Letters from Home – Page 138 – A blog by Angela Ross

Favorite Things July 2016

(Bad phone photo quality; good things)

World Market is a new frontier for me. I go there to sniff the soaps, admire the vibrant colors on textiles, and handle pretty dishes that I do not need. This is my favorite soap which they sell there. I just keep it in my room for its scent.

My boys collect little things and want to display them. This shelf is a good compromise between Mark’s desire to have a long display over flat surfaces and my desire to put the collections in boxes under the bed.

For 25 years I have wanted pinking shears. I found these at Ikea in the fabric section and they are sturdy, sharp, and only cost about $8!

The Weber Carnival 2016

We gathered at the family cabin for the first time since the death of my grandparents, who were so good at making these gatherings special. In loving memory (and instead of a funeral) we held a parade and carnival for my grandmother. My mom carried Grandma’s patriotic umbrella and we all decorated our bicycles, hats, and scooters… and the handcart.

I wore my grandmother’s red boots.

For carnival games, we had a fishing pond, doughnut eating contest, darts, ball games, and face painting. The kids made little boats to race in rain gutters.

My aunt showed up wearing the old fox stole and the dogs went crazy over it.My aunt and uncle brought their own brand of silly to the party, which is always expected at a gathering at the Weber.

We revisited the tradition of a sawdust candy hunt.

Next came the rubber ducky races down the river.

The winners were all adults.

Once the duckies came out of the river, we watched the kids tube down the river for hours.

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Oh, that Paige and her winning ways.

Mark and Timothy had a good time in the river. Daniel was at youth conference this day.

One theme of the gathering was gratitude, for a legacy of family traditions, a beautiful cabin, and one another. This day would have made my grandmother and grandfather smile.

Fish Creek 2016

For several months, Richard’s extra time has been used to acquire, repair, and outfit two four-wheelers. It has been a serious endeavor, requiring lots of grease, parts ordered online, phone calls, a visit to Elko, and time. One four-wheeler is for his dad, and one is for our family. They are ideal for exploring Fish Creek. It was nice to see many of Richard’s siblings on this trip and to watch the cousins have fun together.

High Adventure Trip 2016

Our family has been in many places over the past few weeks. Last night I uploaded photos from the camera before Richard took it for another week away from home. Phew! What a summer. Here are some photos of the high adventure trip that Richard and Daniel made at the end of June in the Uintas.

I should be back to writing soon, once I get through some more stacks of laundry, camping gear, craft supplies, paint, and hardware. I have thoughts about my grandmother that need to be shared, some new Favorite Things to post, and adventures to winnow down to a few pictures and words. It’s good to be back.

High Adventure 2016

See if you can spot Daniel and Richard in this picture. They are backpacking in the Uintas this week. Our basement is strewn with dehydrated food leftovers, rope, and cast-off equipment. The hike will be nothing after all the trips to the store to prepare for it.

Light

My friend Elizabeth passed away from cancer last week. She planned her own open house and funeral. For the open house, they created a room of displays of the important things in her life. Suspended with wire above her desk, chairs, and other furniture, the family hung selections of her original poetry and photographs. This exhibit was carefully curated, professionally printed, and elegant. Her words were everywhere, reminding us that she loved her family, trusted the Lord, and found joy in life. During the last years of her life, Elizabeth gifted strangers with roses for fun. In the spirit of this, there were hundreds of roses, prepared so each guest could take one home. I could smell these roses as I approached the church, probably 20 feet from the door.

As I worked my way through the museum-quality displays, I looked for her family members. I found her teenage daughter first, my violin student, cheeks flushed and smiling, with her friends surrounding her. I gave her hugs and encouragement, but did she need them? She was radiant. As I left, I spotted my friend’s husband. Like the gentle halos of light in old religious art, I saw glory around him, too.

There is a hole in their lives, gaping and raw, and that loss will be felt more and more, and then a little less, but never gone. I am lifted by the memory of them “glowing” that night. I see more clearly how important it is to trust God’s plan for our lives. Trust in the Lord becomes a strong foundation and a light during dark times. The light will radiate from countenances, unforgettable to those who see it, while it sustains the people who radiate it. It’s powerful because the Source of this light is the One who said, “Not my will, but Thine, be done.”

Go forward, and not backward.

During my scripture study yesterday I read references that had the word “go” in them and made a list of positive actions associated with it.

