This is Memorial Weekend, it is the time we reflect on the services our Brave Military Men and Women have given to us the American people to keep us FREE.. because of this it is also a time that we can sit back and reflect on the many blessing we have and enjoy because of this freedom.
Sunday at Sacrament meeting the speakers were speaking on the theme of Gratitude, the first speaker spoke mainly on Gratefulness and the second talked about the meaning of Gratitude. He said that when we read the scriptures that we will read many time the words "Remember Remember".
Today as I was going about my daily routine my thought have drifted into my mind and soul of what I am truly grateful for and what gratitude I hold dear. When you arrive at my age and you start to Remember Remember you could make a list here, but I think my list would take up more than this page so instead I think I'll just share some thoughts....
Years ago a sweet granddaughter gave me a small notebook, in it she wrote for me to write down things that make me happy, Life is such that I do have my ups and downs, sometimes I feel like supper woman and sometimes I feel like the world is heavy on my shoulders. I look in the mirror and what do I see? but when someone gives me a compliment it just seems to rejuvenate me, so this notebook is a book that can lift my spirits and so to remember a compliment by someone warms my soul.
I was visiting a home of a special woman one day and she had a guest book on her counter, here friends and family that would visit her would write a note and leave her a thought. This book brought comfort and warmth to her. Years ago at Christmas time I too started a guest book, I did put it away but I think I will bring it out again, I do want to remember the special people in my life that come to visit me and the happiness that they bring.
The other day when I was at the store I pick up a small blank book that had the title "Count Your Blessings Everyday". I had read an article in a magazine that said if each day you would write down 3 things that you are thankful for that day, you will find that your life would have more joy and meaning. Now everyone could use more joy in their life and I want my children to know my life also had meaning so why not try this?
I do try to write, I have keep a journal off and on though the years and now I'm keeping a journal smash book, I've been doing this for about 3 years and its been fun. I'm also trying to write more post in this blog hoping it will express my thoughts and feeling so maybe my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will know me a little better and know what things I am most grateful for.
Today as we were coming home from a outing, I looked at the Cemetery in Cedar City. I could not help but notice how beautiful the Cemetery looked with all the flowers decorating the graves. I thought about my parents resting there and how grateful I am for such goodly parents and the love they had for each other and for me and for all their family.
Last night I was watching a special program on TV that honor these special Men and Women that help protect us and our Freedom on this Memorial Day and it brought tears to my eyes and heart.
I am grateful for all my blessings, my husband, my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I thankful that I was born in this day and age, that I have a testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that I am a Child of God. I am thankful for my forefathers, my parents, grandparents and great grandparents and that I am blessed to live in this land of the free.
May I always remember remember to be Grateful for all my many blessing each and every day and to hold this Gratitude deep in my Heart... Yes, this is a special Memorial Day and the American Flags are flying high and up and down the streets and it is a time to "Remember Remember"....
Monday, May 29, 2017
Monday, May 8, 2017
My Christmas Ornaments for 2017 are Done...
What a happy good feeling I have, my Christmas Ornaments for this year are DONE.......
Now someone might be saying "Whats so exciting about that?" Christmas is still 8 months away and who in their right mind is thinking about Christmas? There's plenty of time for that..
Well you see I am!!!!
This Christmas Ornament thing began many, many years ago. Most of my children were grown and some were starting families of their own. I was a young grandmother and my grandchildren were just beginning. I knew that as the years would come, that many more grandchildren would be born into our family and someday my life would be blessed with great grandchildren. My family tree branches would become full of many beautiful leaves and as I content plated this scenario, I thought, how are these future children going to know me or even know who I am, or even remember me if I'm not here? What could I do that might somehow leave a memory of me, that somehow, might be able to say to them, "This was from my Grandmother, or my Great Grandmother gave this to me."
That is how this Christmas Ornament Tradition began....
It was the year 1979 when my first Ornaments arrived in my children's Christmas packages. I had made then a red velvet heart decorated with lace and beads with their name and the year date embroider on it.
The married couples received an ornament with just the year date, but each grandchild had their name and date on theirs. That year I believe I made 11 Christmas ornaments, that was 38 years ago, this year I just finished 55 ornaments. I guess I could say, "never in a million years would I had thought that 38 years later I would be making almost 5 dozen Christmas ornaments." So you can understand why I feel like dancing a jig, waving my arms and shouting for JOY, "I did it, it's done and ready to go for Christmas" and I still have 8 more months left in this new year.....
