Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Won't You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary about Fred Rogers, better known to PBS audiences as Mr. Rogers.  This show touched me deeply.  Just finding and loading these pictures from it brings tears to my eyes.  What a fine man Mr. Rogers was: gentle, caring, unique, but secure in who he was; a man with a vision.  Mr. Rogers remembered so well the insecurity of childhood and innately knew how to speak to, teach,  and reassure children.  

This scene from a 1968 show had a powerful impact on the nation.  Mr. Rogers invited Mr. Clemmons, a black man, to join him in soaking his feet on a hot day.  Mr. Clemmons says he can't because he doesn't have a towel.  Mr. Rogers says, "You can share mine." The camera focuses on the white feet and black feet together in the pool while the men chat.  Then the scene shows Mr. Rogers (much like Christ did with his disciples) wiping Mr. Clemmons feet with his towel.

Quiet Mr. Rogers has just made a revolutionary political statement in a time of great civil unrest.  Many believe this simple scene had a huge impact on the civil rights movement.

A powerful scene in the movie, taken from one of the Mr. Rogers episodes is when a severely handicapped boy in a wheelchair comes on the show.  His parents said he was only told that they would chat and then sing together- no script or promptings.  This scene, especially when they sing together, is extremely moving to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BZlyxS37Kk
Many years later, Fred Rogers is inducted into the television hall of fame.  That little boy, now all grown up comes to surprise Mr. Rogers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcNxY4TudXo&start_radio=1&list=RD5BZlyxS37Kk

Whether you are a Mr. Rogers fan or not, I think you would appreciate this documentary.

Other movies and shows we have enjoyed.

the life-changing magic of tidying up

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I’ve just read one of the most popular in a genre of books I had forgotten existed. Years ago I read a Don Aslett book. It was motivational, as was this book. I didn’t agree with everything in this book (or that one.). In fact, some of it was quite upsetting to me (like throwing away any book you haven’t read. What??? One of the things that sparks the most joy in me is a book on my shelf, waiting to be read.) But I did like some things from this book:
It’s motivational. I’m excited to go through my clothes and belongings and get rid of things that I no longer need or that don’t make me happy.
Though I don’t think our possessions have souls, I do think we should treat them with respect. And I think that our hearts should be filled with gratitude for our possessions- but maybe that gratitude should be directed toward God, the provider, rather than the possession itself. Since reading the book, I find myself treating by belongings with more gratitude and respect. I like that.
I agree that most of us have too much stuff and it weighs us down mentally and emotionally. Decluttering or tidying, as she calls it can be a freeing process.
I am glad I read it. It made me think, and, as I said, it was motivational. Wish me luck as I tackle my tidying!




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My Favorite Things- Rain Guage

 Ken loves to keep track of the weather.  So for Christmas I got him a rain guage.  The timing was good.  We don't get a lot of moisture in our desert climate, but this year has been different.  We have had lots of rain and even more snow than usual since the first of the year.

The indoor unit records the amount of rain

The outdoor unit captures and record the amount and sends the information to the indoor unit.

I ordered it on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004V1XJW0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Rain Guage- one of our favorite things.

To view other of my favorite things, click here

What Did the Prophet Ask Us to Do? April, 2019

After each general conference, as soon as they are available, I study the talks by our prophet and mark anything he asks us to DO.  I feel like this is a good to do list for the next six month.  I type the list and print it and put it on our fridge.  I also print it for those I minister to (and other friends) and share it with them.  Here is my April, 2019 list:


What Did the Prophet Ask us to Do?

Priesthood Session

Repent!  Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance.

Do better; Be better.

Pray for what stands in the way of your repentance.

Improve:

1)      How we treat our bodies

2)      Honor the women in our lives

3)      Become one with your wife.  Make it easy for her to want to be yours.  Take an inventory of how and where you spend your time.

I plead with you make your focus on daily repentance.



Sunday Morning Session

Pour out your heart to God.  Ask him if these things are true.  Make time to really study His words. 

Pay the price now- serious study and fervent prayer.

Humble yourself.  Pray to have eyes to see God’s hand in your life and in the world around you.  Pray and ask God how He feels about you, then listen.

Do the spiritual work to find out for yourselves, and please do it now!  Time is running out.



Closing Remarks

Make your home a true sanctuary of faith where the Sprit of the Lord may dwell.

Signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Rennovate our lives through faith and trust in Him.

Access the power of the atonement by our repentance each day.

Dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children on both sides of the veil.

My Favorite Things- Bird Feeders

It's no secret that Ken loves birds.  Therefore, he loves his bird feeders that bring the birds right onto our deck.  He puts food out for them all winter.

I didn't get a good picture.  This thing is usually covered with birds of many species.

