The Birthday Boy...Errr...Old Man...

Saturday, May 3rd was Derby Day.  But the real excitement for me was it was my father's 86th birthday. That is a landmark. 

I started my day by posting these pictures I had on my computer of Papa's life. I wanted his family to see these and remember a bit.  Papa is not on Facebook so he only saw them because I shared them with him.

This first picture was taken in 1948.  Papa was a lineman for the telephone company before he met and married Mimi. He kept his spikes in the garage for years after he did this work. I remember those spikes hanging there. 

This picture is my parents right after they were married in 1949. This is Papa's favorite picture of them and we have it hanging in his living room so he can see it all the time.

I have no idea when this picture was taken. I can tell by the background that it was taken at the farm where Mimi's parents lived in Starks, Louisiana. Papa is holding a gar, which is a fish, he caught.  The garage has an old truck in it. The fencing was the corral where a mule was located and a very huge bull. 

This picture I remember enjoying as a child. Again, no idea when it was taken but I always loved that my parents were so happy in it and enjoying one of those 'return-to-your-youth' moments.

This is my father holding me as a baby in 1951.  I was born in July 1950 so I wouldn't be more than a year old. I am thinking it might have been taken on their trip to the temple to be sealed.

Papa loves his family. His has nailed to his living room wall a piece of sheet rock which he uses as a bulletin board.  On this bulletin board he has thumb tacked pictures of all his family. He derives a huge amount of pleasure out of looking at his family. These next pictures are of him with a few of his grandchildren. All the pictures were taken in Shreveport, Louisiana. The grandchildren are Nissa (my oldest child), then Kim, Kristi & Dan (Junie's children).  There are actually two pictures of Kristi. In the second one of Kristi and Papa she is putting his hair in pigtails.  Papa loved to let us kids comb his hair.  I do not believe all that combing is what made him bald on top though.  As of this writing Papa has 14 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren with two more on the way. 

 

 

 

 

I like this picture. Papa is holding his new ball glove. He would be listening to music on that nifty stereo behind him.  Very high tech for its day. That music would have been one of three kinds: classical, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or country music. The picture also reminds me of Papa watching a football game on television while listening to one on the radio and another one on another radio all the while appearing to be asleep. When all games were done, he could tell you exactly what happened in each. I never was able to wrap my mind around that ability. He loved watching football though. The glove helps me remember that he coached us girls in the Baptist girls softball league because he wanted us to have that opportunity. We had a nice team of girls from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Baptist League. Junie was the pitcher and I was the catcher. Papa also refereed for SPAR (Shreveport Parks and Recreation) after us girls were gone to earn extra money. The ugly scars on his shins are proof of the balls that hit his poor legs that have very bad circulation. Mom made his ref uniforms some of the time. Those are just a few of the memories this picture brings to mind.

Papa's siblings:  Herman Harold (I call him Uncle Harold and Papa calls him Herman), Vernon Lawrence (Papa), Wendall (Uncle Salty) and Uncle Marvin. Aunt Vera is in front. Papa calls her Sis. All are deceased except Papa. He was a late-in-life baby.

My parents loved to square dance.  Mimi made their square dance outfits.  Papa learned how to call a square dance. I remember being a little girl and going to some place in DeRidder, Louisiana that was like a large conference room with a stage at one end and playing around the edges while Mimi and Papa and lots of other people in squares around the room danced.  I loved square dancing myself and totally enjoyed a rainy day in elementary school when our teacher would moved the desks back from the back of the room and we would square dance our recess time away.

Claude and I lived in Denver, Colorado for 8 1/2 years.  At one point Junie, who was married to Steve and they had Kristi, came to visit at the same time Papa and Mimi came with Neffie.  We spent a day in the mountains having a picnic. Left to right:  Junie, Papa, Neffie, Mimi and Sandi. Not a bad looking lot. 

