I know I already posted that poem before, but I just feel like that today. The sun is shining, after a week of rainy days and I'm thinking about how grateful I am that Heavenly Father let me be alive and come to this beautiful earth he created. One of my grand-daughters, Brooke has a new baby girl and she posts the cutest photos on her blog. I got an announcement with photo and I carried it around in my purse for a month. She is just beautiful (plus her middle name is MAY which is my maiden name, made me happy) She is great-grandchild # 10


I have lots of other beauty also. We have a fruit orchard, almost all pears, some apples and peaches, one apricot (which is plenty since I don't like them and tend to avoid doing anything with them)


It all started back in 1980 something, when he was practicing medicine, and needed a hobby. Just a few trees at first, then every time I turned around, there was the UPS truck in the driveway, bringing more trees. Now total we have about 225. A lot to take care of, what with pruning and spraying and thinning and picking, then either canning, selling, or giving away.


Dee has always had a garden or fruit trees and many years we moved and left the fruit behind for the new people coming in. There's just something good about helping God take care of the earth, something really good.

I AM LOVED
.
In all of God's creation
there is nothing that is small
because God being wonderful
spreads greatness over all
and
every little tiny butterfly
and bug too small to see
is beautiful!
and loved by God
just the same as you and me
.

SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT

1. The minister of a rural church deep in the Ozarks suggested to his parishioners that they purchase a chandelier. It was put to a vote and all the members voted it down. "Why do you oppose the purchase of a chandelier?"
"Well, drawled one of his flock, first we can't spell it, so how can we order it? Second, even if we did get it, no one can play it, and third, what we really need is more light"
.



ANTHONY LAKE

Yesterday our son Linn dropped by for a few hours. He lives in Kennewick, WA. about 1 1/2 hours away It's always fun when he drops in, because he helps Dee with some of the yard jobs and I always fix food when he's coming, because he and David like to eat.

The other thing I like about Linn is he always wants to talk about religion. Yesterday I ended up giving him 4 books, three by Hyrum Andrus (who I love) and the other by Orson Pratt. They are deep, wonderful things to read and think about.

I've studied all of them, and when other copies came up on e-bay, I bought them, just to have for days like yesterday, when someone else is ready to read them.



We talked about going to camp at Anthony Lake again this summer, so here is a photo of us two years ago. Keiko, Linn's wife is from Japan, and her parents were here, so we took them there. That's Linn with the hat on. David is way out there, and up close in the photo above. I've been going there in summers since I was a kid, when my Dad loaded us all up and went camping or for a picnic. I love it up there.


.

Only the mountains come and go, we fish in the summer, we ski in the snow

Yet the trees stand tall, and the sky stays blue

and nothing much changes but me and you

and the fish still jump leaving water in rings and the chipmunks chirp

and a bird still sings as it settles in at the close of day

and inside I feel like it's time to pray

.

Dear God who created this lake and the trees

Thank you for beauty and places like these

where we come and soak in some peace for a day

then find the tents we have tucked away

After supper and marshmallows roasty

we'll hop in our bags and sleep warm and toasty

watching the stars and the moon so bright

God's in His heavens

and our world is all right

.








COME, SEE THIS CLOUD
Who do you suppose shares God's delight
when He makes something new?
or, when He decided to paint the sky
and got the clearest blue He'd ever seen
.
who did He call and say
"Come, see what I can see"
I hope if I were somewhere close
that maybe He'd call me
.
and I would run! I'd run to see the
baby birds who could not fly
and listen to a newly created song
as it sings by
.
and if God said, "Come, see this cloud"
I'd GO! and I'd never question why?
then maybe I'd see rainbows
as He paints them in the sky!
.
Job 37:18-- "hast thou with him spread out the sky?"
.

CATCHING UP WITH THE WORLD

Guess what? we got a direct TV dish! Living out here in the boonies we've only had 5 channels, which faded in and out depending on the weather.

We got this flyer in the mail for 18.00 a month off, so David and I signed up for it. I'm sorry to say, I've spent quite a bit of time flipping from one bad show to the next, but I've found several that are fun for a change. BYU will be a good one for me. Even old talks are good. David is happy with the all sports all day channel, doesn't have to go to a friend's house or Denny's to watch the NASCAR races.