My family has grown and has multiple by many, they live all over the country, some I see often and some not so often, but I love each and everyone of them and I want them to know that too. My oldest daughter has told me, "Mother, when Christmas comes just send the children their Ornaments, they look forward to them, and as long as you can do that, that's enough." and at my age now, I guess that's what I will do, but I have learned I have to start this process early in the new year or I'll never make it.
When I see pictures of my children's or grandchildren's Christmas trees and see my Ornaments hanging on the branches, my heart is warm and fuzzy and it puts a smile on my face, or when I hear that when one of the Great Grandkids go over to their grandparents or cousin's home and see one of the ornament on that tree, they will say "I have one like that" and then I know I have made a connection. I also know that when a grandchild has married, they soon take their ornaments with them to their new home and are hung on that very first Christmas tree as they start their new beginning as a married couple.
Sometimes I have thought, "Be careful when you start a Tradition" as you never know where it may lead you, but if this tradition I started years ago has the end results that I had hope for, then the time it takes to create and make them is well forth every minute, for as my fingers are working and creating, my mind and thoughts are thinking of a sweet dear one that is there upon my family tree, because of me and down the road and though the years, hopefully they will say to their little ones, this was made for me by my grandmother or my great grandmother, who is your ------, she loved me and her name was "LIZ".......
Now someone might be saying "Whats so exciting about that?" Christmas is still 8 months away and who in their right mind is thinking about Christmas? There's plenty of time for that..
Well you see I am!!!!
This Christmas Ornament thing began many, many years ago. Most of my children were grown and some were starting families of their own. I was a young grandmother and my grandchildren were just beginning. I knew that as the years would come, that many more grandchildren would be born into our family and someday my life would be blessed with great grandchildren. My family tree branches would become full of many beautiful leaves and as I content plated this scenario, I thought, how are these future children going to know me or even know who I am, or even remember me if I'm not here? What could I do that might somehow leave a memory of me, that somehow, might be able to say to them, "This was from my Grandmother, or my Great Grandmother gave this to me."
That is how this Christmas Ornament Tradition began....
It was the year 1979 when my first Ornaments arrived in my children's Christmas packages. I had made then a red velvet heart decorated with lace and beads with their name and the year date embroider on it.
The married couples received an ornament with just the year date, but each grandchild had their name and date on theirs. That year I believe I made 11 Christmas ornaments, that was 38 years ago, this year I just finished 55 ornaments. I guess I could say, "never in a million years would I had thought that 38 years later I would be making almost 5 dozen Christmas ornaments." So you can understand why I feel like dancing a jig, waving my arms and shouting for JOY, "I did it, it's done and ready to go for Christmas" and I still have 8 more months left in this new year.....
My family has grown and has multiple by many, they live all over the country, some I see often and some not so often, but I love each and everyone of them and I want them to know that too. My oldest daughter has told me, "Mother, when Christmas comes just send the children their Ornaments, they look forward to them, and as long as you can do that, that's enough." and at my age now, I guess that's what I will do, but I have learned I have to start this process early in the new year or I'll never make it.
When I see pictures of my children's or grandchildren's Christmas trees and see my Ornaments hanging on the branches, my heart is warm and fuzzy and it puts a smile on my face, or when I hear that when one of the Great Grandkids go over to their grandparents or cousin's home and see one of the ornament on that tree, they will say "I have one like that" and then I know I have made a connection. I also know that when a grandchild has married, they soon take their ornaments with them to their new home and are hung on that very first Christmas tree as they start their new beginning as a married couple.
Sometimes I have thought, "Be careful when you start a Tradition" as you never know where it may lead you, but if this tradition I started years ago has the end results that I had hope for, then the time it takes to create and make them is well forth every minute, for as my fingers are working and creating, my mind and thoughts are thinking of a sweet dear one that is there upon my family tree, because of me and down the road and though the years, hopefully they will say to their little ones, this was made for me by my grandmother or my great grandmother, who is your ------, she loved me and her name was "LIZ".......
Monday, April 10, 2017
Helpful Hints
As I was preparing dinner yesterday I looked at my stove top and saw that it needed to be cleaned again, and then when I went to the pantry to get my brown sugar for the sauce I was making, I noticed that it was starting to get hard like brown sugar will do, and then my mind took a step backwards to some helpful hints that I remember and use often or that I was just taught.