It is no secret to anyone that Papa loves music.  Only certain kinds of music and he is vehemently opposed to others. The first picture is Papa playing his guitar and singing at a church social.  The second was taken at Signature Health Care, the nursing home Mimi was in.  Please note he played the guitar and the harmonica at the same time and then would sing while playing the guitar.  Papa had a band when we lived in DeRidder, Louisiana and they did a radio program each week. Many is the night we had the jam sessions to practice in our home. Papa ran the Keithville Jamboree after the Louisiana Hayride closed down. He had other bands after we moved to Shreveport.  Today his has the back room in his apartment as a music room. He has given away a few of his guitars and harmonicas to grandchildren and children.  But he still has several to play at his leisure as well as a fiddle and mandolin.  I sang with him at the nursing home but we now just play DVD's of old country music. 

Papa had dogs as a child but they were outside dogs and used to hunt for food for the table. He loved those dogs though. When we were kids, he raised beagles to sell as hunting dogs. The first picture is Papa with King of Carrol, a registered beagle and father of the beagle puppies Papa raised. I remember him having a rabbit skin tied to a string tied to a fishing pole.  He would go out in the morning dew and drag that rabbit skin over the grass in the back yard. Then he would let the beagle puppies out to track the rabbit scent. We had a big English Shepherd named Ben Patch-eye when I was a child in Shreveport. He was such a gentle dog but fiercely protective of us girls. He was also an outside dog. Then one day while Papa was on the road driving long-haul moving vans, Mimi brought home a Toy Manchester puppy and we had an inside dog from that point forward.  Papa came home from his run and never said a word. He just knew that with a wife and three daughters who had fallen in love with Priscilla Mantha-Maybelle, he would just learn about having inside dogs. After Prissy passed, Papa got Mimi this little toy poodle named Bitsy. That is Bitsy as a puppy in Papa's pocket.  It would be followed by Benji, another toy poodle in the creamy colored version. Today it is Tiny who is Papa's faithful companion. This picture was taken in Shreveport, Louisiana.

My parents moved to Kentucky a year after Claude and I retired to Kentucky. Mom had Alzheimer's and was at a point where Papa needed help caring for her.  This was taken after she was moved to a nursing home.  But she was still ambulatory and we brought her out to the house as least once a week. I would cut her hair and style it for her. We would have a nice meal together. Mom would roam the main level and move things around. This was Papa dancing with her again. She could remember how to do that.  Tiny is watching them. This picture was taken in our home in Sadieville, Kentucky. Tender moments. Treasured time together.

This picture is Papa napping on my sofa. This is his spot because he can stretch out and give that bad arthritis in his back a rest. Tiny sitting right beside him is so typical. 

I talked with Papa before his birthday. I asked him what he would like for a meal, dinner at our home or a trip to his favorite Mexican restaurant.  He chose the Mexican restaurant.  I choose not to be offended by that.  I like their shrimp quesadilla and am quite happy to dine there.  I also asked Papa what he would like for a birthday cake, chocolate or lemon.  I knew he likes both and thought he should get to choose.  He chose lemon.  Since he drinks one chocolate Slim Fast each day, he thought he would rather have the taste of lemon. He particularly likes a lemon bundt cake from Kroger.  Bless his heart, I didn't have to bake, I just purchased from Kroger.

Papa enjoyed his meal very much.  I mentioned to our server that it was Papa's 86th birthday. After we finished eating, he brought Papa and great looking dessert...and the perfect hat to match the occasion.

After enjoying dinner, we headed to Papa's apartment for a piece of lemon cake. I left two more pieces for Papa to enjoy over the next two days.  With the Dr. Pepper at lunch, the Mexican dessert provided by Camino Grande and lemon cake from me, this was a major deviation from his no-sugar diet with his diabetes.  But you only have an 86th birthday once and living that long you should have some pleasurable experiences.  Just don't tell Dr. Weckman!!  Now we'll behave on the diet.

We gave Papa the biography of Pres. Thomas S. Monson for his birthday.  He was very happy.  It was a good day for Papa.

The 'Eyes' Have It...

