciates, that is a 3 1/2 hour drive one way!), and we went to dinner in Daly City. That is the town we first lived in when my family moved to California in 1952.
We lived in an apartment, and two important things happened there. (1) I got a puppy, a fawn boxer, and (2) I started kindergarten. I will give you more about Tessie of Tanforan another time. My only recollection of starting school is that all the other kids were crying and clutching their mothers' skirts, and I was running down the hall to my classroom as fast as I could because I was so excited to go to school. I have ALWAYS loved school !!! After bringing home a few papers that apparently were not good enough, I remember my mom sitting me down at the coffee table in the living room and teaching me how to draw things that she felt were more recognizable, like a house with a tree and flowers and an airplane in the sky. I still feel self-conscious about anything that requires drawing.
Okay, more to come from Pennsylvania!!

Clearing up the antecedent confusion

I am an English major. I should have known better, but the Engineer in the house said it wasn't clear last time who was the nurse, my grandma or my "new mom".
It was my grandmother-- an unusual woman for her time. She was the company nurse and wore the old fashioned white uniform, hat, pin, and squeaky white shoes and hose. My grandfather had retired from being a postman because of health, so she was a primary bread-winner. She was a brilliant woman, who usually did too many things at one time. She always had a book in her hand, along with a cigarette, even while cooking (which she was TERRIBLE at). She would crochet and do crossword puzzles at the same time. She collected coins (I still have the dimes, Dean got the nickles, and Karl the pennies) and stamps (don't know where they are). She played the stock market successfully for years. I called her Nana. She died of lung cancer when I was in junior high. (When I get home, I will post a picture of her and my PopPop.
More on him another time.)
She and my grandfather lived in a farmhouse that had belonged to his uncle George Richmond. They had moved there so she could care for Uncle George in his old age. (He is another story--unmarried, traveled the world.) When I was at the house, it was really old. There was a hand pump at the kitchen sink, and the furnace burned coal that was delivered to the house and dumped through a chute into the bin in the basement. They didn't work the farm or have any animals. I had two rabbits, Snowball and Eight Ball (white and black, of course), and a Cocker Spaniel named Cookie.
Remembering is fun and sad.

"The End of the Prophets"

I AM FINISHED!! Several years ago there was an article in the New Era showing a method for marking footnotes in the new publication of the scriptures. I did that for my old smaller scriptures. Last June I began the process for my large-print books since I am teaching seminary. Yesterday I marked the last verse, Malachi 4:6. That gave me an interesting reminder.
As you recall, the verse begins, "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, ..." Well, that is what this blog is all about. I intend to use this format to record my personal history.
There is a lot you already know, but I want to bring it all together. Some things are still not clear to me, and I hope Bunnie can fill in for all of us.
A brief outline: I was born October 15, 1947, at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, to Dean John Munt, Jr., and Mary Eleanor O'Hare (right, Bunnie-mom?). They were divorced after my 4th birthday, and I ended up with my grandparents, Dean John Munt, Sr., and Christina Elizabeth (Bacon), in LeRoy NY. My dad remarried May 22, 1952, and I remember the day I met my "new mom" in Grandma's office. She was an LPN working as the plant nurse at the Jello factory in LeRoy. I stayed with a daycare lady across the street. We moved to California where I lived until Dad and I moved to Tennessee for 3 years, then to Ohio for 10 years, back to California for
22 1/2 years, and now to Pennsylvania. That looks to me like a full circle.
With most of my life spent in California, it makes perfect sense to me that deep in my soul I am a "Cali-girl" with the background music of the Beach Boys ringing in my ears, occasionally with an overlay of "California Dreamin'" from the Mamas and Papas.

Why I smile

Since I have been here the daily schedule has been very stable. Dad goes in to work at about 4 am and I stay asleep. Around 6:30ish I get up, and he is back around an hour or so later to fix breakfast. Then he does a tasting panel and goes back to work. He comes here to fix and share lunch and does another panel. He heads to work until about 5:30 when he comes home and makes dinner and we talk a little. He works here until bedtime (9 pm) and that's the day.
Soooo, I fully expected today to be the same. It started that way, but after the morning tasting he put on his tennis shoes, got my insulin test kit, and unfolded the wheelchair. Off we went in the car!!
He drove over to the airport Marriott parking lot, unloaded the chair and me, and we went for a long walk along the bayshore trail. He said I needed to feel the sun and wind. I LOVE HIM !! He pushed me for thirty minutes all the way down to the Max's restaurant at the Broadway offramp of 101 where we had lunch. (Ed, you and Jen may remember this as the place we all had dinner the night Jen's family arrived for the wedding.) I love their Rueben sandwiches.
We walked all the way back to the car and then we drove around and took some pictures (for a future post). He stopped at the South San Francisco Sees plant/store because he thought I might need a few dark chocolate almond clusters.
HE LOVES ME, TOO !!

September is always a new beginning

Well, I've done it!! Here is my maiden entry to the family network. Sitting at Dad's laptop in the San Bruno apartment, I am grateful for Lynn's help over the phone in launching this new adventure.
With nothing to do but read (First Among Sequels), cross stitch, and color-code the footnotes in the Old Testament for seminary, I am going stir-crazy.
Today marks four weeks in the cast. Three to go. I am pretty quick in the wheel chair, but there is no room to use it here. I hop around okay with the crutches, but it's only from the bed to the couch to the table to the desk--pretty limited. Dad is glad I am here, though, so he doesn't have to worry about me and the stairs at home. We go back to the kitties next Thursday, and then I will stay put. With any luck this will be over on the 28th.
I have always believed the start of the school year is the real "New Year." I know this is especially true this month. Grandma Munt is settled into her new home in Texas and very happy to be back close to Karl's little girls. I am glad a difficult year is behind us, and we are looking forward to new adventures.
Stay tuned for updates and memories from the home of the bears and apples.