It was just this past February that my oldest daughter Marta and her dear husband were visiting us. We had just finished dinner and she was helping me pick up and clean the kitchen. Next she was asking me if I had any baking soda, sure I had baking soda, but we were cleaning the kitchen not making cookies. I went to the pantry and found the baking soda and brought it to her. The next thing I notice was that she had sprinkled some of the baking soda on the dirty parts of the stove top and was busy with the dish cloth scrubbing away, in just a few minutes my stove top was sparkling clean. I was amazed. This daughter just taught this old mother a new helpful hint that I will use often..
When we were building our new home some years ago my husband's brother and his wife were living with us, as they too were building their new home. We would take turns cooking the dinner each night. Now this one evening I needed brown sugar for the meal I was fixing and when I went to the pantry, it was no where to be found. I asked my sister-in-law if she knew where it was and she told me she had thrown it out. Thrown it out? Why?? she then said it was hard and no good anymore. My answer was, "Why didn't you put a piece of bread in the container?" she then gave me a strange look and asked me, "Why would I put a piece of bread in the brown sugar?" so it would get soft again, I said... This was something I had known all my life, but she had never heard of it before. That evening she learned a helpful hint of how a piece of bread can soften a container of brown sugar....
Now this daughter also makes her own laundry detergent and hand and feet lotion, so that night she set about making some lotions for her Mama.
Marta's Pink Foot Lotion
1 - 15oz Pink Baby Lotion
1 - 6-8oz Vitamin E Lotion
1 - 6-8oz Vaseline
(2 parts lotion to 1 part vitamin E lotion and 1 part vaseline)
Soften vaseline in microwave, put vitamin E lotion in mixer,
mix slowly adding softened vaseline, then slowly add pink baby lotion,
mix for 5 minutes.. Put in clean jars.
She then gave me some instructions. Each night Mama, rub your feet with this lotion, put on a pair of clean white socks and wear before going to bed. Your feet will become soft and smooth and feel so good....
O.K. will do....
I have been following her instructions and also been using her helpful hint. My stove top is easier to clean and my feet are softer and do feel good.
The secret to this is not only can one learn something from your younger daughter but then someone else can learn something from an older lady too.
It was just this past February that my oldest daughter Marta and her dear husband were visiting us. We had just finished dinner and she was helping me pick up and clean the kitchen. Next she was asking me if I had any baking soda, sure I had baking soda, but we were cleaning the kitchen not making cookies. I went to the pantry and found the baking soda and brought it to her. The next thing I notice was that she had sprinkled some of the baking soda on the dirty parts of the stove top and was busy with the dish cloth scrubbing away, in just a few minutes my stove top was sparkling clean. I was amazed. This daughter just taught this old mother a new helpful hint that I will use often..
When we were building our new home some years ago my husband's brother and his wife were living with us, as they too were building their new home. We would take turns cooking the dinner each night. Now this one evening I needed brown sugar for the meal I was fixing and when I went to the pantry, it was no where to be found. I asked my sister-in-law if she knew where it was and she told me she had thrown it out. Thrown it out? Why?? she then said it was hard and no good anymore. My answer was, "Why didn't you put a piece of bread in the container?" she then gave me a strange look and asked me, "Why would I put a piece of bread in the brown sugar?" so it would get soft again, I said... This was something I had known all my life, but she had never heard of it before. That evening she learned a helpful hint of how a piece of bread can soften a container of brown sugar....
Now this daughter also makes her own laundry detergent and hand and feet lotion, so that night she set about making some lotions for her Mama.
Marta's Pink Foot Lotion
1 - 15oz Pink Baby Lotion
1 - 6-8oz Vitamin E Lotion
1 - 6-8oz Vaseline
(2 parts lotion to 1 part vitamin E lotion and 1 part vaseline)
Soften vaseline in microwave, put vitamin E lotion in mixer,
mix slowly adding softened vaseline, then slowly add pink baby lotion,
mix for 5 minutes.. Put in clean jars.
She then gave me some instructions. Each night Mama, rub your feet with this lotion, put on a pair of clean white socks and wear before going to bed. Your feet will become soft and smooth and feel so good....
O.K. will do....
I have been following her instructions and also been using her helpful hint. My stove top is easier to clean and my feet are softer and do feel good.
The secret to this is not only can one learn something from your younger daughter but then someone else can learn something from an older lady too.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Family Near and Far
I talked to my oldest daughter the other day and she told me that my granddaughter Teri and her family would be moving this weekend to Florida and they would be traveling with them to help with this move.
As I thought about this I realized just how our family structure has involved over the years and then I thought never in a million years could I have ever imagine that one day my family would be living more faraway than nearer to me..