Claude lost his glasses several weeks ago. He got home late in the evening from meetings in Lexington and simply could not find them. He searched his Jeep, his pockets, the house and they were no where to be found. He called the gas station where he filled the Jeep with gas on his way home to see if anyone turned them in, no luck. He called the hotel were the meeting took place. They told him any lost items would go to housekeeping and they would not be back until the next day. He left his name and phone number with the gas station and the hotel. It was still really bothering him so he drove to the gas station and the hotel, talked with attendants and retraced his steps, made sure they had his name and phone number and came home empty handed.

The glass half full part of this is that Claude had been talking about getting another eye exam. The last time we had this done was about three years ago and he felt it was time. So, while we were both in Georgetown together one day, we went to the new eye doctor in town and made appointments at the same time to get our eyes checked.

Thursday, May 1st Claude had his appointment at 10:45 and mine was at 11am.  There is a tech that does the preliminary work, then you see the actual doctor.  Claude got to the doctor part first.  I was told I should go in the room where the doctor was checking Claude and wait.

The doctor had a big contraption in front of Claude's face and was twisting knobs and asking which looked best of each tiny change. The coolest part was when they did a magnified look at each of Claude's eyes. The eyelashes look huge, all the veins in the eye show up, it was just interesting for me to see that on a monitor. 

Then it was my turn to see the doctor. Claude sat and watched my visit with the eye doctor. He started out by asking me if I wanted glasses today.  I just looked the man straight in the eye (no pun intended) and said, "Your task today is to tell me I can still use just my readers. I do not want eye glasses.  I just want my readers.  That is what you are to do for me today."  He grinned from ear to ear. Then he started his exam of my eyes with the big contraption (Don't you love my use of technical eye doctor language?).

Turns out my eyes have excellent pressure in them, I have a few floaters which is normal, and my vision is the same in both eyes so I can keep using just my readers and not buy expensive glasses.  I love this as I can keep readers in lots of locations and replace them as needed.  The doctor did just what I asked.  Yeah!!

Claude on the other hand had to get new glasses as his prescription changed.  Not so inexpensive for the Big Guy. 

Claude never heard anything from the gas station or the hotel.  Getting old leads to some pretty interesting dates for us!!

Time with the Little Man in My Life...

While I wish circumstances in life were such that my daughters did not have to work and could be home with their children, I am grateful for the opportunities it affords me to be 'Gramma Field Trip Helper'. It is a lot of fun to be with the Mini's on their field trips.  This time it was Hayden's field trip.  All the 3rd graders were headed to Riverside: Farnsley-Moorman Landing outside of Louisville. 

Claude and I had Family History Center on Tuesday, April 29th.  After finishing there, we enjoyed dinner together at Red Lobster. Then I headed to LaGrange and Claude headed to Sadieville.  There were nasty thunderstorms around but I managed to get there without any of them hitting my path. There was flooding of the creek by our home when I left Eagle Bend at 9am. You couldn't tell where the little dam was for the water running over it. But by the time I took the back roads to LaGrange the creeks there were back in their path and not flooded. Hayden was to have had his running class but it was canceled because the thunder, lightening and rain hit right before it was time for the class to begin. We would enjoy a family time inside.

Wednesday, April 30th, was the field trip. Michael took the Mini's to school. I got ready and headed across country via 'The Snyder' to the Riverside: Farnsley-Moorman Landing. This is an old plantation with a brick home made by Farnsley and owned lastly by the Moorman family. It is located on the banks of the Ohio River between Kentucky and Indiana. The kids were divided into three groups to rotate through the three areas of focus for this field trip.

The kids all met in a multi-purpose room in the Visitor's Center. Here is Hayden in the green t-shirt waving at me.

The rules for the day were explained to the kids in this room.  They were told the three areas of focus for their visit would be a tour of the brick home, making a brick to take home (since the home is made of homemade bricks this is a very appropriate craft) and then participate in an archaeological dig on the property.

Hayden's group was to start with the brick making craft.  Unlike Bailey's field trip, I was not assigned a certain number of kids to shepherd. This was great because I got to be right close to Hayden and give him hugs as needed. 

The guide took the kids to the lobby of the Visitor's Center first and showed them a diagram of the layout of Farnsley-Moorman Landing, explained what they know of the history so far, and point out some artifacts found during their archaeological digs.  

