He Knows the Silent Pleadings

 

My Name is Lucy Barton (#1)

 

My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Modern Fiction Audiobook
I may have found another favorite author. I loved this story and her writing. It is a lot like Ann Tyler’s. This was a simple story. It was told subtly; yet so profoundly. Even someone from a completely dysfunctional family. Maybe ESPECIALLY someone from a dysfunctional family, longs for the love and acceptance of her mother.
This was beautifully read in the audio version.
I will be looking for more Strout books. I understand that this book is the first of a series. I did not know that when I read it. I usually am not a fan of series (they are so confining,) but I will probably make an exception in this case. 5 stars.


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The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season

 

The Bitter and Sweet of Cherry Season by Molly Fader
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Modern Fiction Physical Book
I loved this novel. It is a story of family, regrets, forgiveness, trauma, and love. Aunty Peggy takes in her obviously abused niece and her daughter as they flee escape from an abusive man. They all work hard to harvest the cherry crop while little by little the nature of their past relationship unfolds. You don’t really understand it all until the traumatic and very exciting conclusion. It is well-written and intriguing. I miss the characters and would love her to write a happy, joyful sequel: The Joy of Apple Season.


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The Bodyguard

 

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Romance Physical book
I like Katherine Center books. This was a clean, light, and entertaining story. Predictable? Yes, but that didn’t make it any less fun. It made a great vacation read.


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49 Years!

 Ken and I recently celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary.  Next year it's the big 50!

I am so grateful for my wonderful husband and for the life and family we have built together. 

What Alice Forgot

 

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Modern Fiction Physical Book
This is my third Moriarty book. I really like these all about women novels set in Australia. This story was especially intriguing as it makes me wonder if my younger self would like what I have become. It kept me turning pages to its satisfying ending.


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Give Me This Mountain

Joshua 14:12

From a talk by President Spencer W. Kimball when he was first sustained as a prophet:

 "Caleb concluded his moving declaration with a request and a challenge with which my heart finds full sympathy. The Anakims, the giants, were still inhabiting the promised land, and they had to be overcome. Said Caleb, now at 85 years, “Give me this mountain” (Josh. 14:12).

"This is my feeling for the work at this moment. There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly, “Give me this mountain,” give me these challenges.

Humbly, I give this pledge to the Lord and to you, my beloved brothers and sisters, fellow workers in this sacred cause of Christ: I will go forward, with faith in the God of Israel, knowing that he will guide and direct us, and lead us, finally, to the accomplishment of his purposes and to our promised land and our promised blessings."

I have to admit that this is not really my mantra.  I want to avoid challenges and hardships.  But I love the attitude of Caleb and President Kimball.  If they can do it at their age, I also need to say, "Give me this mountain!"

Nighttime Reading

 

Seven Questions to Ask Kids This Week (One a night)

 Here are seven questions to ask your children as you tuck them in bed at night.  For the next week, ask one question each night.

1. What made you happy today?  

     This builds the habit of finding joy in small moments.

2. If you were a hero in a fairytale, who would you be and why?

     This activates the imagination.

3. What did you learn today that you didn't know before?

     This helps children see learning not only at school, but in everyday life.

4. How would you help a friend if they were upset?

     This is how empathy and emotional intelligence begin to form.

5.  If you had a superpower, what would it be?

 6. What could you do tomorrow to make the world around you a little better?

     This nurtures responsibility and care for others.

7. What is the most important thing you realized over the last seven days?

     Helps see personal growth.

Anxiety

 

Dating

 

And Here We Have Idaho- at Temple??

One evening when serving in the sealing waiting room at the temple , I had some downtime.  It was slow that day.  One of the sealers had performed a wedding and had a couple of hours until his proxy shift started.  He and I were visiting.  He has been the president of the San Diego temple and he and his wife served as mission presidents.  He mentioned he was from Idaho and I said I was too!  I told him that the other sister working that night was also from Idaho.  We went into the office and talked about Idaho- the identifying license plates, the agriculture, the beauties.  He then asked, "Do you know the state song?"  Sister Lemmon and I immediately started singing, "And here we have Idaho . . .' with quiet gusto.  We and he knew every word.  He said when he was mission president and was interviewing an elder and  found out he was from Idaho, he would ask them ,"Do you know the state song?" and EVERY time they would start singing it.  He said they also have the tradition in their family that whenever they cross the Idaho state line they sing the song.  I told them I taught it to my family at the reunion and challenged them to sing it when they crossed the state line.  