Best of all is I learned how the remote works. When we went to Elaine's I could never figure it out, had to call 5 year old Colton to change the channel for me. But now, I have mastered a new talent : REMOTING


Dee still just likes his one 4:30 NBC news, but maybe he'll convert later on. We had to sign up for 18 months, so that gives us a goal for staying alive, to make the payments




DECORATION DAY
past and present



In the olden days, Memorial day was always on the 31st of May, and that meant flowers to the cemetery time. Daddy would pick all the lilacs and iris and anything else we had in the yard. He'd gather up tall tomato juice cans Mom had saved, and put them all in the trunk. Lots of flowers, because we had lots of dead people up there in Mt. Hope.


Daddy seemed to just love taking flowers up there, and we'd go first to Uncle Andy's grave out past the house where the caretaker took care of things, in the last spot in the left hand corner. Daddy would fill the cans with water, so the flowers would last.


He always got kind of teary-eyed at Uncle Andy's grave, after all that was his own little brother, just two years younger than him, and they'd practically lived together their whole lives. Uncle Andy died in 1933 which meant he didn't get to live very long, compared to Daddy.


I can't actually remember where we put all the other flowers but it was fun to wander around and look at the tombstones and read the names. Daddy knew so many of the people buried up there, he'd say, "Well, there's Leo Shurtliff" when we came to his grave. I remember Leo Shurtliff really well, he was some sort of clerk at church and we picked him up almost all the time cause he didn't have a car. We'd all kind of scoot over in the backseat so he'd fit in.


Some of the rich people had these big fancy tombstones. We'd usually be there for the ceremony they had, to remember all the dead people. Most times we'd also stop at the masoleum and that part was fun. It's this big stone building that's only opened on that day, so you could go in and look around. That's where the really rich people were buried, just put inside the wall and sealed up behind the marble. It was cold in there.


When we got older there were other graves to put flowers on also, like Bud Meng's parents, and Jeannette's baby Drake in the baby heart section, and then Aunt Jean and Uncle Sterling and Aunt Irene.


Now when we go we mostly put flowers on Grandma and Grandpa May's graves, and they are way over on the right hand edge, just below the baby heart, beside Uncle Sterling's grave. I'm still not sure why we do it, they aren't even there. But one of the best things for Grandpa May was the visiting. You'd walk around and run into all these other people you knew, some you only saw at the cemetery, and Daddy knew everyone in town so sometimes we'd be there a long time.


I guess Memorial Day mostly meant flowers and friends.


JULY 2007 MAY REUNION BAKER OREGON

I wrote that last part a few years back, but it's pretty much the same story, for a lot of people I suppose. But somehow it seems like a big expense for flowers if you don't have a yard full of them, like my Dad did. There's also the problem that I don't know anyone in Baker any more to run into at the cemetery.

It's still fun to go if we have some grandkids around to show and share with, but today it was just me and Dee here, and instead of doing flowers, we stayed home and planted some. The next time we're in Baker, I might go. But I still have the good memory of last year when we were having a family reunion there.

We had planned to meet early in the morning to "do the graves" but only 6 of us made it up that early. My daughter Karen, nieces Linda, Sherrie, and Gina, and my son David. It was just us, up there in the bright sunshine laughing and crying and being together. We divided a bunch of flowers from Safeway on about 6 graves and took a picture. (SEE ABOVE)

Out of all my years for decorating, that was probably the best, because Karen's husband Brad had just been killed the month before, and we just needed to be together, with Grandma and Grandpa May. Baby Drake belonged to Sherrie and Gina, and Linda's other grandparents are there. For the first time ever, I just KNEW everyone who had gone ahead was there, and they're waiting for us to join them later on.
It's not really the flowers or the visiting, it's the REMEMBERING





If I were rich I'd call the florist every single day
and say
I need some flowers, please send a fresh bouquet
and he'd arrive, his truck would drive right up
and he'd bring them inside
and soon we'd hear them singing
through the house
both far and wide
*
because a flower's full of sunshine
always counting out God's love
Blossoms are a blessing!
that He sends down from above
*

MOTHER'S DAY

I have been a Mother now for 54 years. Or, adding up the number of years I've spent with each child, that's a total of 323 years! No wonder I feel old most days!