Then the kids headed outdoors to a huge pavilion with a brick fireplace in the center and a small building located beside this pavilion. In front of the building were rows of tables on which the kids would work. By now it was cooler under the roof in the shade with a breeze. Andie had given me a jacket for Hayden 'just in case'. Hayden was sure happy to put it on.  The kids were given instructions and history about bricks at this location. Then they each had a ball of clay given to them and they set to kneading that clay and getting it ready to put in a small jewelry box which served as a brick mold. Once the mold was filled with their clay, their teacher cut the mounded top part off and the kids set to work writing on their brick with a toothpick. The only thing they were required to write was the date.

 

Okay, that is it for the pictures.  There are more, however, they are on my camera which I left at Andie's. These I took with my cell phone.

After the brick making, we toured the brick home.  Hayden was surprised.  As the class had talked about their field trip and the probability they would tour an old home, Hayden's mental picture was of a log cabin type home. 

When we exited the home, we were taken to a white frame building behind the house. This is built over the spot where the kitchen building was located and built as close as they can to what they have learned it would have been like. As the kids started to exit this building, Hayden noticed a place in the floor that looked like a door. He asked if they could open it and go down there.  The guide assured him that was not a good idea.  I admired his attention to things around him and his willingness to ask the question about seeing what was in there.

Lunch was at big picnic tables under the trees.  Andie packed a lunch for Hayden and one for me and I had carried it in the back pack Andie prepared for us. He and I enjoyed our lunch tremendously.  I think being out in all that fresh air helped us work up an appetite.  Hayden commented this was the best lunch ever. Then he qualified it by saying, "Except Monday."  I asked him about Monday's lunch and he explained it was a chuck wagon lunch.  When it is Derby Day time, they have chuck wagon lunches and the kids love them. 

After lunch Hayden's group would do their archaeological dig.  The park service people know there were many additional buildings on the grounds.  The digs are on the grounds looking for artifacts and locating the layout of these buildings.  Hayden's group was given instructions on artifacts, digging in units, etc. Then the group was divided into three smaller groups to go to three locations to do their dig. At each of these three locations, a guide would split these three smaller groups in half.  One half would actually dig in a unit and fill a bucket with dirt from that unit. The other half would go to a screen, put on a big glove and help the dirt go through the screen to the ground below, leaving any little artifacts for the kids to give to the guide.  It was great fun.

It was a little cooler under the trees with the breeze.  Even with Hayden's jacket he was still cold. I had taken my jacket off so I gave it to him.  He now had his jacket with the hood outside and of my jacket and my jacket sleeves rolled up a bit. My jacket was purchased large for me so I could wear it with a sweat shirt.  On Hayden it was way down his legs. He snapped it all the way up the front.  My he was a cute picture (which is on my camera!).

Our kids finished and really had to hustle to get to the bus to head back to school. It was about an hour drive for me and I am sure the buses were slower.  We only had an hour to get to the school so the kids could catch their rides home.

I met the Mini's at the bus stop.  We walked back to the house and enjoyed some of Andie's homemade Banana-Nutella bread. A little down time and then we got some homework done. Andie got home and after a very short bit of time, she and Bailey were off to a doctor's appointment.  Hayden and I finished homework and then headed to the basement so he could show me his new Wii game.  Hayden and I also read a complete book before Andie and Bailey returned. 

I treated everyone to dinner at Dairy Queen.  It has become our tradition.  Then I returned to Sadieville and Andie and the Mini's headed home.

Totally enjoyed being with Hayden for the day and learning about a neat historic site. Being a Gramma is the best!!

Time Out For Women - Saturday

Awoke early Saturday morning and headed back to Covington, Kentucky from Sadieville. This time Iz (Israel Kamakawiwo-ole) was my musical companion.  I was back in Hawaii for an hour to begin my day and it was so relaxing.

I found our ladies again and took my seat for a great morning.