He then said, "Sing the Utah state song."  Nobody knew it.  I really think the Idaho song is the best and it is instilled in our hearts in fourth grade. When Idahoans sing that song, they get a sweet, nostalgic look on their faces.  As the song states, "Singing, singing of you. All proudly too.  All our lives through."

That was such a sweet experience in the temple.

That night, when saying my prayers, I said, "I'm sorry I sang the Idaho state song in the temple.  Then I said, "No, I'm not.  It was a sweet, happy experience.  In my mind, I could see a smile on my Heavenly Father's face.  He was okay with it.

 

If Only

 

Follower of Christ?

 

Madrigals

 

Madrigals

I loved to sing.  It was my “thing” in high school.  I looked forward to being in the elite choir, Madrigals.  You could try out at the end of your sophomore year to be part of the group in your junior year, but most people didn’t get in until their senior year.  I had tried out for all-state choir in my sophomore year and was so happy when I got in.  It gave me courage and hope to try out for Madrigals.  I auditioned in front of the teacher and the madrigal officers.  I did really well.  I knew I had done really well.

A few days later, Mrs. Schmidt called me into the Madrigal room.  She told me I was very qualified to be in the group, but that there wasn’t room for another alto in the group, so I wouldn’t be in.  I was devastated.  Right there, in front of her, I burst into tears.  I was so sad.  She felt horrible.  She said I was qualified and that she would talk to the rest of the committee and let me in.  I wasn’t trying to manipulate her.  I honestly was just sad and so cried. I was so happy.  But then, the next day she called me in again.  She handed me a tissue and said she had talked to the others and they said no.  I didn’t cry that time.  I just told her thank you for trying and left with a heavy heart. 

It was a long year to wait until I could try out again at the end of my junior year.  This time I made it.  Being in Madrigals was such a joy in my life and worth the wait.  I made many friends and really loved singing with the group.  It was during that senior year in Madrigals that I discovered that I was really a soprano.  My teacher listened to me sing.  He then gave me a soprano solo in a Carpenters song, “Crescent Noon. “The words I sang: “Green September burned to October brown.  Bare November led to December’s frozen ground. “I remember while I was singing it at rehearsal one day, he said, “Just listen to those high tones.” (It was written in a higher key in our SATB arrangement.)  I have never forgotten the joy of him saying those words.  They built my confidence so much.  Our words are powerful and can make a big difference in someone’s life. 

We performed often in Madrigals.  People would hire us to sing at their private parties, so we went in homes and halls and restaurants.  It was such a fun year.  I loved every minute of it.  It gave me a love for what I do now with the Keynotes.   Being in Madrigals was truly one of the joys of my life.

My sister, Patty, is a mover and shaker.  In 1997, she organized a Madrigal reunion.  We all gathered and practiced songs for a couple of days, directed by our directors through the years.  It was so fun to be together and to, again, join our voices in song.  It was so fun to see old friends and sing with them again.  I am so grateful for the experience of being in Caldwell High School Madrigals.

The program from the Madrigal reunion

 

 

 

 

 

Move!

 

Seeking Persephone

 

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Christian Romance Audiobook
This is a very popular story right now as a movie was recently released. It was a sweet, clean story of two people falling in love AFTER they were married. I enjoyed it.


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Temple Worship Brings Miracles

 

Direction is More Imprtant than Speed

 

Update on Hadley Hawk

Hadley the Hawk is pretty much a member of the family during the summer.  She usually comes and sits in the bird bath in the afternoon when the temperature reaches around 100 degrees.  This year we have had flycatchers nesting nearby.  They divebomb her while she's trying to rest in the water.  So she sometimes moves to a limb in the nearby tree where they can't dive bomb her.

A robin also does not enjoy her presence and chirps and chirps her alarm call.  It can go on for hours.   We often have bird drama in the backyard, thanks to Hadley.