My House Debra

This has been a wonderful week for us here in the beautiful setting of Mueller Park Canyon. We have been experiencing what is called an inversion here in Bountiful this week... but up here where we live it has been mostly clear. The day before Thanksigiving found me baking pies and clearing off the back porch. It was clear and beautiful with a bit of a chill in the air... but sunny at the same time.
I just felt like singing and work was a joy to me.
Christian and I had gotten up the Christmas decorations on Monday so the house looks festive and bright. I always love the decorations the most at the very beginning of the season. As we take out each familiar item it awakens many beautiful memories of Christmases past and renews the speciual feeling that accompanies the birth of the Savior all over again.
Today Dad shared with us a beautiful thought from John Greenleaf Whittier:
"No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here."
I also shared a thought from President Monson's talk in the Ensign called "Finding Joy in the Journey". "Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives , as parallel realities. it is always our concious choice which secret garden we will tend... when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that is present - love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us happiness - the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth."
We shared a regular Thanksgiving feast: turkey and all the trimmings came together for us around 2:00 pm. We had enough food to feed so many more people, but it was enjoyed by the four of us/ Dad and I and Christian and Mom. We also played a game of Quiddler and shared in watching a fun show called "Cheaper by the Dozen". It has been a wonderful day!!
Dad and I are so very grateful for all of our many blessings. We love you children and thank you for the gift you gave us in celebration of our 30th Wedding Anniversary. We are truly trying to "enjoy the journey" as we go. We are going off to be together for Friday and Saturday. We will be staying at a Bed and Breakfast in Midvale. Other than that we will be doing the spontaneous. Life is good and the best part of our lives is our dear family and the wonderful Gospel that we have been so blessed to receive. Hope you all had a wonderful day as well.
Love Mom

Life has a way of shifting, turning and like a child twirling in circles sometimes you feel as though you are dizzy with the changes. That is how it has been for me the last few months. So much is passing so quickly before my eyes that I can't seem to hold onto the minutes, the hours or the days. It is quite a blur.
As the earth has shifted under my feet and I have tried to catch myself and keep standing upright, I have actually been amazed at the stillness of my soul. I have felt like crying at times but I haven't. I know that "all is well" and that cheerfulness is the best medicine for our times. I shiver to think what will happen as our Country moves further and further away from it's strength in unity. Memories of childhood in starting each day with the pledge, sitting on the back of a band wagon to celebrate the 4th of July; tears rolling down my cheeks in singing the National Anthem: all seem like beautiful memories but far away as though it all happened in distant time.
As I look out my kitchen window into the blaze of color all around me, I rejoice in knowing that seasons constantly change and that the only constant in life is change itself. The twirling will continue; winter will come but Renaisance will come forth as the world awakens to Spring.

“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree” Emily Bronte

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus

“But I remember more dearly autumn afternoons in bottoms that lay intensely silent under old great trees” C.S. Lewis

There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!”
Percy Bysshe Shelley

“I trust in nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility. Spring shall plant and autumn garner to the end of time.” Robert Browning

Fall is perhaps my favorite time of year. I love this season with all of it's color, textures and smells. I have been making pumpkin pies, muffins, and enjoying the flavors of the season as well. It all seems to get me in the mood for Thankdsgiving and Christmas.


On the Street Where We Live


Outside my kitchen window.


A Beautiful Fall Day

The girls were so cute!! They left a special Thank You Note on the bed for me after their stay. They were a lot of fun !


Standing up for the Church amidst all the hacklers!



Mary and Tony and the girls, as well as Mark and Gretchen were here to enjoy Conference with us. (We didn't get any pictures of Mark and Gretchen) We had a wonderful time with them!

Mom spent about a week with me in September after she hurt her back. She was so drugged up that we were afraid to have her stay alone at her home. Marsha came up to help out with things and Franklin was here part of the time to be here for work. We had a good time. Mom was a bit bowed over, but enjoyed many a round of Quiddler. She enjoyed the attention and we enjoyed being together. It is rare that Marsha is able to spend any time with us.

I feel like a stranger to my own Blog, but I am going to be back at it again soon!! I went to put some pictures on the Blog tonight only to find out that my camera was low on batteries and it won't download until the battery gets recharged. So as you can see I am floundering a bit. I'll keep trying. Grandma's get a few handicaps in their efforts to stay up to date with a challenging techno world. I am even realizing that I have to be much more technology savvy to do my family history work as well. Thank Goodness tomorrow is another day!!

So how many of you received my little card that I sent to you today? I will be waiting to receive a comment or two. If not I am just happy to know that I had a really fun time doing it. Love you all lots and lots, Mom

Yesterday we had our first forum meeting and we had a wonderful time watching a special presentation of Patriots and Petticoats. This little play depicted the lives of some of the great women of the revolutionary period. Their brave and heroic deeds reminded all of us of the strength and power that women have and encouraged us to do our part in this time in which we live to stand up for what is right and fight the battle for freedom.
Jaynann Payne and her daughter Nancy Herrera played the parts of Abigail Adams and Mary Katherine Goddard,( who published the first copy of the Declaration of Independence) They did a wonderful job! We all came away feeling closer to our national heritage as American Women and with a greater desire to use our abilities more affectively in promoting what is good in this great land.
We also had some of the women of the forum participate in giving us some inportant information to help us stay on top of events in our state and country that need our attention.
I hope all of my children will do all you can to support the protection of marriage in California and in Az. where it will come up for the vote of the people in November. Now is the time to let your light shine and stand up for what is right. Here is a link to the blog so you can see our presenters.
http://www.unitedwomensforum.blogspot.com/

Just wanting to catch you up to date with me. Life is good. I am enjoying getting back into my teaching which started this week. I have been doing a cleanse to see if I can improve my health and I am enjoying the wonderful Indian Summer that we are having now. I am anxious for some reason to take on a creative project so I have been thinking about something fun to do. I will let you know later what it is I come up with. Here is a beautiful thought for the day from our dear President Monson......
"In moments when the light of resolution dims and when the heart grows faint, we can take comfort from His promise: "Be not weary in well-doing. . Out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Finding Peace", Ensign, Mar. 2004, 3

"There is a great difference in believing or knowing that there is a God and in knowing God. When we claim that we know God,...there is great responsibility to respect and love and follow his counsel and his doctrines and his commandments and to grow as a child to become more godlike."
Bernard P. Brockbank