Hilary Weeks would be the performer of excellent music Saturday.  She sings Christian music and is amazing. Throughout the day she would treat us to her 10 favorite songs (She says they change from time to time but for that weekend these would be her 10 favorite songs.)  Here are a few comments made by Hilary throughout the day:

• Let your dreams be bigger than your fears.
• Quoting R.W. Emerson: "It's not the length of the life but the depth.
• Music is what feelings sound like.

The first speaker was Whitney Johnson.  Her talk was titled "The Kingdom of Heaven is Within".  Here are a few thoughts from her talk:

• We are on a hero's journey.
• What you loved as a child is a clue to your dreams.
• Date your dreams...

Chris Williams was the second speaker.  He and his family were hit by a teenager who was drunk. The wreck killed his wife and two of his four children.  His story is one of forgiveness and healing. His talk was titled "Steps for Peacefully Overcoming Anything". His seeking out the teen who was the cause of this tragedy and frankly forgiving him and encouraging him to not let this horror make his life another tragedy. His forgiveness of this young man was so complete that he attended the young man's wedding and is friends with him. Chris and his two living sons moved on with their lives. Eventually Chris remarried a wonderful woman whose husband died of cancer. She had two children. She and Chris have since had two more children.  These are thoughts from his talk:

• He heard three words that clarified for him how he was to handle his grief. Those words were "Let it go."  His council was to trust in Christ. That is where the peace will come from.
• His three daily commitments to maintain an eternal perspective are:
  1)  Remember the words his wife used to say to him, "Buck up Charlie!"
  2)  Look up - Realize we do have a Savior.
  3) Serve other - Do not be wrapped in our own problems.

Our third speaker was Laurel Day. She works for Deseret Book.  At the age of 40 she finally met the man that would be her eternal companion. The title of her talk was "His Way, His Truth, Your Life". Here are a few thoughts from her talk:

• Steel gets strongest by the right combination of hot and cold temperatures.
• We get strong through trials and good times. Neil Maxwell called this 'customized curriculum'.
• Some experiences are just part of mortality. Others are given to us.
• We would scorn ourselves to ask so little of a God who would give so much.
• God places desire for things he has for us.
• Make it enough. What needs to be enough for me today?

It was time for lunch. We had 1 hour and 20 minutes for lunch.  Again, I went my own direction for that much needed time to reflect and center myself.  This time I walked down Madison street toward downtown Covington. I walked to 8th Street, crossed the street and came back toward the Convention Center.  This allowed me a chance to see if I found a place to purchase a little lunch. If not, I would enjoy a walk on a beautiful spring day outside.  I did note a little cafe and that is where I enjoyed a chef salad for lunch.

During this walk I passed a building called Children Inc.  It had a sign in the window indicating it was part of a United Way program.  The thing that caught my eye was the beautiful statues of children at play all around this corner building. Here are the pictures of these statues:

 

 

 

Nestled back at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, I was now ready for the afternoon speakers.  Hilary started us off with more great music and set a good tone for learning. 

Our fourth speaker was Wendy Ulrich. Wendy is a psychologist by profession. Her talk was titled "Hope, a Gift and a Need".  Here are some thoughts she shared:

• Susan Boyle achieved success without winning the contest.
• False hope is something impossible that we cling to. It denies the Plan.
• Miracles do not always come without pain.

The concluding speaker was Emily Watts. Emily is a lover of words. She is an editor at Deseret Book. Her talk was titled "The Light at the End of the Mom Tunnel". 

• I may one day be geriatric-ly as I was once pediatric-ly. 
• If you remember why you are doing what you are doing, the doing becomes a lot less tedious.
• Give children questions and resources more often than answers. It teaches them to think about it and to discover things on their own.

With another song from Hilary Weeks, we were finished with the 2014 Time Out for Women. It was a great use of my precious time. I truly appreciated having some time to myself and time to be with other women. It was healing and filling. I would definitely go again.

Here are some of the ladies from the Georgetown, Kentucky Ward (congregation) with whom I enjoyed Time Out For Women.

Back Row:  Eliza Fairbanks, Vicki Parret, Billie Mussman, Sandi Christensen, Amber Marcum, Amy Coyne, Shayanne Charles, Nicole Charles.
Front Row:  Heather Zwygart, Amanda Johnson, Summer Dudley.

