Questions of the Day

The questions I fielded from Jaden last night:

"What does the earth's atmosphere look like, mom?" Jaden on the way home from basketball around 8 night.

"I feel like I don't know Heavenly Father very well, why do we just talk about Jesus and not more about Him?" climbing into bed.

"Who took Jesus down from the cross?" Jaden pillow talking. (he always knows how to squeeze a few more minutes out of me. )

"How did they get the spikes out of his hands and feet?"

"Who saw him first when he came back to life?"

Mind Reader

Kid's say the darndest things. The other day Jaden brought me a package that had come in the mail. Inside the white box was a water bottle and tote with the Logo: Secure. The pckg. was from the company that wants to track me for ten years on the drug Cimzia.

I read it out loud to J and my mom. Then said: "Well, that makes me feel good to be noticed for my efforts." Jaden replied: "It's good that you're tough, mom."

I about broke down- his compliment makes it worth it. He took over my water bottle, however, and I came into his room to see it filled. That's ok.

I had cleaned his room really good over the wknd, so when I had the stomache flu he'd given me (hard not to get it when you get hit with it point blank)
he decided to clean MY room.

I came downstairs to see things it tip top shape. I walked in and "ooh and ahhed" then said: "Did ya put it in the closet?" Astonished he said:

"Mom, you must read minds or something!"

Ironing

How often do we forget that the simple things that we have are the diamonds of our lives?

I drove to friend's house today to share dinner. Lyndee and Jean are connected intimately with Haiti, Jean is from there. He came to America to attend BYU-I and graduated in Engineering. AFter the earthquake and I recalled their connection, I called to see if they were affected.

Jean shared that his mother, age 76, is a few miles from the epicenter and thankfully they have a well on their property. We set up a dinner date to eat Haitian food and talk.

I ate amazing black bean syrup poured over sticky white rice topped with legumes (a mix of vegetables like cabbage and broccolic so finely chopped it melted in your mouth) mixed in with mouth watering shredded pork. (why did I not ask if I could bring some home?)

I mentioned to, Jean, that my friend's father, who visited Haiti, was very impressed with how the people clean themselves up for church on Sundays. Despite living in tents, the lack of water and health care, they come to church looking REALLY sharp.

As I stuffed a fried platana in my mouth, Jean told me that it is because of their French background. That no matter what, they iron their clothes and keep themselves immaculately clean and always have.

The message Care's father wanted her to teach the girls at camp this year was this; that despite not having the "conveniences" of home they can still take care of themselves and look comely.

Jean talked about Saturdays being the day the family worked really hard to get things cleaned up for Sunday. Their clothes pressed and ready to go.

Wow. I throw the ironing board up right before church and pray the iron is hot enough. Actually I mainly opt for the none iron outfit.

It really made me stop and re-commit to some things like ironing.

"Ironing" actually is part of my genes as well. And I don't think I have any french blood cursing through my veins. My Great Grandma Vera Smith loved crisp white sheets and pillow cases. After hours of washing, ironing and making beds, she would look back on her work and say: "Look at that bed. Isn't that the nicest made bed you have ever seen?"

Truly her work was art.

I can remember the sight of canned peaches catching the sunlight streaming through the window, as big fleshy colored halved moons of fruit glimmered in glass jars on her counter top. The clear jars polished with a white tea towel by Grandma, like they were diamonds. They tasted even better.

I can picture Grandma in a floral print house dress washing dishes by hand in the kitchen, her stark white hair against that beautiful white porcelien skin. She lived to 102. The hard work ethic she gleaned as a daughter of 16 children raised on a farm no doubt played part in her long life.

Grandma in the Nurshing home..



Mrs. Joseph, age 76, with that same snow white hair.


So I am thankful today for what I have, and plan on doing some polishing.

Trojan Casserole

Have you ever eaten Elk?

Until last night, I hadn’t. And had my brothers not let the Elk out of the bag, I might not even know.

Friday I knew that we didn’t have any hamburger because it was on my list to buy at the store but couldn't.

So when I saw big log of meat mom was browning on the stove top, I thought: “Hmm Amy must have brought some hamburger over.”

While getting a drink of water from the fridge I noticed a recipe on the counter: Tortilla Casserole. There was a lot happening in a relative short amount of time and mom was stressing for some reason about getting the casserole done in time. My Grandma was going to have a blessing for her surgery the next day at 6:30. So my Dad and the rest of the family were going over to be there.

Dan and Jacob, (these two yahoo's below on the left at Amy's wedding when she married the Hunter)





AND HERE AT Halloween

came home from Poky and Amy was there with Kade so mom wanted to make something special.

Tacos might be faster, I said, offering up a solution to the time predicament.

