Missionary update

Tim is stretching as a Tagalog language missionary in North Shore Vancouver. His companion is fluent in Tagalog, as he was born in the Philippines, but moved to Canada many years ago. Tim is using his piano and organ skills in choir, sacrament meeting, and Primary. He lives in a basement apartment in the stake president’s home. I try to keep track of those who take good care of the missionaries, and in this area, the Oro family really stands out. I am thankful for them! He goes into the city often because that is where they can find Filipinos, and there is a lot of driving involved. Also, they are trying to get to know the members, as both elders are new in the area. They teach a weekly English class which they are trying to get more people to attend. On Preparation Days, he visits gorgeous places, plays volleyball, does laundry, and calls home.

There is a missionary mom on Tim’s mission Facebook page who sends out a reminder message every Monday, “Mamas, charge up your phones!” because that is the day we get to talk. Lately, we talk for a long time.

Some things that I admire about Elder Ross as a missionary:

  • He speaks positively about his companions.
  • He shows his humor superpowers when things don’t go as planned.
  • He seems to find things to like in everyone he meets.
  • He uses exclamation points in his emails to us, and this just lifts my day!
  • He took up social media even though that is not his jam.
  • He freely expresses gratitude.

Spring Cleanup

I want to remember this day of health, warmth, light, work, and family. It was a long winter for me, and a worrisome season. There are moments in life that you can’t predict or arrange, whose simple power is that they can soften stings and weariness. These few hours of work with my parents, Richard, and Mark are Spring Lake made me almost laugh at my burdens of the past few months. “Was THAT all you were carrying?” the sunlight and snowdrops* helped me to see. “Look around and feel better!” I stayed in the light and felt warm after months of battling the shivers.

*Snowdrop flowers rightfully symbolize empathy and consolation.

Thankful for work

I prescribed another reading of The Secret Garden for myself because I think it holds many of the keys to a good life.

I love to read about Mary’s transformation from a sickly, weak, lonely girl, to one who has energy to love people and life.

She had to work to get there, along with the play and self care.

I tackled a closet cleanout yesterday that I have been putting off for a long time. It was a lot of work, and I was tired when I finished, but also invigorated! With this momentum, I sat down at my desk and finished some more neglected projects.

I am thankful for the nature of work, how it forces me to move, build strength, go outside, and then it gives back the impulse to do more. Isn’t it funny how the most difficult step is usually just to begin?

I want you to see Paige’s reworking of her Secret Garden illustrations, so I am prescribing a visit to her website, www.paigemclaughlinart.com. The Secret Garden project can be seen by clicking this LINK.

missing them

On Saturday, I found this photo in a little album. Timothy was three, and the dog was a new puppy, not yet house trained. We had just moved into our new house in Sahuarita, Arizona. Mark would be born in a few days. Paige was dancing ballet almost every night, and Daniel would soon begin piano lessons. I miss those little faces.

I keep “hearing” the dog’s step, and expecting him to follow me around the kitchen, or to greet me at the door. Today, I saw Richard out of the corner of my eye and my mind registered that he was holding our dog. It will take some time to get used to living without the pup.

I am lucky to be able to see our children pretty often, but having a missionary is definitely a heart-stretching time. We were six plus a dog when we moved to Utah, and now we are three in this house.

Dresden Plate Quilt

My friend Kaye taught many women in our neighborhood how to make quilts. One month she guided us through the process of making a Dresden Plate quilt, but I have never made one on my own. Kaye lives in a new city now, where she has started a new quilt group, but her influence keeps inspiring me to do new things. This winter I decided to make a Dresden Plate quilt to use up some pieces and ends.

All of the fabrics you see are from my “scrap box,” so many of the pieces bring back memories. My goal is to only use my scraps to complete the top of this quilt. I have spent so much time cutting, and today I am finally able to sew!

I once looked down on homemaking skills and sewing, but now these things bring me so much joy.

16 Years Old

UPDATE: Sparky passed away on March 14 at our home. We are so sad.

Sparky

March 10, 2006 – March 14, 2022

What a loyal friend and little companion! He’s old and tired now. As we come to his 16th birthday, I don’t think it’s possible to express or measure what he has meant to our family.

Making Progress

These are screenshots that illustrate some of my personal goals. The above screenshot is from the Gospel Library app. I am working to electronically mark my favorite quotes from church leaders at the last general conference, tagging quotes so can search them by topic. I began by reading a talk each day, starting sometime in January and ending last week. I marked favorite passages as I read. Now, each day I go back through the marked passages and add some topic tags. It is a drop by drop kind of project.

The next image is a screenshot from the Family Tree app, showing that my short, set appointments each Thursday to work on family history are yielding results. In two months, I have been able to contribute more than any year recorded here.

It is not my intention to brag, but to illustrate how tiny daily and weekly efforts are making a difference in my life!

March 3

My personality can’t be “on” all the time. There must be off days, and when weeks are so full they hurt, I look forward to weeks like this one, which are not noteworthy and feel in-between, like an adolescence. Our neighbors moved on Monday and it has affected me more than I expected…sadness, anger, self-pity, reminiscing… Like I said, this week has felt like adolescence.

I have taken these off days to read my books and think my thoughts, reading the news with narrowed eyes, because ouch, Ukraine. I donated a car load of old clothing and unused household goods that have been collecting in the garage all winter. I moved some blossoms and greenery into the kitchen, a ritual I look forward to each year.

Ritual and routine, on and off, beginnings, middles, and endings. This is what I have been thinking about during these early days of March.