Time Out For Women...Friday

I have always wanted to attend Time Out for Women.  Never been able to because of scheduling conflicts. In 2013 I received the notice with the dates and locations for the 2014 schedule of Time Out For Women. There would be one in Cincinnati Friday, April 25th, and Saturday, April 26th. I checked my calendar and had those dates free.  I headed upstairs and told my dear hubby, who had been trying diligently to find a gift for me, that a ticket to Time Out For Women would make a wonderful Christmas gift.  For Christmas,  he ordered my ticket and gave me the printed ticket with a promise for a hotel room if I so chose to stay overnight.

At one point I thought Neffie's trip to Kentucky might coincide and we might be able to go together.  That turned out not to be the case with the timing of her trip.

There were many ladies from our ward going.  Amber Marcum set up a website to share the plans and updates.  They would get hotel rooms and stay together.

I personally needed to have some time to myself during this event. I wanted some time with the other ladies but needed some space to just reflect and get myself grounded again. So I opted out of staying overnight with the other ladies.

Friday, April 25th, I spent the morning shopping and cleaning and visiting with Papa. Then I headed back to Sadieville and made sure all my ducks were in a row before driving to Cincinnati. It was a good drive with the worst traffic being the last few miles. I anticipated that and it was not an issue. I had plenty of time to be stuck in traffic.

I located a nice open parking lot across the street from the Northern Kentucky Convention Center where the event would be held. I had over an hour before the doors opened.  I locked my car and asked the parking lot attendant if I walked the block to the Ohio River would I find a park or some benches from which to enjoy the river.  He had no idea what was a block away.  So I ventured forth to see what I could see.

I walked the block between the Marriott and the Embassy Suites and found the Ohio River.  I also found a wall of murals depicting the history of Covington, KY along the base of the Embassy Suites.  The Ohio River has several bridges across it that can be seen from this location.  However, the Roebling Suspension Bridge is the one right at the end of the Embassy Suites. It was gorgeous.

I set to stroll along this wall of murals to take pictures while turning every so often to take pictures of different views of the Cincinnati skyline and the Roebling Suspension Bridge.  

While taking pictures a little elderly man walked up to me and said, "Do you know about these murals?"  I told him I was reading the signs and taking pictures of them so I could label my pictures correctly.  He then made himself my official guide.  I felt like I brought Papa along.  He was extremely knowledgeable.  He has lived his life in Mainstrasse and knows and has lived all this history. His unofficial title is "Keeper of the Murals" as he says the locals call him.  He daily comes to check them out, has run off vandals, feeds the local ducks, geese, chipmunks, etc. He told me details I would have never learned about many of the murals just by looking at them and reading the plaques. He was a delightful guide.

Here are a few pictures of the Cincinnati skyline and Roebling Suspension Bridge.  The last picture is the pedestrian walkway.  There is one on each side of this bridge.

 

 

 

 

These are pictures of a few of the murals.

If you look between the left two white column-like objects you will find a black clock on a lamp post stand.  My guide told me the artist originally left that clock out of the picture. When my guide saw that detail was missing, he went to the artist and assured him he left out a most important historical piece from the painting. The artist went back and painted the clock into the mural.

This baseball team lost the race with the Cincinnati Reds to be the local team to win national acclaim.  They were the Covington Blue Socks.  My guide knew many of the players and shared their life stories as he pointed them out in the painting.

I just love this mural of a lot of the churches located in Covington, Kentucky. According to my guide, some of them you can tour.

This is a neat bridge made out of pontoons over the Ohio River. I'm not sure where it fits historically, just think it is a cool thing. The year was 1862 though.

Kentucky used to have herds of buffalo. This is a beautiful mural of the buffalo crossing the river. 

In 1937 there was a huge flood. The only crossing of the Ohio River within a hundred mile range was the Roebling bridge at Covington to Cincinnati.

This mural pays tribute 1922 and Daniel C. Beard who founded the Boy Scouts of America.