She nodded her head as I drank my water but then quickly poured in some Nalley's Chili to the hamburger and grabbed tortillas off the table and lined them in the of the casserole dish.

“A change of pace might be nice” I said tilting my head to look at the recipe again. Do you want me to chop an onions and shred the cheddar cheese" She said yes and I dug in to help so she could go visit my niece, Lil. The little Who on the left below

Right at 10 to six the oven beeped to signify the casserole was cooked. Mom had rushed over to see my niece Lil for a minute and was before the buzzer. She meant business about this meal I thought.

Black olives topped the Mexican Dish steaming on the hot pad as we all gathered around the table.

Mom dished heaping plates for the boys, took Dad’s plate and he kinda shook his head 'No'. Not a big fan of casserole and on top of it he didn’t have a Coke to go with dinner like Dan; So he scooped green jello in a dessert dish and sulked in his Captain's Chair.

Perturbed he was setting such a bad example for Jaden, I did sign language for: "Great look at the example you are giving Jaden( who was immediately saying: “Yuck.” at the sight of it) Come to think of it no hand motions were involved. Just me eyeing him then tossing my head in J's direction then back and him and mouthing"Good example".

"It's just like tacos. You love tacos" I coaxed and pled Jaden who put his elbows on the table and gave me a look that I just can't describe right now.

Between the prayer joke, I missed when Dan (Barbara Bush from above photo) let the Elk out of the bag, cause one minute Jake is teasing Dad about the pop and the next my Dad is in disbelief that the casserole really isn’t hamburger.

“Mom trying to sneak a Trojan Casserole on ya, Dad?” Jake chortles as I ask if Amy brought it over. I laughed as I my first bite was being absorbed by the taste buds and suddenly flash backs of the hamburger loaf in the silver pan, and picturing Amy walking to her car with brown paper wrapped around meat with Hamburger written on it from Albertson's crosses my memory while in the background I heard Dan give the answer to Dad’s question with: “this is from Brandon’s freezer from an Elk Hunt." in all sincerity.

What? Hunt? Amy didn’t bring regular beef? Something Brandon shot? (Brandon is her husband.) Is this really, mom? I asked, fork mid air.

Jaden looks at me. I look at him then back at mom.

Swallowing Tortilla Casserole is a little tougher when it's made with Elk I decided.

ButI had to finish strong for J’s sake. Encourage him that it was like we were the pioneers, or on a hunting trip! How fun is that?



It was real serious and quiet for a bit while we ate. Dad stood up and got a Suzy Q from the Bread Box. I told J if he ate his olives he could have one, too.

Jaden actually ate a few bites and stood up to mess around with a toy in the hall.

Jake gobbled up his serving, even took seconds while offering to have the leftovers to bring back to Poky. I couldn’t help but put my hand on his shoulder and thank him because I really didn’t know if I could handle Trojan Casserole leftovers.

Then suddenly, like an Elk bugling during the rut, a burp bellowed from Jaden's direction startling him and us. He busted up laughing, turned red in the face.

So today, as a precaution to his friends and school mates, he told his class that Elk makes ya burp real loud, and warned them not to eat it. Unless of course you're a pioneer or out hunting.

Travels Happen

I missed the HS basketball game bewteen us and our cross town rivals. Jaden got to go. So I listened to it on the radio.

After dominating the first half, they self-destructed. When J came home I asked him what happeneed, why all the turnovers in the second half?

"Travels happen," he said.

Yes they do. This morning he dug a book out of the book shelf: Driven From Within by Michael Jordan. he gazed at all the pictures, unfolded some to show the wing span of Jordan's arms. One page he saw the bottom of the shoes and said: "Look at the traction on these shoes." He found out they were Air Jordans made by Nike and decided he needed a pair. Reminded him of how many lawns that would take for him.

He went to his room, where he had put tape on the carpet to resemble a court and practiced BB with the Nerf hoop on his door.

He came back in a while later and said: I made 165. By that time I had been reading in the book.

In the intro he said: "...I learned to follow my instincts. my standards have always been mine alone. I have never tried to be like somebody else, or live up to the expectations of others. I don't believe in following."

He continues to talk about leadership when he says on p. 13: "great leaders are those who lead by example first. You can't demand respect because of a title or a postion and expect people to follow. That might work for a little while, but in the long run people respond to what they see. They might even listen, but they usu, will act bsed on the actions of the person talking."

Then the next page says: "luck has nothing to do with it. Practice."

They Learned from Their Mothers

Art by Jay Bryant Ward

Quotes

It isn't who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you are not."

Anonymous

"Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we shall tend."

"Nothing in the world can take place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genuis will not; unrewarded genuis is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
-Calvin Coolidge