The sock feeder is also usually covered with birds.

Hummingbird feeder attached to our kitchen window

I'm not crazy about the seedfeeders on the deck.  They make such a MESS!  But I do love the hummingbird feeder on the window.  These little birds are beautiful.
Bird feeders, one of Ken's favorite things.

To view other of my favorite things, click here.

Such a Happy Find!

This is our granddaughter, Gabriella (she is Michelle and Brian's oldest.)  She is a joy!  She gave me a very nice surprise the other day:  I try to work on family history at least a little every day.  Ken and I went to the temple to do sealings on Friday.  A few days later I was doing what I always do after all the ordinances are performed for an individual- I check their parents, siblings, and children to see if anyone else needs ordinances done. Among those we sealed, we had sealed an Ann Hope to her parents.  Ann is from my Grandma Fox's line.  I opened her sister Frances' record and found that Gabbi had found  her and printed her ordinance card!   This little nine-year-old has taught herself how to do family history work.  She finds ancestors needing ordinances and prints them and leaves them where her parents will find them to do the temple work.  It was such a sweet thing to find her name in my searchings!  Thanks for the sweet surprise Gabbi!  I love you!

PS:  Brielle and Nathan (Kristen's two oldest) also do family history work regularly and have found many names.  I used to supply their family with name cards, but now they pretty much take care of themselves.

When Elder Bednar came here recently, he said that the fastest-growing group of people who do family history work right now in the church is children, ages 8-11.  That certainly is true in my family!

Caddyshack II

At the end of last summer, our sprinkler system quit working.  Not good in St. George.  Ken got in the box and found mounds of dirt and that several of the wires had been chewed through.  GOPHER!  Why you little stink!! Why would you even want to chew through wires?  Maybe it feels good on the teeth, like biting licorice?

Well, anyway, Ken fixed the system and put poisoned bait down in the hole for the gopher.  After a few tries, it seemed to work as gopher evidence disappeared.  It was false security.

Did you know gophers hibernate?  Evidently they do, because on the first warmer morning, this is what we discovered in our lawn and flower bed:

TIME FOR WAR!

Ken put poisonous bait in both locations, then covered the holes with rocks.
Later, when he checked, he found the poisoned bait gone, but could see more evidence of digging.  He set a trap and the little critter stole the trap!  He must have taken it down his hole to admire it. Or, as a friend speculated, use it as a sofa in the lovely underground apartment he was setting up.  So Ken went to the hardware store and bought two more traps.

A few days later, he checked the traps.  They had been tripped, but no gopher. Wily, little devil.
March 15:
So he set the traps again, securing them with stakes and ropes.  Again, he found them tripped and one of the traps was gone.  The little devil had chewed through the rope and took the trap. (Well, he needed matching furniture) It may be time to call in a professional!
Sunday, March 17th.  The other trap has been pulled so far into the hole that Ken can't pull it out.  The rope that tethers is taut.
Later:  Ken fashioned a hook out of a wire hanger and got the trap out, discovering that it has not been tripped, but the nuts he put out are gone.  He is, as I write, putting more nuts out.  Should he really be feeding the little stink?  It will just make him bigger and stronger.
I just changed the name of this post.  It used to be Battle with the Gophers.  I just changed it to War with the Gophers.  We are at war, and so far, we are losing every battle.
Gophers- 4  Humans-0

Tuesday, March 19th
The war continues.  I just changed the name of this post to All-Out War With a Gopher.  Since Sunday, we have continued to bait the little dude.  We have both taken turns sitting on the nearby bench to see if he will show his face.  He never does when we are there.
Ken put out a regular mouse trap.  Yesterday, the trap was tripped, the bait taken.

A small mousetrap set and waiting

 So today he went to the hardware store again and bought a couple of bigger, stronger traps.

He tied them to heavy twine and baited and set the traps.

Instead of getting trapped, the animal/beast dug another hole in the lawn (covered by the rock)  He's making a golf course of our lawn.

Traps waiting and ready.  Hopefully, tonight!

Gophers-6  Humans-0

We leave town for a few days tomorrow.  I wonder what we will come home to?  I'll keep you posted.
March 27, 2019
We are home.  Our good friend took us to the airport to leave.  When he picked us up to take us, we showed him our problem.  So while we were gone, he came to our house and set a have a heart trap, hoping to trap him while we were gone (he frequently gets skunks at his yard and has caught many skunks in that trap.)  He came over several times, but got nothing while we were gone.  Since we have been home, Ken has moved the traps.  The bait continues to be confiscated, but we never catch him.

