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One Stitch and Story at a Time
I’m a look-forward kind of person. I like to organize and plan, which requires looking ahead. Why, then, do I spend so much time lately looking back? The answer may lie somewhere between the advent of my empty nest, the arrival of grandbabies, a cross-country move, the end of a fulfilling, yet overwhelming job, and the passing of my parents. These days I feel the need to capture family stories. To put them in one place. To share them with my kids and grandkids. I guess you could call me a storyteller. My parents were storytellers. My dad told us bedtime stories from his childhood. My mom told us family…
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When Life Intersects Eternity
I put away leftovers from dinner while my husband loads the dishwasher. We’re talking about the art we’ll hang in the office — we’re determined to unpack all of our boxes before our kids’ visit. I keep thinking about my son. His wife is scheduled for an induction in 3 days. After nearly 9 months, Baby Boy’s arrival is so close. How does my son feel right now? I text him. It’s the night before my mom’s birthday. My son, his wife and baby and my mom (who passed away 14 years ago) are all in my thoughts as I get ready for bed. I turn the sound on my…
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Hear Him and Never Walk Alone
What if you could hear God’s voice in the pages of a book? Last week was the 191st anniversary of the first printing of the Book of Mormon in which The Grandin Press published 5,000 copies. Today over 150 million copies of the book have been distributed. In 1830 the book was sold for $1.25 – $1.75 per copy. A few years ago, a first edition Book of Mormon sold at auction for $80,000. When I read these stats, I remembered an experience in the Northeast. My husband and I took our twins on a trip a few weeks after graduation. We experienced natural beauty, US history and dinners featuring…
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Home and Heart
I walked through the house one more time, but this time I was ready to leave. I’m a look-forward kind of person. I love to plan, organize and imagine what something will be like in the future. When my husband and I were engaged, I planned our wedding, but I also planned our first home, a 2-bedroom student apartment. I actually drew a rough blueprint and sketched where each piece of collected furniture would go. My forward-thinking works another way too. When we had 5 children ranging in age from 3 to 12, my husband was offered a job out of state. Before we knew it was right to accept,…
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Feed My Sheep
The sky was clear and sunny, but the wind blew from the north. Spring took its time finding the Bar MK ranch — in the valley between Bear Lake and the Wasatch Mountains. The little girl, maybe 10 years-old, was named for her dad. The youngest of six kids, she would rather help with the animals and fields than be cooped up inside doing housework. And so it happened that she and her dad rode across the ranch one afternoon: he on his favorite horse and she on a horse named Copper. She heard the sounds of two tiny lambs before she saw them. Bleating and alone. No mama in…
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A Voice and A Hand
I decided to follow Russell M. Nelson’s example to learn all I can about Jesus Christ using the references in the topical guide. This week I studied Advocate, Antemortal Existence, Antemortal Appearances, and Postmortal Appearances. Advocate When my daughter was in 4th grade, she went to the high school football game. She wanted to be with friends, not watch the game. On the way to the snack bar, she saw a group of kids from school gathered around a boy who didn’t fit the mold. She heard loud voices and saw the boy get pushed to the ground. McKenna stepped into the cluster and said, “Hey! What are you doing?…
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The Shape of a Life
This picture draws me in. Like I am in the canoe gliding through turquoise water. I see the woman sitting in the bow. The way she holds the paddle and turns her head. What is she thinking? Is she picturing her life when the honeymoon is over? Does she wonder how she’ll feel when she leaves Idaho for the Great Lakes? Does she still feel sad her mom never met her new husband? Did she know the years ahead would not be graphed as a single rising line. Did she expect, like most of us, her life would ascend without dips or stops or fallbacks? She couldn’t foresee she would…
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Favorite Family Recipes
Intro I created this post for my children. In the last few years, I’ve spent time and energy reducing the belongings of my parents’ lifetimes. And dismantling our family home. I’ve learned about what matters, what I can actually keep, and how to lighten my load. I’ve also felt a pull to record stories and document memories, some of which surround food. As I sorted through my mom’s recipe box, I could see the history in each recipe. Some of the recipes I made with my mom or dad. Others I didn’t and wish I could ask them their secrets. I tried to add commentary to the instructions. I hope…
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How the Light Gets In
I draw a turtle on a whiteboard and tell the story of Twyla Turtle. “What should Twyla do today?” I ask my 2 ½-year-old granddaughter during our FaceTime call. She has been home for a week after nearly 2 months of sheltering in place with her parents, baby brother, my husband, and me. Now my house is clean and calm. And empty without two little people that round out the ones I love most. “Twyla wants to go to the zoo,” she says. I glance at her face up close in my phone and feel a surge of love. Then at her request, I draw a zookeeper, her baby brother,…
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Anchored in the Ocean
Mist sprays my face then quickly dries in the sun and ocean breeze. Normally I’d feel seasick, but today I’m okay as the fast moving catamaran skims the waves. A couple sits near my husband and me. I smile at them and we start a conversation. Xavier and his wife both grew up in Jamaica and came to the Caymans to work. Today they celebrate 6 years of marriage. When Xavier asks how long we’ve been married, I answer: 32 years. He looks at me more closely and says, I’m 32. He doesn’t expect the 5 kids answer either. They didn’t bring a camera, so we take pictures to commemorate…
