My Favorite Things- Cookbook holder

Michelle and Brian gave me this cookbook holder for Christmas and I just love it.  It holds cookbooks, my ipad (I cook a lot from our food blog: hungryhintons.com), and even recipes I print from the internet.  I love that it covers it so it doesn't get splashed on, and it holds it at just the right angle.  It also works well as a holder at the computer.  I've been transcribing my great grandfather's journal and it holds it at the right angle so I can see it.  This particular one can be found here, but I notice there are lots of other brands, too.

OXO Good Grips Pop-up Cookbook Holder- one of my favorite things.

To see more of my favorite things, click here.

What's Fun For You?

A few years ago, I read in a book that it's important to analyze what is truly fun for you.- Not just what everyone thinks should be fun for you, but what is truly fun.  What memory in your life of when you were having fun truly puts a smile on your face.  I've thought a lot about that.  Here's the first thing that came to mind that is really fun for me:
  Snorkeling.  Snorkeling with an underwater camera:

This was one of the funnest days of my life as we snorkeled in Maui.  This is an underwater selfie!

I love how you can see the sky in these pictures.

I love this picture of Ken reaching for my hand.  He always holds my hand as we snorkel.  That's part of the charm of the whole experience, I guess.

What's truly fun for you?

Just in Case

I was sitting at the gate at the airport waiting for my flight.  I looked enviously at the lady sitting across from me.  She had a purse.  That's it.  A small purse.  I compared that with what I had with me: a large carry on full of stuff, a big purse full of stuff, a pillow, a water bottle, and a book.  How does she do it?  It's almost beyond comprehension to me that someone could get on a plane with only a small purse.  I go prepared for every eventuality.  I have a pillow and blanket for comfort, a magazine and a book- so I can switch off if I'm bored, an ipad with books and movies downloaded, snacks in ziploc bags, a peanut butter sandwich (I always take one.  I hardly ever eat it- but just in case), extra underwear, a swim suit, an extra shirt (all  just in case my checked bag doesn't come), a water bottle, plus all the regular stuff I carry in my purse- oh, my purse- wait til I tell you about my purse!  All for "just in case."
I blame Monty Hall.   When I was a girl, I loved to watch "Let's Make a Deal"  Remember that part when Monty would say, "$100 to someone who has a safety pin!"  Or $50 to someone who has a paper clip," etc.  I think that's where all this "Just in case" business started for me.  So in the 50 some years since then, I've carried a purse loaded with safety pins, paper clips, band aids, pain killer, every kind of emergency medication, soap, anti- bacterial liquid, toilet seat covers and Lysol wipes, Neosporin, blister pads, tissues, scissors, snacks, etc, etc,  I could go on.  But you get the picture. Not even once has anyone offered me money for anything that's in purse- not even once. But still I carry it all around.  I've long said that if you have to get in a lifeboat, you want to get in the same boat as me.  We can sustain life for days with what is in my purse.  And it's all  Monty Hall's fault.
This is the rebuttal to the last mantra post I did, which was a year ago!  (Oh, dear!)  It was my sermon on the blog about preparation.  But even I admit, one can be TOO prepared.  And I'm afraid this obsession can be inherited.  I found that out a couple of years ago when we had our oldest granddaughter, Brielle coming to stay with us for a few days.  We were so excited and I was discussing with her on the phone what we would do when she came:  "We'll go swimming and to the park and Grandpa and I will take you to Pirate's Pizza."
"Do they have ice cream there?" she asked.  "I'm not sure," I answered.  "Well,  maybe we could take some with us, just in case!" I laughed and laughed at the image of us lugging a cooler full of ice cream to Pirate's Pizza- just in case!  But then I thought of my airplane carry on and realized it wasn't much different!  Sorry, posterity!  Well, at least now you have someone to blame it on (me . . . and Monty Hall, of course!)  But maybe you'd better copy and save this post- JUST IN CASE you forget!

Click here for other mantra ideas.

Dinosaurs and Jesus

Every Sunday, we ask Caleb what he learned about in Sunbeams.  His answer never varies, "Dinosaurs and Jesus."  Week after week after week.  And more than once he brought home a picture of a dinosaur to prove it.
Oh, I guess there was one time he varied:  On Easter Sunday, his parents asked him what he learned about and he said, "Jesus."  Little two-year-old Lily (who knew she'd even been listening to this conversation each week?) piped up, "You didn't learn about dinosaurs?"  "Nope, just Jesus." was the response.
So, are there REALLY dinosaurs in the Sunbeam manual, or is Caleb hearing what he wants to hear?  We may never know . . .

What Did the Prophet Ask Us to Do? April, 2014

What Did the Prophet Ask Us To Do?

April, 2014

Saturday Morning Session: Welcome to Conference

Listen and Learn from Conference

Priesthood Session:  Be Strong and of Good Courage

Put ourselves in places and participate in activities where our thoughts are influenced for good and where the Spirit of the Lord will be comfortable.

