Category: Life according to Angela

Secret Compliments

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Photo by Paige

One of my weaknesses is that I hold on to compliments. Some of it is shyness and some of it is fear of being generous. A lot of my silence has to do with pride. Sometimes I will write a letter to someone, but usually I do nothing at all.

Not everyone suffers from the same silence about giving compliments that I do, but I’m sure you’ve experienced situations where someone leaves a room and right after they leave, people will say, “Oh, he is so nice,” or “Don’t you just love her?”

Wouldn’t it be better to compliment the person while they are still around?

So, one of my goals is to compliment others immediately and fearlessly (verbally or in writing), and avoid sharing compliments for someone to an audience after the person leaves!

Last steps before a new vantage point

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It’s the last day of summer break. The business of preparation, despite its being related to school, has diverted my attention from the reality that our days at home and in the woods are almost gone. Just over that ridge is a series of new adventures with books, music, sports, and friends. I feel some excitement for what’s ahead for the kids. It will be a good year.

 

 

A Memory of a Summer Afternoon

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Photo by Paige

The late afternoon sun made a golden light behind my two sons’ frames. Daniel and Mark were at their busiest and best among the rocks, knee-deep in the cold mountain stream. There were rocks to move to shore up the wall, and they attacked the project with intensity. I watched them from the wooden slats above, enjoying the teamwork, masculine camaraderie, and those moments when they invited me into their wonder.

It didn’t matter that one boy was 14 and the other only 8. Nature had a way of smoothing out the differences between them and brought them running to me to share.

“Look, Mom!” is one of my favorite phrases. Rocks, a skull, a stick, all in their turn were placed in front of me. Invited into their world for a minute, I admired their treasures and savored their attention to sharing beauty. Bringing each offering to show me, I found a boy of no distinct age, simply boyhood.

The wonder, simplicity, and generosity of these moments of boyhood are some of my best treasures.

These are good kids.

 

1-DSC_4348I’m proud of how my kids handled themselves at the family cabin this week. They are among the oldest of the cousins, so a lot of responsibility fell on them to entertain the littles. And there were a lot of them.

1-DSC_4270Cousins are important. They are your built-in friends that you will see regularly nearly your whole time growing up. If you’re lucky, you’ll stay in touch after you’re all grown. Some cousins share similar genes; many of our kids’ cousins are adopted, step, or foster children, but the concept of family is still just as strong, maybe stronger because of them. This year I loved watching our kids interact with their cousins.

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Daniel stood in the cold river for a long time helping to take the kids to shore after their tube runs.
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What a crew of kids!
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Paige is loved by all her cousins, from the rambunctious ones to the the more quiet and introverted. She makes them all happy. She was also our photographer of the week.
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Mark was a joy to watch. He loved the water, playing Legos with his cousin Michael, and all of the white bread.
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Timothy enjoyed tubing, but he smiled during every activity. Richard and I love to watch Timothy because he is without guile and ready to be happy.
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There were lots of games to supervise. Paige, Daniel, and Timothy played a lot of UNO and other games with younger cousins.
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One day a little cousin was upset and said, “I need Timmy!” to make him feel better.
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This little cousin liked Daniel a lot. They wrestled, walked, and scooted together all of the time.
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Mark is a true friend to his cousins, regardless if they are boys or girls. Here he is dancing the Virginia Reel with Kaitlyn. We had to do it inside because of the rainstorm!

Just like everyone, our extended family deals with some difficult issues. One day when I was really worried about a situation and praying to know how to act, I was reminded by the Spirit to focus on my children, not the problem which was out of my control. Our kids are independent so I don’t always take time to watch what they’re up to. Because of this answer to prayer, I perched at different vantage points and focused on them during the last half of the week. This exercise changed the way I felt about everything. Just as our children need our guidance, sometimes we need to look to our children to remember joy.

Photos by Paige, Susan, and Sarah

 

Favorite things: Day 5

Some of my favorite works of FICTION include:

  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
  • The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
  • Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
  • Mitford Series by Jan Karon
  • Christy by Catherine Marshall
  • Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

I just know that when I hit “publish” I will think of more. All well.

Favorite things: Day 4

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These are things I enjoy about our cabin in Weber Canyon where we are having a reunion this week.

  • poppies
  • the river and tubing
  • tall pines
  • horses
  • walks in the woods
  • patriotic parades
  • reading on the porch bed
  • cousin play
  • the swing
  • the spring
  • fiddlin’ for the Virginia Reel
  • traditions: the candy game, money game, fancy napkins
  • small mugs of hot chocolate
  • silly songs playing in the background

Favorite things: Day 2

Today I am thinking of movies that I like.

Some “kid” movies:

  • Cars
  • Mary Poppins
  • Pollyanna
  • Tangled

Some “chick flicks”:

  • You’ve Got Mail
  • Pride and Prejudice (BBC)
  • Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee director)
  • Persuasion (BBC)
  • Dear Frankie
  • Cranford (Masterpiece)
  • North and South (BBC)
  • The Young Victoria
  • Roman Holiday
  • Wives and Daughters
  • Sabrina (Harrison Ford)

Some Musicals:

  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  • Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert
  • The Sound of Music
  • My Fair Lady

Eclectic favorites:

  • The Artist
  • Bride and Prejudice (Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice)
  • Nacho Libre

Are there any surprises here? Have you seen them all?

 

 

 

 

Hat shopping

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Tomorrow Paige, Daniel, and I go to a western ranch for youth conference. Of all the things I need to do to prepare, I am fixated on finding a proper cowboy hat.

I am tired of going places. Once we return from youth conference, we will have 6 whole days at home before we leave again. During those precious days, I plan to mulch my backyard flower bed (since summer is half over), read Coolidge by Amity Schlaes, and avoid going out as much as possible.

Mountain Views

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Happy summer memories hover around me. Views of mountain peaks and rivers are the backgrounds; the kids and their cousins are the focus. Sleep, mealtimes, and ordinary caution are abandoned to build memories.

I’m drawing some strength and perspective from the hills and from time spent with family.

And yes, I sing songs from The Sound of Music in my head and sometimes out loud as I look out over this beautiful world.