When I was first married 64 years ago, my sweet husband was in the Navy, after his boot training in San Diego, California, he was transferred to Whidbey Island, Washington and this is where our life began. After the Korean War, back home to California we went and there we lived and raised our family for the next 30 years, near family, parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.
We celebrated Holidays, Thanksgivings, Christmases and Birthdays with each other along with special events like blessings of babies, baptisms, school graduations, missionary farewells, weddings and our annual vacations to the High Sierras, just to mention a few.
But in today's societies it's not that way, we find that after our children are grown, educated and find their jobs and careers, life will then take them all over the world and in order to keep the family ties close together, we then rely on technology and other forms to keep one connected. We keep in contact by our phones, emails, facebook, letters and cards and planned vacations, sometimes to faraway places.
But the older one gets, the harder it is to make the trips for visits, either by car or plane and the more grandchildren and great-grandchildren you might have, the less you might see them. You try to keep up with their lives and you want for sure that even though you might not see or hear from them for some length of time, that the little ones will still know who you are and hopefully know that they are important to you in your life.
My Sweetheart and I retired to Utah over 20 years ago, our 2 sons, Mark and Brad also live in Utah, but our Daughters live elsewhere. Marta lives in North Carolina and Ann lives in Arizona.
Our Grandchildren now live all over the country and the world.
Arizona:-- Brandon and wife Amanda + 1 great, Tawni and husband Danny + 4 great, Derek and wife Dana + 3 great, Ryan and wife Cassie + 2 great grandchildren..plus Dane and his family....
California:-- Carey, Katelyn and husband Brayden, Lorena and her family....
Florida:-- Teri and husband Jeff + 3 great grandchildren..
Indiana:-- Michael and wife Kendra + 4 great grandchildren..
North Carolina:-- Kevan and wife Brooke + 3 great, Brian and wife Sheri +1 great grandchild
Tennessee:-- Cara and husband Greg + 4 great grandchildren..
Utah:-- Jared and wife Emily + 2 great grandchildren..
Vienna:-- Shawna and husband Sean + 5 great grandchildren.
I have passport and I have traveled and I also have 2 guestrooms and my family has traveled to me, but still I have missed many special occasions because of the distance of miles between us, but I have also been able to attend special times with them, but no matter where we live, how faraway or how near we are, our family is Eternal and our love for each other is Eternal.. WE ARE FAMILY....
and as I sit here thinking about these years and about my Sweetheart and the family we created, I can't help but count my blessings, it doesn't matter where we live or where my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren live, they are all so special to me and I love each and everyone of them, I think of them, I pray for them and I enjoy hearing from them and about them and I hope though the years I have given to them some part of me that is a special memory for them to hold deep in their heart....
I can truthfully say by looking back over these years, they have been good years, with a thousand memories, good memories..... to keep.....
As I thought about this I realized just how our family structure has involved over the years and then I thought never in a million years could I have ever imagine that one day my family would be living more faraway than nearer to me..
When I was first married 64 years ago, my sweet husband was in the Navy, after his boot training in San Diego, California, he was transferred to Whidbey Island, Washington and this is where our life began. After the Korean War, back home to California we went and there we lived and raised our family for the next 30 years, near family, parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.
We celebrated Holidays, Thanksgivings, Christmases and Birthdays with each other along with special events like blessings of babies, baptisms, school graduations, missionary farewells, weddings and our annual vacations to the High Sierras, just to mention a few.
But in today's societies it's not that way, we find that after our children are grown, educated and find their jobs and careers, life will then take them all over the world and in order to keep the family ties close together, we then rely on technology and other forms to keep one connected. We keep in contact by our phones, emails, facebook, letters and cards and planned vacations, sometimes to faraway places.
But the older one gets, the harder it is to make the trips for visits, either by car or plane and the more grandchildren and great-grandchildren you might have, the less you might see them. You try to keep up with their lives and you want for sure that even though you might not see or hear from them for some length of time, that the little ones will still know who you are and hopefully know that they are important to you in your life.
My Sweetheart and I retired to Utah over 20 years ago, our 2 sons, Mark and Brad also live in Utah, but our Daughters live elsewhere. Marta lives in North Carolina and Ann lives in Arizona.
Our Grandchildren now live all over the country and the world.
Arizona:-- Brandon and wife Amanda + 1 great, Tawni and husband Danny + 4 great, Derek and wife Dana + 3 great, Ryan and wife Cassie + 2 great grandchildren..plus Dane and his family....
