Snow, snow, snow, Serve, serve, serve

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We got so much snow last weekend that we thought we would document it. The snow plows always make a large pile in front of our yard, but this is the biggest we have ever seen.

Richard is camping! with the Scouts in this stuff. I sometimes feel grumpy about all he has to do because I wouldn’t enjoy doing those things. However, I think he likes most of the life of a Scoutmaster. Maybe I am a little grumpy because I miss him, too.

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This week I fielded calls and texts every day about people being sick and meeting their needs. If I stop to think, I can feel overwhelmed by so many needs. Mid-week, I got a call from the YW saying they were going to make a whole bunch of freezer meals for the Relief Society. Hooray for the army of women and young women who do so much to help others. On Thursday I met with our quilt group to see the quilt we made for a sister with cancer. We always have the biggest turnout at quilt group when there is a service project to do. It is a tribute to the hearts of the women that service activities are always full.

Have you downloaded the Serve Refugees app yet? In Salt Lake there is a need for JoAnn gift cards for a sewing class that is now in session. This is an easy, meaningful way to help a refugee become self-sufficient today. I am thinking that a small note from you or your children, encouraging a vulnerable refugee woman would go perfectly with a gift card.

You can mail gift cards to:

Utah Refugee Connection, 6440 South Wasatch Blvd., Suite 100, Salt Lake City, UT, 84121

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What I have learned about my readers

I spent some time analyzing statistics on my blog, including traffic on posts, browsers used, etc. This is what I have learned about the people who visit this blog regularly.

1. You are smart and like to read. Book lists and book reviews are some of the top posts.

2. You aren’t looking for decorating ideas here.

3. You show interest in posts about relationships and dynamics of interaction.

4. You love the pictures of Paige. Daniel’s dance pictures also get a lot of traffic.

5. You are probably related to me or know me well. My traffic is mainly from Texas and Utah. There is very little from Arizona, but some.

6. You are interested in causes bigger than yourself.

7. If you use a reader, such as Board Reader, I don’t see who you are, but I have learned a little about who you are over the years.

8. More iPhones visit than Android.

9. Top readers are Daniel and Paige. I don’t think Timothy has ever looked at it, and that is fine!

10. You are loyal. Most readers have been here for 3 years or more. My top readers have been here since 2009.

I hope this post doesn’t creep you out. It is meant to be complimentary and show my gratitude.

A heavy time

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I got new glasses last week, my first pair since 1999. I don’t love them, but I am so glad to have new ones. I put off getting glasses because I was holding out for a new style to come forward that I would like. Now I am just one with the masses, with dark plastic frames which dominate my face. Still, I am so grateful…and trendy.

This weekend, burdened with worry, I said a simple prayer, repeating its phrases over and over, “I know Thou has a plan for us. I will trust the plan. I will trust that it is beautiful and perfect for each of us.” It was incredibly helpful.

 

Artist’s hand

Screenshot_20170121-112858It’s interesting that Paige took a picture of her hand this week. Last night she was in a skating accident and the nail of her ring finger was crushed off by someone’s ice skate and the finger is fractured where the nail once was. I met her at the medical clinic after it happened. I thought of my friends, who have sons and daughters living far away for school and missions, who can’t run to their children when they get hurt. I felt grateful that I could do that.

As we pulled into a pharmacy to buy band-aids and ibuprofen at 11 pm, Paige received text after text from her Relief Society president asking how she was doing. Good job, President.

Now, let’s pray that she heals quickly and can get back to drawing for her classes soon.

Some resolutions

 

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Mark and I are making collages of the major kingdoms for biology. Here is Kingdom Fungi.

I have a few New Year’s resolutions, some private, and a few that anyone may know:

1. No cell phone use when a family member is in the room. If I have to look at my phone with family, keep it to necessary correspondence and get off quickly.

2. Read every day.

3. Learn family members’ cell phone numbers.

4. Write to my grandmother once a month.

 

Diatoms

img_20170110_145039_459The library is my friend when I need to simplify concepts in science for Mark. I am teaching him from a high school textbook because it gives us a structure and helps him learn to analyze graphs and data. Many weeks we just use the book as a guide and seek material at the library to make it more interesting.

I love to pick up books of colorful microscope images. Our world is intricate and beautiful at every level. Mark and I spent a few extra days studying microorganisms through art. This is a collage of diatoms, which are single-celled and diverse, representing 10,000 species. They are producers, which mean they photosynthesize and are an important food source in aquatic environments. We couldn’t get over how colorful, intricate, and symmetrical their silica shells look under a microscope.

To do this project, we pulled out papers we had painted before, cut them into shapes, added more color with pencils, and made an Eric Carle style collage. Eric Carle art is something I have done for years with the kids because it is fool-proof. Every collage is a success.