Blue Angels in St. George!

It was so fun to have the Blue Angels in our little town last week. They did air shows on Saturday and Sunday out at the new airport. Ken got these pictures of them on Saturday on his iphone. He rode his bike to a hill above the airport and watched the show. The best day, though, was Thursday. They rehearsed much of Thursday- and that day the skies were blue and clear and they really put on a show. I wish we had pictures of that day. You could hear the roar of the jets most of the day. I watched from my front lawn. On Wednesday, they took VIP's up in the jets, including Dieter F. Uchtdorf. They interviewed the pilot after and he said, "He handled the G's." I guess they gave him a "test" and he passed. You know, I've seen them practicing a lot on our way to and from Vegas near Nellis Air Force base. It's quite a common site there. But there was just something about having them in our "air"- right above our house at times- that was truly thrilling. The local newspaper reported that this was one of their best ever air shows. They expected 20,000 people and 30, 000 came on Saturday (creating a bit of a porta potty problem!) True to our Mormon culture, Sunday's show was not as well attended, but I hope they'll want to come back. I'd love for this to be an annual event!

The Late Homecomer

The Late Homecomer by K.K. Yang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My introduction to Hmong people was when I first visited my daughter's family who had just moved to Wisconsin. There was a large, happy group of Asian people at the park. She told me they were Hmong. "What is Hmong?" I asked. She said they were from Viet Nam. She was sort of right. They did live in Viet Nam, but really they are a race, a culture, a community without a country. My daughter has since made many friends with Hmong, one of whom recommended she read this book. She did and recommended it to me. It is the true story of an Hmong family who are hunted in the jungles of Viet Nam (after they assisted us in the Vietnamese war) until they escape to Thailand by swimming the Mekong River (with a baby strapped to the mother and a small scrap of embroidery her mother had made tucked between she and the baby.) They live in a refuge camp there for six years, then a transition camp for a few months, then come to America. Hmong families were sent to California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This large family was split- some sent to Minnesota, some to California. They struggle to survive, but express gratitude every day for the opportunity to live in America. This is their story, as told by the second daughter of the youngest son of this large family. Her purpose is to preserve the history of the race and the culture, and specifically, her family's history- mostly her beloved grandmother's life story. The author's ( Kalia) father instructs her on what to write when he learns she is writing the book with this powerful statement. He says,"It is very important that you tell this part of our story: the Hmong came to America without a homeland. Even in the very beginning, we knew that we were looking for a home. Other people, in moments of sadness and despair, can look to a place in the world: where they might belong. We are not like that. I knew that our chance was here [America]. Our chance to share in a new place and a new home. This is so important to our story. You must think about it, and tell it the way it is."
I am amazed that all of this happened in my lifetime and I knew nothing about it. In fact, I read the book in a very personal way, as Kalia's parents started their family about the same time we started ours. As they were being married in a jungle, hoping they would survive and the ceremony would not be interrupted by the Vietnamese soldiers hunting them, mine was performed in a beautiful temple with a large gathering of friends and family. A few months after they had their first baby girl in a dirty hut, after being captured and held prisoner(they were later able to escape.) I was having mine in a sterile hospital. My second daughter was born in the same month(December 1980) as their second daughter- the author of the book. She was born in a filthy refuge camp in Thailand, delivered by her grandmother. My daughter was delivered by a doctor and was brought home in a large Christmas stocking to celebrate Christmas around a beautifully decorated tree. It was impossible to read this book without feeling gratitude for my blessings.
I enjoyed being immersed in a culture very different from mine. I learned a lot. Though there are many differences, I can't help but see the many similarities as well. The love of family, the desire to preserve one's personal and family history, and the desire to succeed and make a difference in the world are all so much a part of all. I conclude that we are more alike than different. We are all part of the human family, and though they don't understand it yet, children of the same God. I wish I could share that message with these remarkable people. Thank you, Ms. Yang, for so beautifully sharing and preserving your important story.

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I'm Gonna Need Thy Help

My Mantra #1: "I'm Gonna Need Thy Help" or "Please help me!" When I started planning to write mantra blog posts, I hadn't even considered this as being my mantra. I have a list of others, but this wasn't even in my consciousness. But, after reading about mantras, I listened to myself- my self-talk. And this is what I most often repeat in my mind. This is my #1 mantra- and I didn't even know it! I am constantly asking my Heavenly Father for help. I wonder if He's sick of hearing the word "Help!" from me. I say it when I'm heading in to conduct a Keynote or Choir rehearsal, or when I'm trying to get all the groceries in from the car, or when I'm trying to talk myself into going to the gym, or when I'm making a scary phone call, or when I'm going into an uncomfortable social situation, or when I'm going to write a thank you note or blog post, or when I 'm going visiting teaching, or when I'm trying to get the fitted sheet over the corner of the bed, or when I'm in the dental chair, or, or, or . . . . I tell you, it's constant. My life is a prayer. A mantra is an oft-repeated phrase, the purpose of which is to bring about change in oneself. I guess this is an acknowledgment that such change is impossible without Divine help. No matter how hard I try, I am utterly and totally dependent on my Heavenly Father. Therefore, if I'm being completely honest, I have to list this as my #1 mantra. It's not catchy or profound or what I expected to write about at all. But it is what it is: my #1 mantra.