California:-- Carey, Katelyn and husband Brayden, Lorena and her family....
Florida:-- Teri and husband Jeff + 3 great grandchildren..
Indiana:-- Michael and wife Kendra + 4 great grandchildren..
North Carolina:-- Kevan and wife Brooke + 3 great, Brian and wife Sheri +1 great grandchild
Tennessee:-- Cara and husband Greg + 4 great grandchildren..
Utah:-- Jared and wife Emily + 2 great grandchildren..
Vienna:-- Shawna and husband Sean + 5 great grandchildren.
I have passport and I have traveled and I also have 2 guestrooms and my family has traveled to me, but still I have missed many special occasions because of the distance of miles between us, but I have also been able to attend special times with them, but no matter where we live, how faraway or how near we are, our family is Eternal and our love for each other is Eternal.. WE ARE FAMILY....
and as I sit here thinking about these years and about my Sweetheart and the family we created, I can't help but count my blessings, it doesn't matter where we live or where my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren live, they are all so special to me and I love each and everyone of them, I think of them, I pray for them and I enjoy hearing from them and about them and I hope though the years I have given to them some part of me that is a special memory for them to hold deep in their heart....
I can truthfully say by looking back over these years, they have been good years, with a thousand memories, good memories..... to keep.....
Friday, March 24, 2017
Lets start Blogging again...
Its been almost 4 years since I have written a post for this blog, but going though my notebooks tonight, I found my collections of post I had written years ago and as I was looking and reading I thought, you know I really should start writing in this blog again.
For the past 3 years I've been writing a yearly journal titled "A day in the life of Liz" but as I think of this journal, each page is mostly my daily comings and goings with some thoughts and feelings. I do paste cards, article, notes, invitations, memories etc. on the pages but when it comes down to it, I really don't write to much of my thoughts and feelings.
I just had my birthday last month. I'm now a year in the eighty's club as my husband would say and so what will I leave my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren? Yes, they can have something of mine, maybe they would like a picture I have hanging on my wall, or maybe a special dish they remember, or a pair of earrings of mine or what ever, but would they know who I am? Would they know my thoughts and feelings, what my hobbies were or what movies I enjoyed or the books I read. Would they know who my friends were and how I felt about them? Would they know about my parents or how much I love my Sweetheart or how I felt being a young girl, my fears and my joys and how I felt being a mother and about raising my children or when I worked in fast foods or for Texaco. Would they know I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how much I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for the blessing of each of them.
As I thought about these questions I just knew I should start writing in this blog again and then maybe along with that picture they might choose to hang on their wall, they might want to have a copy of my blog writing posts, then maybe they would know who their grandmother, great grandmother or great great grandmother was and maybe some of my interest and feelings might even be the same as theirs.
I have a family, some live nearby but many live far, far away, some I see often, some I haven't seen for years, but we are still family, they came to be because of me and I love each of them.
So as I start tonight with this post, I'm hoping it will be the beginning of many and maybe some of my family might be interested in reading some of my writings just to see what I'm all about.
For the past 3 years I've been writing a yearly journal titled "A day in the life of Liz" but as I think of this journal, each page is mostly my daily comings and goings with some thoughts and feelings. I do paste cards, article, notes, invitations, memories etc. on the pages but when it comes down to it, I really don't write to much of my thoughts and feelings.
I just had my birthday last month. I'm now a year in the eighty's club as my husband would say and so what will I leave my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren? Yes, they can have something of mine, maybe they would like a picture I have hanging on my wall, or maybe a special dish they remember, or a pair of earrings of mine or what ever, but would they know who I am? Would they know my thoughts and feelings, what my hobbies were or what movies I enjoyed or the books I read. Would they know who my friends were and how I felt about them? Would they know about my parents or how much I love my Sweetheart or how I felt being a young girl, my fears and my joys and how I felt being a mother and about raising my children or when I worked in fast foods or for Texaco. Would they know I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how much I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for the blessing of each of them.
As I thought about these questions I just knew I should start writing in this blog again and then maybe along with that picture they might choose to hang on their wall, they might want to have a copy of my blog writing posts, then maybe they would know who their grandmother, great grandmother or great great grandmother was and maybe some of my interest and feelings might even be the same as theirs.
I have a family, some live nearby but many live far, far away, some I see often, some I haven't seen for years, but we are still family, they came to be because of me and I love each of them.
So as I start tonight with this post, I'm hoping it will be the beginning of many and maybe some of my family might be interested in reading some of my writings just to see what I'm all about.
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