If you ever find yourself where you shouldn’t ought to be, get out!

“Everyday courage has few witnesses.  But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.”  Robert Louis Stevenson

“Just be the same person you are in the dark that you are in the light.”  Jabari Parker’s father

May we declare with the Apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”

May we follow Paul’s counsel, “Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

May each one leave here tonight with the determination and the courage to say, with Job of old, “While my breath is in me . . . I will not remove mine integrity from me.”

Sunday Morning Session: Love- the Essence of the Gospel

I would hope that we would strive always to be considerate and to be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings and circumstances of those around us.  Let us not demean or belittle.  Rather let us be compassionate and encouraging.  We must be careful that we do not destroy another person’s confidence through careless words or actions.  Forgiveness should go hand in hand with love.

Sunday Afternoon Session: Until We Meet Again

I hope that we will take the time to read the conference messages . . .for they are deserving of our careful review and study.

As we ponder the messages we have heard, may we resolve to do a little better than we have done in the past.  May we be kind and loving to those who do not share our beliefs and our standards.  May we ever follow [the Savior’s] example.

May our homes be filled with love and courtesy and with the Spirit of the Lord. 

May we constantly nourish our testimonies of the gospel that they will be a protection for us against the buffetings of the adversary. 

May the Spirit we have felt during these past two days be and abide with us as we go about those things which occupy us each day, and may we ever be found doing the work of the Lord.

May we realize how close to us He is willing to come, how far He is willing to go to help us, and how much He loves us.

My Story: Elizabeth Smart

My Story by Elizabeth Smart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I watched, horrified, along with the rest of the nation when the news reported Elizabeth was abducted from her bedroom. I followed the news day by day and listened to the news stories and interviews. I prayed for Elizabeth often while she was gone. I happened to have the television on the afternoon she was rescued and stayed absolutely glued to it. I rejoiced with her family and with the rest of the world when she was recovered. I was personally invested and wanted so much to read her story. It was difficult to read. I found myself hurrying through the pages because I knew the ending and knew this torment had a happy end. I am in awe of Elizabeth and her strength. I think the hero of her story is her mother. The things she had taught her daughter and her love is what got Elizabeth through that horrible ordeal, and helped her to recover afterward. Elizabeth has turned her tragedy into triumph by becoming an advocate and voice for children who are abducted, and by going on with her life and choosing to be happy. Her attitude is exemplary for all of us, in whatever trial we experience.



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October, 2013 Conference Report

"These conferences are always under the direction of the Lord, guided by His Spirit.  We are not assigned specific topics.  Over weeks and months, often through sleepless nights, we wait upon the Lord.  Through fasting, praying, studying, and pondering, we learn the message that He wants us to give." These words of Elder Robert D. Hales, an apostle of the Lord, given in the opening session of this conference illustrate why I think it's so important to read and study and ponder the words given at these conferences.  "Oh how we need general conference!"  He said later in that same talk.  We do need conference.
Some of the highlights for me from this conference:
-This talk by Elder Hales about General Conference.  I marked it up like crazy.
- The Moral Force of Women given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson Two quotes from it:
"A woman's moral influence is nowhere more powerfully felt or more beneficially employed than in the home.  There is no better setting for rearing the rising generation than the traditional family, where a father and a mother work in harmony to provide for, teach, and nurture their children."
Elder Neal A. Maxwell:  "When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies?  The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods?  Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling that what happened in congresses?"
- When I was raising my children, I used to say, "I wish someone would give me a list of all that I need to be teaching my children."  Well, now they have.  There's a marvelous, meaningful list of Family Home Evening topics in Sister Linda K. Burton's (love her!) talk, The Power, Joy, and Love of Covenant Keeping
- This may be the first time an opera is referenced extensively in general conference.  Elder Quentin Cook's talk brought a Verdi opera to life.  Way cool!!!
- To me, the earth-shaking highlight of the conference, though, was Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk, Like a Broken Vessel.  He addressed the issues of mental illness and gave thousands of people comfort and hope.  Thank you Elder Holland.

Statistics (simply to satisfy my own interest.)
References used in General Conference talks:
Book of Mormon: The highest with 151
New Testament: 125
Latter-day apostles:  This was the biggest change.  There were way more references from apostles than there ever have been before: 99
Doctrine and Covenants: 98
Old Testament: 53
Pearl of Great Price: 28
Literature: 27
Preach My Gospel:  Since so many referenced it, I decided to make it a separate category: 7
Other manuals and handbooks: 8
Hymns: 6  Boo!  Hiss!  This represents a decline.  Sad story.
Family Proclamation:  3

Now, a slightly different approach is how many speakers referenced each:
New Testament and Book of Mormon:  33 each
D&C: 32
Apostles: 27

Elder Russell M. Nelson had the most references with 78.

I received my May, 2014 Ensign today.  I can't wait to dig in and learn all I can learn.  Happy Conference studying!!!