Symbols and Signs

She's home.

My adorable, bright and dear daughter is now back home and hopefully not leaving for a very long time. For any new readers who happen upon here, Les has been in a boarding school in Utah for 14 months. You can read more about it in this post.

The school gives each girl a very special farewell ceremony.

Here are some highlights:

This is the "cradling" ceremony. The departing student chooses two songs which she feels describe her, define her, and reflect her experience in changing her life. Leslie chose, "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas, and "Extraordinary", by Mandy Moore. Great choices - find the lyrics and you'll see why. During this ceremony, the music is played while the girl is gently lifted and rocked by all those around her who love her - the other students and friends and staff, teachers, therapists, and parents are now again at "the head". Significant in numerous ways.

The "graduating" student also makes a stepping stone filled with items that reflect who she is, what her journey has been, hopes for the future, etc. She shows each item and tells what it means to her and what it symbolizes.

And then it is put into the cement!

Here is her finished stepping stone, or "head stone" as the girls
affectionately(?) call it:

That evening, we met up with most of the Utah Tait family for a little dinner and celebration of her being on her way home.

The "Good to Go" sign is very significant, don't you think?

We visited family in Vegas and also in Arizona. My sister in law, Darlene, had this displayed in front of her house:

This year we have learned many therapeutic words and phrases. One of those phrases is called "getting back to baseline", which means that you are taking a few minutes to be calm, relaxed and ready to discuss anything. For example, if we are having an important discussion and one of us is getting riled up or upset, another family member says, "ok, take a minute to get back to baseline and then we will continue". The discombobulated person then takes a moment, a time-out if you will, to self-regulate and be calm.

Well, in Mesa, there is a prominent street named Baseline. While out with my nieces, we all thought it would be very appropriate to take Leslie's photo on Baseline to prove that she knows how to get there! Ah, the irony!

Yep, she's there. For now.

Upon arriving back in good old Merry Land, we happened upon this:

Thanks, K, for the sign.

We have been through countless thoughts and emotions over the past week. We feel grateful to our Heavenly Father for the blessings that come after the storm, and especially those that come DURING the torrential rain. We know more storms will come - in one way or another.

For now, though, the symbols and signs show us that some sun is here
for a while.

Excuse me while I bask in its brilliance.

A Present to Myself

I became a rep for Treasure Tower Rewards about 2 1/2 years ago. I am the owner of a teeny tiny home business because I have chosen to not make it all-consuming yet. I do work enough I suppose because now, for the first time, I decided to "pay myself" and I bought this sweet little item:I have never owned a laptop! Everyone else in my family has one. And of course, this one is to streamline my business......and maybe for use on airplane rides.....and in the kitchen....?

IRS, don't read this.

A Salute To Dad

This is my father – Dono Chester Brinkerhoff.

Funny name, huh? Back in “those” days they let their old aunties name their kids. HEY – nieces and nephews, what about it?? Who knows what Dono means or where it came from. He mostly went by “D.C.” or “Brink”.

I have mixed memories of my childhood and my relationship with him, but for this post, I will focus on the positive. I remember my dad nick-naming everyone and everything. I was “Sweety-Hearta”. He loved animals (ok, he also loved to hunt so that’s a “different” kind of love). He let me ride a horse by myself at the age of 4 – Mom didn’t know about it. He bought me Squirt from his Coke machine every time I went to his “shop” (he built homes, so his shop is where he made everything from cabinetry to duct work). He let me “fix” his hair. He built me the most beautiful playhouse. He was an amazing gardener. He could build or fix anything. He was a perfectionist. He could organize anything from a desk to a huge Elders Quorum party. He could BBQ! He had beautiful blue eyes and a sheepish, handsome grin. He was a great dancer and was often “the life of the party”. Whether he knew how to show it well or not, he adored his children.

The main thing I remember about Dad was his love for this country. I remember watching tears flow down his cheeks during the Star-Spangled Banner, and on every patriotic holiday. Our flag flew outside our home on every appropriate occasion.

As a young man in his early 20s, he joined the Army Air Corps at the beginning of World War II. He was sent to the Pacific to be an airplane mechanic. A few months after arriving in the Philippines, the Japanese overtook the island and he was captured. He was a Prisoner of War for the duration of the war – about 4 ½ years, as I understand it. His stubbornness, no doubt due to his German blood, and his pioneer heritage aided him in surviving, and to bringing him home alive.

He rarely could communicate with his family. They went months and months without knowing whether he was alive or dead. Any communication he was able to send was obviously as a guard watched over him,so it is doubtful that his health was “topnotch” as he

wrote here,

and as you can see in this photo.