Do you have a mantra to share?

Mantras

Ahhhh! Somebody stop me! I have had SO much fun! I've had an idea for blog posts for quite some time: I want to share my mantras. Or, at least I want to share what I think a mantra is. See, I really didn't know for sure what a mantra is. I had only heard the word used in conversation, and had figured it out in context. So, I went on the Internet and I've been reading about mantras for the last few weeks. I have learned a lot and it's been really interesting and fun for me. I've listened to chants of mantras and read many articles on how to develop business and personal mantras. I've read lists and list of people's mantras. It has been so enlightening and interesting. I want to just keep reading, but I think it's time to write this post or I'm going to end up with a book! Here's a smidgen of what I've learned:

A mantra is a tool or instrument for transformation. From what I can gather it started in the Hindu religion. It's a repeated word or phrase used during meditation which is believed to have the power for change. One article I read said it shouldn't be more than three or four words long (but believe me, I've seen many exceptions to that rule!)

In Hindu meditation, the mantra is repeated over and over and over again, instigating change. "Om . . . " is a common and frequently adopted mantra. You can't get any smaller or more simple than that. It becomes a relaxation, deep breathing exercise. Try it. Just say/sing ohmmmmmm on a single note and hold the "m" as long as you can. Then say it or sing it again. I took a voice class once that showed us "Om" computerized (as well as other sounds.) "Om" makes a perfect circle with concentric circles around it when computerized. It is believed that "Om" is the center of the universe. Chanting it taps into the center of the universe. I just can't help but notice that if you put an "h" on "Om" you get what I believe is the center of the universe: HOME. Anyway, have I lost you? Stay with me. This is fascinating stuff!

In business, the effect of a mantra is supposed to be the same: Get the phrase into employee's heads, get them weighing every business decision and interaction by the mantra. Get them repeating it over and over and over in their heads, so it's so ingrained that mantra-based decisions are just natural.

My interest in the word, though, is in developing personal mantras. I guess I shouldn't use that word in the plural. A mantra is supposed to be singular- one powerful word or phrase that has the power for change. But, I have and have had many "mantras" in my life. And since this is my blog and my post, I guess I can make the rules. I want to share my mantras with you . . .over a period of time . . . . kind of like "my favorite things" posts. And, I would very much like you to share your mantras with me. What phrase do you repeat over and over and over that motivates action and change in you? You don't have to answer right now. Think about it. To get you started, here's some from individuals and businesses you might recognize:

President Spencer W. Kimball: Do it

Walt Disney: Dream big

William Faulkner: Kill your darlings. (I guess if this was my mantra, this post would not exist- but it isn't; so it does.)

Federal Express: Peace of mind

Ralph Waldo Emerson: The world belongs to the energetic

Albert Einstein: Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character

Abraham Lincoln: Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds out to be

John Shaw Billings (started what became the National Library of Medicine): Only begin.

Steve Jobs: Real artists ship.

Kurt Vonnegut: I was sick, but I'm better now, and there's work to be done. (This one might be my favorite on the list)

Thomas Edison: There's always a better way; find it.

Anne Mollegen Smith: Done is better than perfect.

Some guy whose article I read: Look for the Second Right Answer

See? Aren't mantras amazing? There's so much food for thought- and this is just a sampling of the buffet I've been enjoying. Like I said, I've really had fun- a veritable word feast! So, look for my mantras on here from time to time. I'm formulating my list and my thoughts. And again, when you feel so inclined, please share yours with me. And, maybe someday, I may write that book with everyone's mantras included. Wouldn't that be fun? "OOOHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!"

My Favorite Things- Tokyo Milk Perfume: Gin and Rosewater #12

A year and a half ago, Ken and I went to Lake Tahoe for a little getaway. I enjoyed looking through the little shops. I sprayed some perfume on in one of the shops, and then enjoyed the smell of the perfume so much the rest of the day, I felt compelled to go back the next day and buy some. I ran out a few months later and found it online and ordered some more. I'm just about out again, so it reminded me that it's one of my favorite things. I guess it's also on Oprah's favorite things list. There are lots of different scents, but I like this one: Gin and Rosewater. It's really different, but I really like it. The description of it is: A beautiful balance of citrus zest, rosewood, mimosa, and mandarin. Looking at the bottle makes me happy, too, as it has a picture of a rose on the backside of the front label that you see looking through the bottle. And for perfume, it's a pretty decent price. Because of a free shipping deal, I also ordered some of the soap and lip gloss(you know me, I can't resist a sweet pot of gloss,) which I also enjoyed. Tokyo Milk No. 12- one of my favorite things.