It was getting closer to time for me to get in the line to enter the convention center.  I told my guide goodbye and started up the stairs to get to the front of the Embassy Suites.  

My cute little old guide called out to me.  I turned around and looked down the steps at him. He said, "They also call me the candy guy because I buy these candies, flatten them out and give them to the chipmunks." The candy was the caramel with a powdered sugar center.  I love these candies.  Then this sweet little old man gave me a candy. I thanked him profusely for his wisdom and tour and time spent with me. Then I headed to the convention center to get in line.

I found the ladies from our ward (congregation) and went to sit with them. I put my hand in my sweater pocket and found the piece of candy from my little old guide.  I looked at it an chuckled.  My mother told me never to take candy from strangers.  While he seemed perfectly harmless and I had really enjoyed his company and learned so much, I still was not sure about eating that piece of candy. It was a cute moment for me. I eventually tossed the candy, just in case.

The theme for this Time Out for Women was "Inevitable Light".  

The quote from which this theme was taken was by Elder Lawrence C. Corbridge and can be found in the September 2011 Ensign for the article "Valiant in the Testimony of Jesus Christ".  Here is the quote:

     "For those of us who feel wanting when it comes to talents and gifts, it is encouraging to know that his invitation is not to dazzle others with who we are or what we know. Rather, our light is the Light of the World reflected in us as we simply strive to do as He did. That's it. The Lord tells us to follow Him and not be ashamed or unwilling to stand out. Do not be ashamed to hold up His light. Do not be afraid to shine. Do not worry about the outcome. Your light, which is His light, will shine, and whether or not you choose it or want it, you will be a city set on a hill. Your light will shine as an inevitable consequence of faithfully choosing to follow the Lord whatever the cost."

The music Friday evening was performed by Jenny Oaks Baker, a violinist.  She was absolutely amazing. She is a Grammy nominated classical violist.  She would perform 9 numbers throughout the evening. Everyone was simply amazing. I kept thinking of our Katelyn and her goal to play the violin. She would have loved the opportunity to listen to this beautiful music.  Jenny told us how she wanted to make a difference in the world. One day she had one of those ah-ha moments and realized, "If I couldn't do my visiting teaching, why would the world trust me with the world."

There were two speakers Friday evening. The first was Heidi Swinton.  Heidi is the author of the biography of Pres. Thomas S. Monson.  I purchased her book for a birthday present for Papa's 86th birthday.  She began her talk with the Parable of the 10 Virgins and used that parable throughout her talk.  A couple of thoughts from her talk were:

• When we act on truth we are changed.
• The work of the Lord is done one heart to another, one life to another.
• From Alma in the Book of Mormon - "Can you feel so now?"
• From Mary in the New Testament - "Be it unto me according to thy word."  (My thoughts went also to the Savior in Gethsemane who petitioned his Father, "If thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done."  I love that doctrine of submission to the Father's will and the rich blessings, even through trials, that will come from that submission.)

The second speaker was Elaine Dalton who served as General Young Women's president from 2008 until 2013. She shared the experience of being set apart for this important calling by Pres. Thomas S. Monson.  In that blessing he promised her that she would see the Young Women the way the Lord sees them. After being released she has been blessed that this particular part of her blessing has remained.  Here are a few thoughts from Elaine Dalton's remarks:

• We are each different.  He didn't want us to be the same.
• In the 'war in heaven' our weapons were our words, our testimonies. We voted for The Plan. Today on earth we face the greatest opportunities and the greatest opposition. Our tools are the same, our words, our testimonies.  We do the same thing. We vote for The Plan.
• Elaine notes that we are very concerned as a society about the purity of air, water and food. Yet we are not so concerned about the moral pollution in our society.
• Elaine Dalton quote:  "One virtuous woman, let by the Spirit, can change the world."

I left this Friday session feeling uplifted and enthusiastic for what Saturday would bring.  I drove back to Sadieville with the Merry Ploughboys playing in my CD player.  I was back in Ireland and could see the beauty of that country and feeling its loving friendship again.  

Friday was a great day!!  My personal cup was being filled again.