We can go…

forth (Am I moving in a positive direction as time pushes me forward? What are my habits that keep me from moving forward?)
down (lots of ideas for this one)
and inquire of the Lord
over the earth
unto your homes (It’s good to be with family. Make it a priority)
unto them (focused on others in my goings and comings)
speedily (Don’t delay.)
up (Simply looking up at the sky can be helpful.)
and declare my word (to my family! to my friends!)
in (not just on the doorstep of a neighbor or a friend. Find a way into their lives.)
up to the temple
to, thy faith hath made thee whole (move forward after I repent, make decisions)
softly and rejoice (watch my tone of voice and focus on positives)
and tell this people (so many good things to tell people)
up to the mountain of the Lord
forth to them that sit in darkness (to the depressed, the lonely, the displaced, the lost)
into the wilderness (for clarity, for a break, to be with family)
and teach the word unto this people
about (Jesus went about doing good; to me this means he made efforts to be with people. He was out and about, helping the people he saw along the way.)
back (is there someone I should go back and visit?)
away (lots to walk away from)
and inquire (be a good listener and ask questions)

[Friends], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward, not backward. Courage, [friends], and on, on to victory. -D&C 128:22

Flag Day

Flag Day is the inauguration of summer for me. It reminds me that it is time to put out my red, white, and blue plates on the shelves, and fill my containers with flags and flowers. It is a heavy reminder that June is almost half over. (Don’t waste your summer, Angie!) Richard has been gone quite a bit on Scout camp outs and trips to buy four wheelers, so I updated our living room while he was away.

Summer reading for me always includes a biography. I can’t believe this has been out for twelve years and no one told me how good it is. I am also working through a book to help me with Isaiah, which isn’t nearly as good. No offense, Isaiah. Sincerely, a modern reader.

There are many summer projects. For Family Home Evening on Monday, we read Luke 2:52, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Each of us made summer goals in the same four areas: wisdom, stature, in favor with God, and in favor with man.

I need these goals. Summer is my least productive time of year. My grandmother says it’s our Scandinavian genes that make it so difficult to do anything when it’s hot. I fight every day to stay active during the summer, even if it just means I am redecorating shelves, hemming new curtains, or taking notes on a book. When the day is over and I have contributed to the house and made some notes from my studies, I can call it a good day.

To share or not to share

Daniel came home from EFY summer camp to many questions. “What did you eat?” (Richard) “Who did you exchange contact information with?” (Me) “What were your favorite activities?” and, “Did you participate in the talent show?”

“No.”

“What?…Why?”

I have always wanted our kids to have the confidence to play a perfected piece, with little notice, for anyone who would ask. We have pushed through many years of piano lessons and practice sessions to make this possible. So Daniel’s news was baffling to me. He was prepared! Why didn’t he go for the payoff for all his hard work?

As I blinked and tried to guess why Daniel wouldn’t play for his peers, he said he overheard some other kids practicing for the audition. They were playing two of his pieces, a bit roughly, in simplified arrangements. He decided that he didn’t want to crush their desire to play with his more advanced versions of the pieces.

I swallowed my comments about the importance of sharing talents. These words felt petty compared to the quality of empathy he showed as he stepped away from the spotlight. Well done, Daniel. Well done.

Some of our week

Daniel was off to BYU for an Especially For Youth summer camp last week. Our house felt really empty with just two kids around, but we didn’t hold still for long. We planted pumpkins in a front yard flower bed because I get a lot of entertainment from seeing pumpkins grow in a front yard in our piano teacher’s neighborhood. We played with a couple sets of cousins and enjoyed time with friends. Timothy watered flowers and took care of pigeons for a neighbor.

We watched my niece and nephews one day, and since my niece was left out of the boys’ activities, we colored and made crafts. Later when she confessed she loved math and science best, and had been trying to make something interesting by mixing kitchen liquids, I showed her how to mix baking soda and vinegar. We shot off film canister rockets over and over on the back patio.

My friend gave me the loveliest brown and blue-green eggs. The color doesn’t show well in this picture. They tasted delicious.

On Saturday the whole family attended an L-3 open house and we got to see where Richard works for the first time. His work requires security clearance so this was a rare opportunity. His work space is not what I expected. Richard created a presentation to demonstrate how they can change audio signals to a laser signal, and back to audio. Trying to explain what Richard does at work really shows my ignorance. 🙂

It was a good first week of summer.