The beatings, mistreatment, starvation, diseases, and much worse I am sure caused him health problems for the rest of his life. He had back problems, high blood pressure, and much more. As a result, he had a heart attack at the young age of 52. I was only 12. His heart had stopped, but it was started up again at the hospital and he was put on life support. After weeks of being in a coma, he came around slowly but never returned to his real self. His brain had been without oxygen for so long that his memories of many things, and abilities to do certain tasks, were gone. It was almost like someone with Alzheimer’s. He lived the rest of his life in a V.A. hospital, or adult care center. The Daddy I knew was gone. He lived that way for 21 more years.

I tell this story for a reason today.

Another thing I remember about my father was his hate for Communism. He read books about it, discussed it with others from time to time. He gave his whole life for this country. That resulted in my brothers and I losing a part of ours – losing our father before his time. Our children never got to fish with him, dance with him, sing with him, or laugh with him. They only saw Grandpa Dono as a strange old man who couldn’t remember anything.

To honor my father, and to trust in his instincts, I will be posting more political things on this blog. You may think I am becoming one of those “crazy” ladies who have nothing better to do. You may think I am a “right wing nut”. If you think either of those things, I ask you to open your mind, just in case I am correct. Just take a little chance. Both sides of the aisle in Congress are threatening our freedoms. I believe our President has plans that will take away the America as we know it. It is already happening. He has told us that this was his plan and that this is what he would do. Remember all that CHANGE? Were you listening? We cannot just sit and watch it happen any more.

Well, maybe you can, but I cannot.

I believe these are the days my father feared. What kind of daughter am I if I just watch it all happen and stay silent? What kind of mother am I if I don’t learn all I can about our nation’s history, then teach my children, although grown, about it and make sure they stay politically aware? What kind of daughter of God am I if I don’t do all I can to preserve the Free Agency that He has blessed me with?

I just hope to be the one I am supposed to be.

Dad is the handsome one with the big smile in the bottom of the photo. This appeared in the magazine, PhotoPlay, when Ingrid Bergman went to visit the soldiers recovering in the hospital after the war.

~and, to clarify, I am not right wing....nor a loon, but I am conservative.

Good Times in Novice Gardening #5

Here is the latest... My veggies are growing! I have blossoms for squashes and tomatoes, peppers and strawberries. My lettuces are really doing well - the photo at the bottom shows the first "pickens". We had a deelish fresh salad for Sunday dinner last week for the first time consisting of various lettuces, some parsley and my FAVORITE - cilantro! Tasty!


Some of my seeds have not come up however - no carrot tops, etc. Not sure what I did wrong there... I will have to investigate. And, I have ANTS galore. I need to get rid of them - ideas? I am trying to be "organic" so I don't want to spray them. I haven't noticed any other pesky critters or pests as of yet.

Come on over and I'll fix ya a salad!

25 on the 25th!

It's early in the morning on May 25th as I write this post. Today is our 25th wedding anniversary. Today I have been married for longer than I was single. Today.... I am not with Hubby, though, because he had a stinkin' work emergency. But that's ok - we planned ahead and celebrated by taking a trip away together last weekend (I'll post about that, too). I can deal.

We have spent a great deal of time, individually and together, reflecting on the last 25 years of our lives together. My main thoughts are simple-how very blessed I feel to have a solid marriage rooted in love and in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the knowledge that marriage IS eternal. As I approach the "second half" - or more likely, the last third of my life, appreciation and longing for an eternal marriage with this man I love have deepened greatly.Although I may had already been introduced to Richard, I first really noticed him in a Testimony Meeting during Spring Semester at BYU in 1983. He had just been through a very challenging time - the rawness of the situation was reflected in his words and his tears. I knew that man had an unwavering testimony. I was deeply touched. I looked forward to seeing him in Sunday School where he immediately found ways to tease me and to make me laugh. More opportunities to laugh, share testimony, dance, and to play Midnight Frisbee came over the next few months and it gradually became very clear that he was the one for me! I always cringe (only because I feel embarrassed) a little when he publicly "waxes mushy" so I won't go into that too much more. However, as is traditional in the blogging world to make lists, would it not be tragic if I did not make a TOP 25 THINGS I LOVE about HUBBY on this great day of days??

I must comply. Here it is.