We had a really nice week-end, Elaine and her family were here live, and all the rest called or sent cards and gifts. 5 year old Colton came in with this huge bouquet of mixed flowers, with a big smile. (Where was the camera, Grandma?) The flowers are still gorgeous on the glass top table, but the smile is missing in the photo

I heard the Primary kids once more sing "Mother dear I love you so" and got a flower to pin on, which is much more sensible than getting a little potted plant with water dripping through the napkin around it, having to hold it for 2 more hours of meetings.

I love being a Mother, that's why I came to earth, to be a Mother.
xoxoxoxo



DIET TIPS
1. If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories


2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar they will cancel each other out.


3. Calories don't count if you eat with someone and you both
eat the same amount.


4. If you fatten up everyone around you, you'll look thinner


5. Snacks consumed in a movie do not count as they are part of
the entertainment. For example: Milk Duds, red licorice, M&Ms and popcorn


6. Pieces of cookies contain no calories. The process of breaking causes calorie leakage


7. Late-night snacks have no calories. The fridge light is not strong enough
for the calories to see their way into the calorie counter.


8. Food taken for medicinal purposes does not count. This includes:
hot chocolate, cinnamon toast, truffles, Sara Lee chocolate cake
.
9. Foods licked off knives and spoons, like peanut butter or ice cream
don't count IF you are in the process of preparing something for someone else.
.
10. Foods that have the same color have the same number of calories. For example, spinach and pistachio ice cream, and mushrooms and white chocolate are identical.
NOTE: Chocolate is a universal color and may be substituted for
any other food color.
.
11. Food eaten over the sink without dirtying a dish does not count





STRESS DIET
.
Breakfast
1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice whole wheat bread, 8 oz. skim milk

.
Lunch
4 oz. broiled chicken breast, 1 cup zucchini, 1 oreo cookie, cup herb tea
.

Mid-afternoon Snack
Rest of the package of Oreo cookies , 1 qt. rocky road ice cream, jar hot fudge

.
Dinner
Two loaves garlic bread, large pepperoni pizza, 3 candy bars
entire frozen cheese-cake directly from the freezer

.
Bedtime snack
1/2 gallon mocha almond fudge ice cream (eaten in the dark so you don't have to share)
Remember #1 on the diet tips above
.

IF NO ONE SEES YOU EAT IT
IT HAS NO CALORIES

Our grand-daughter Sarah is serving a mission in Charleston, WV. Below you will see the latest photo of her, holding the pet possum of someone she was visiting. It wasn't til later that she realized he had scratched her arm. A quick trip to the ER assured her that major medical follow up was not required. Such a cute little face, I don't think I've ever seen a possum, let alone held one. All in all, Sarah is loving it back there, working in the Mission Office, and we all look forward to her letters every week.

Sister Sarah!


Another famous church musician is Crawford Gates. When I was a freshman at BYU, back in 1951 (so ancient) he was a director of the Women's chorus I sang in. Barely out of college himself I think, he was so good-looking, and young, and talented, we all thought he was wonderful.
*
To this day I've never sung under someone who had more influence on me. Every time we sing a hymn in church that we sang in his chorus, I remember the feeling of BYU. A favorite was:
*
COME SING TO THE LORD...which was written by Gerrit deJong, also a professor at BYU. We sang at a fast tempo, really feeling like praising the Lord, and every time we sing it in church, I think, "Oh, don't drag it, be joyful"
*
He also taught us one written by his friend, at the time of the death of his child, I remember every word




Soft, a blossom falls from flowerlet white


Soft, the birdling calls as falls the night


the night that came too soon


too soon for knowing




So like the tender blossom was her face


and hers the grace, the grace of birds in flight


Night falls but in the tender dusk


No more we hear her singing


her sweet voice singing




As night has brought the darkness


so morning brings another day


no more she moves in sadness


somewhere she walks in gladness




Soft a blossom falls from flowerlet white


soft, a birdling calls as falls the night


and we who watch are mute, at beauty's passing




Grieve not! for she has found another day


Another day


and on her way


she moves


moves in JOY


*
Music is such a wonderful part of worship. Sometimes at church, no matter how good the sermon is, the real message for the day is hidden in the words of the song.