Gopher or huge, intelligent beast-8, Humans-0

Thursday, March 28, 2019 1:08pm
Ken discovered a new hole this morning.  He set the big trap at the mouth of that hole.  Then Ken left to go to the temple.
I'm sitting here in the computer room and hear a loud snap.  I look outside.  The trap is sprung, the bait gone, but no gopher.
Later that evening, we cover all but two of the holes with soil, plugging them.  We put the hose down the newest hole and leave the one pictured above open.  We then turn on the hose full-blast, hoping to flush him out.  For fifteen minutes we send water down that hole full force.  No luck.  I guess all we did was fill his swimming pool for him!

I just changed the name of this post to Caddyshack II.  I hope II ends better than I~

Gopher or huge, intelligent beast-10  Humans- 0

We think it's time to call in a professional.

Saturday, March 30th  Morning:  The critter has reopened one of the old holes and created a new hole.  Ken is on the phone right now calling all of the professionals in the area (leaving messages.)  Hopefully the little guy's reputation has not preceded him and one of these professionals will respond to a plea for help.

Gopher-11  Humans-0

Afternoon:  One of the professionals called back and agreed to come on Monday.  He said he likes a good challenge.  Ken went outside this afternoon and a couple of the neighbors asked him how the war was going.  He told them the story.  One of them said he had a smoke bomb that he could use. He brought over a pack of four smoke bombs.  So they put one in one of the holes.  Here's hoping that's the end of it???
Sunday, March 31
The gopher redug one of the holes, so he is not dead.  Ken put another smoke bomb in that hole.
Gopher- 12  Humans-o
Monday, April 1
Happy April Fools Day!  The joke is on you, Mr. Gopher.  He did start to dig that same hole, but it was a meager attempt.  We think he might be weakening.  The smoke must be getting to him.  Ken put another smoke bomb down.  The professional never showed up.  I guess he wasn't up for that challenge after all!
Gopher-12  Humans- 1/2
Wednesday, April 3
Can this be true?  No sign from the critter at all.  No more holes.  No more mess.  Could this be over?  Do I dare say:
Gopher-12 Humans 1  
Thursday, April 4
Still nothing.  We are starting to breathe easier.
Saturday, April 6
We declare ourselves Victors! (fingers crossed)
Tuesday, April 9
We are semi-confident of victory.  Yes, this was a stunning come-from-behind-last-second victory!
Gopher- 12 Humans-13!   Wild applause!  Wild Applause!!

Sammy's 3rd Birthday

Sammy's birthday is actually March 31st, but because we were there, we celebrated a few days early- on Saturday, the 23rd.  On Friday, Ken and I stole little Sammy away for awhile and took him to Walmart for him to choose his own birthday gift.  He was SO excited!  He chattered literally the whole way there, though we could only understand about half of what he said.

We had a few groceries to get, then took him to the books.  I showed him a couple.  He would say, "No, put it back." or "Yes, put it in" and point to the cart.  He was so decisive.  He chose this dinosaur book.

He loved this set of car little cars in a big truck.  He said, "Put it in."  Then, "All done!"  Is this manly man target shopping or what?  Hunt, bag, go home.

I think we completely tuckered him out.  Kristen texted a few more things they needed while we were checking out.  I held him while Ken went to get the rest of the things.   Shopping is hard!

A family tradition at the Mackrorys is to make a nice decorated birthday cake on birthdays.  Kristen got out her book of pictures of cakes she and Jared have created through the years.  There have been some amazing creations.  Brielle volunteered to make Sammy's this year.  He wanted a dinosaur cake, or as he calls them a Lion cake.  We all agreed this cake may be the best one yet!

Audrey was in charge of making the signs to put up around the house.

Kneading the fondant.

Brielle made a cake that didn't work out, so the other kids and I made cake balls out of it.

Because the cake failed, Brielle decided to form the dinosaur out of rice Krispy treats.  He's starting to take shape.

Starting to put on the blue fondant.

Little Sammy is one of the most expressive children I have ever known.  We took over a hundred pictures of this event.  It is hard to eliminate any of them as each captures a different expression.  But you will be happy to know I did eliminate some!

Isn't Brielle beautiful?  This is her first day wearing her contact lenses.

Jared is amazing at this kind of thing and he helped Brielle through the decorating process.  It was fun to see them working together.

He opened his truck.  Later he was playing with it.  Someone said, "Sammy, you really like that truck, don't you?"  "It's special me." was his reply.

In the Mackrory family, the tradition is to light the candles and blow them out over and over and over and over again.  Why do it just once?  Hence, a million pictures of the event (and a saliva pool near the candles.)

We sang to him several times.  At one point, he pointed at Grandpa and said, "Too loud!"

And, last, but not least, a video of the ceremony.

Happy birthday, dear Sam Sam!  We love you so much!!!!!