Top 25 Reasons to Love Richie

1. Honors the Priesthood of God, which he holds

2. Complete unselfishness

3. Vast gospel knowledge and understanding

4. Daily Bed Head – photo-worthy, actually

5. Sparkly blue eyes

6. Complete support to me in anything I attempt, ever

7. Dedication to me and to the kids

8. Love of little children

9. Deep love for the Savior

10. For not driving in neutral when I’m in the car

11. Lack of guile

12. SOO smart!

13. Cute ski nose

14. Silver Fox hair

15. Hobby is family

16. Desires to get better at home improvement – and he is!

17. Trusts in my decisions

18. NOT a clean freak (I didn’t used to like this….. I do now)

19. Only took 7 years to get garbage night right

20. King of being flexible

21. Always values my opinion

22. Lets me hog the remote

23. Sense of humor – there, I admitted it.

24. Taste in music – except for Joe Jackson

25. Constant, dedicated and unconditional love, every day, for all these years

Here's to 25 more, Rich!

A little Shoppers Etiquette

After a fascinating trip to run some “quick” errands, I feel it necessary to speak to the local townspeople and share a few pearls of etiquette – just in case they are reading.

~~We (the collective “we”, those “around” YOU. Yes, YOU) do NOT want to hear your loud and obnoxious answers on your cell phone to your friends/co-workers while you enter Lowes. Please let us along our way.

~~Although I am not a fashionista, I am pretty sure that really low –cut jeans with short shirts and voluminous “muffin tops” are no longer in style (ok, so I am questioning whether and why they EVER were). Please, girls – large and small – COVER yourselves. I don’t want to see your ample hiney while you lean over the bananas. I do not show you mine. Perhaps you should save a few dollars and buy some pants that actually fit. I’m just sayin’.

~~To the TWO ladies in TWO different cars on TWO different phones who blocked me in the parking spot because you were not paying attention. – GET OFF the PHONE!

~~It is acceptable etiquette to move your shopping cart to the SIDE of the aisle so that people can actually negotiate AROUND you while you read the labels. Great job for reading those labels – just please move aside.

~~When someone is at the end of an aisle, against the wall, where there is no place to turn around, you should perhaps consider not ENTERING it until they make their quick ice cream selection and move out. Ponder please.

I guess it could simply be that today, when we finally have some nice warm weather, that our citizens’ brain cells were slightly…..warped. And just not thinking??

Maybe it’s just me, but I think it is more than likely a lack of manners, civility, and thinking of those around us.

I can say that now….. I am almost 50 and will be earning the run-off-at-the-mouth-opinion license.

I will not be afraid to use it.

Modern Day Mod Podging

Saturday night was an interesting evening for me. Hubby had to go offer some service with his church calling, and I was going to be home alone - the night before Mother's Day. While many thoughts of "what will I do with myself all evening?", and "how will I survive Mother's Day being away from my kids?" were rolling through my head, I decided to do something constructive and find a project.

Now, just so ya know, I am not a good "project" person. I let fear of messing up get in my way. I don't like learning things the hard way - I like to get it right the first time. Sad, I know. That is one of the things Les teases me about - and she is right, I have to change.

I am working on that.

I was way behind in my Google Reader blog stalking - had many posts to read from my favorite decorators and creative people. I worked to catch up - and I got an idea! Of course, I didn't MARK the blog I found with this idea, and if any of you know what I am talking about, send me the link.

What I found was a blogger/creative person who took an
Ikea wood box similar to these:

She Mod Podged it with scrapbook paper and it turned out very cute! Well, like the one above, I have SEVERAL of those wood boxes. When I bought them I intended on painting them to match the decor in my bedroom and craft area. You guessed it - I NEVER did because.....I couldn't decide what colors to paint them and I couldn't RISK messing up.

I have never "Mod Podged". I did "decoupage" back in the.......70's. I never liked the look - I thought it looked pretty tacky, actually.

Here is a wonderful example of one that Hubby made in the 70s at Scouts or something:

EWW. 'Nuf said.

So, fast forward to now - I have seen a lot of "decoupaging" or Mod Podging goin' on in the blog world. I got me some and read the instructions - yea, very few words on the "how-to's". But I thought,

"How hard can it be??"

Hmm....got lots of bubbles:

So, something I did NOT have in the 70s was....the internet! I looked up directions which told me how to do it better. I should have 1) lightly sanded the wood, 2) used THIN layers of Mod Podge on the box and then on the back of the paper being applied, 3) rubbed it all very carefully and then let it dry, 4) sanded the edges of the paper lightly - to make the paper and the box become "one", and 5) put another light layer of Mod Podge over the top to seal it. When I did all of that,

it worked -most of the time.

I remembered I also had little Ikea knobs to go with these, so I painted them - unfortunately, I chose a color similar to wood. Who knew?

And becuase I am impatient, I didn't screw the knobs on -
I just used craft glue.

The finished product:

I gotta say - I LOVE how they turned out!!

Will I take another risk anytime soon?
Not sure - we'll have to wait a little while and see.