There is a new section in the Deseret News called MORMON TIMES which has articles of interest on LDS themes. Today I found one on Michael McLean celebrating his 25th anniversary of writing music.

I've met Michael McLean. Back in 1992, he came to present a youth conference program in LaGrande, OR. I had just purchased a video camera, one of those huge heavy ones that you held up on your shoulder. I had nothing to do with MIA at the time, but I loved his music, so I went to every part of the conference. The first song he wrote I think was "You're not alone."

I stood back by the door and took a video of the whole thing. After the program, he was standing in the hall with his wife and others, with his clothes on a hanger over his shoulder.

He said, "Well, I'm going out to my car" and no one followed him, no one that is except me.
We chatted going in and out. Since I didn't think it too cool to try and video him, I left the camera cap on but with the sound recording. I so admired his talent, and being a novice poet, I wanted to learn all I could.

The next week I wrote him a note, thanking him for coming, and mentioned that I was bi-polar (and more than a bit manic the day of the program) He wrote back, saying he could understand the depression because he'd shared the same feelings.

In the article in the Deseret news, by Carma Wadley, he was quoted as saying:



The songs are an incredible gift. I don't own them
I simply hear them first and pass them on
I'm convinced that God made me a songwriter
I totally understand how that works, because it's happened to me writing poetry many times. When you are in tune with the spirit, in some incredible way, words are handed to me, sometimes entire poems, which require no changes.
Recently I came across one which I didn't recognize, and thought "Now this is a really nice poem, it must belong to someone else," but I hadn't noted the author. Today I found it in my journal from 1986. There it was, in MY journal, so I knew it was mine. God's system is amazing, and it is so fun to be a part of that transfer of thought and creativity from another place and time.
I think everyone has that ability, we are mostly just too busy to tap into it, because life keeps getting in the way. A book of remembrance is just that, a book filled with remembrances of our former life. It's a blessing to be a part of it.

JOURNAL KEEPING

Once upon a time we were all bornjesteres0854

I realize that makes no sense, but I'd never tried that font before, and thought I'd get your attention. On Friday my cousin Laurie Chandler from Weiser Idaho and his wife Ruth came to visit. I'd loaned him my Dad's picture book from his childhood and he brought it back, along with a history of his mother, my Dad's sister Naomi.

I've had great fun reading her story, a woman just writes things in such a different way than a man. Plus she told things about my Dad that he'd never written in his book (like seriously thinking about marrying a girl named Rose when he was 18) Luckily he didn't or I'd be someone else right now.

She also talked a lot about my Grandmother Nettie May, who died back in 1923. Her death certificate said the reason was melancholia, which today is depression. My Dad had mentioned it but Aunt Naomi was the one who tended her for the last year when she was partly an invalid, so I learned so much more about her. My grandfather Frank had died just a year before, and she never got over the loss.

Having had so many years of depression myself, I'm always interested in hearing about others in the family who have a similar mental illness, or are bi-polar, since they are both genetic.

WHY WE DO GENEALOGY

The thing I like best about genealogy is the histories and the photos. Names and dates and ages are fine, and we need them to do the temple work, but for me, I want to SEE what that person looked like, and how he thought, and what his hopes and dreams were, and how he FELT . You know, sad and happy, up and down, miserable or on top of the world.

I find with myself I have to write when I'm in a really bad mood, depressed, as well as on the up manic days, when I'm flying high. Otherwise I don't get the feelings out. It is so fun to go back later and read what I was feeling on those days.

I try to be careful when I'm angry and not say things that might hurt others later if they ever read it, but just writing them down is like going to a counselor (and much cheaper). My best writing is done in the middle of the night, when everyone else is asleep and all the space in the house belongs to me.

SO, IF YOU HAVEN'T WRITTEN A JOURNAL, GET BUSY.

No man should be a footnote
at the bottom of another's page
No one should be a name or place
or
death or birth or age
*
Every person needs a face
not just a space on a pedigree chart
We have to know his story!
That he lived and did his part
*
Each family group has a record
and someone must come along
and help somebody write it down
so we will
know where we belong
*

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