Let's Try Yesterday Again

OK.  If I had known yesterday what I know today, I would have posted this yesterday.  But I didn't know yesterday where to find what I know today, so I'm posting it today instead.  Many thanks to my fantastic SIL for the guidance! :-)

Monday, I had a bad day.  It was just hard.  Tuesday was much the same (if not worse, for the first half of the day).  I think I would have been distressed about it, except that I remembered reading this by Boyd K. Packer, from his April 1978 talk called "Solving Emotional Problems in the Lord's Own Way".  Just thinking about it made me feel better.  (So did a good nights' sleep, by the way.)

"It was meant to be that life would be a challenge. To suffer some anxiety, some depression, some disappointment, even some failure is normal.

Teach our members that if they have a good, miserable day once in a while, or several in a row, to stand steady and face them. Things will straighten out. [Yes, I added the bolding.]

There is great purpose in our struggle in life.

There is great meaning in these words entitled “The Lesson.”

Yes, my fretting,

Frowning child,

I could cross

The room to you

More easily.

But I’ve already

Learned to walk,

So I make you

Come to me.

Let go now

There!

You see?

Oh, remember

This simple lesson,

Child,

And when

In later years

You cry out

With tight fists

And tears

“Oh, help me,

God—please.”

Just listen

And you’ll hear

A silent voice:

“I would, child,

I would.

But it’s you,

Not I,

Who needs to try

Godhood.”

(Carol Lynn Pearson, “The Lesson,” Beginnings, New York: Doubleday and Co., 1975, p. 18)"

And that, my friends, is what makes me grateful for the good days that follow the bad, the lessons learned from opposition, church leaders who tell you it's ok if you aren't smiling all the time, and loved ones who help you find the things you remember reading (but can't remember where)!

On Having Bad Days

I remember reading somewhere by a General Authority (a very authoritative reference, I know; keep reading) something along the lines of the following:

It's ok to have a bad day every once in a while.  It's even ok to have two or three in a row.  But ...

and that's the part I can't remember.  Along with the all-important "who-said-it" part.

Does anyone out there know to what I'm referring?

Friday Fun

Guess who bought a vacuum?  Guess who also was slightly disgusted by the amount of dust, dirt, and hair said vacuum unearthed from her rugs...? I was right.  My house is dirty - no matter what all the people say who compliment its cleanliness.  But not for long!  I'm on a spring-cleaning-anti-dirt kick!

In other news...

Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful, so we'll get back to work on the yard.  Perhaps this time we'll make more noticeable progress.  One can always hope. ...

I saw an incredibly large and ugly ant today, that would have been much less large & ugly if it weren't on my desk.  It was very persistent in wanting to be involved in what we were working on until we chased it away. Four times.  (I'm too (kind-hearted? respectful? grossed out by crunching exoskeletons? something!) to actually kill it.) ...

I finally put away the clean laundry. ...

Yep, it's been pretty boring around here lately.

:-)

Happy Mother's Day

To all the women who bring joy into my life: I bought you all flowers. (If you were here I would share them in person.  Since you're not, I am sharing with pictures.)



From the side...

And a top view!

Enjoy.

Tiny Update

I clipped all the little white flowers off the lily of the valley plants in my front yard today and brought them inside. They are now crammed into a tiny vase, sort of skeewompus-like, on my dining room table.  But, oh, they smell heavenly!

The weekend has come (why does it have to rain on Saturday???) and I have a million things to do, but I am content.

On Sunday, I am teaching about the Holy Ghost. It has been interesting to prepare for the lesson.  Mostly, it gives me cause to ponder all the ways the Holy Ghost has influenced my life.  It's probably easier to enumerate the ways it hasn't. (None. Done.) In so doing, I am awed by this supernal gift that our Father has seen fit to give His children. The presence, influence, and testimony of a member of the Godhead in our lives always - as long as we are worthy. Nothing compares. Nothing. 

What roles does the Holy Ghost have in your life?

On Life

My house is full of half-done projects.  Laundry stands piled up in the bedroom, waiting to be washed.  Other laundry piles up in the other bedroom, waiting to be folded.  The dishes are half done.  The garbage is taken out, but the recycles are waiting.  We spent 2 hours out in the front yard, transplanting less than half the lilies of the valley, digging out the first of two terrible bushes, and getting bitten by mosquitoes.  I hope the mosquitoes are half gone, but that might be hoping too much.

But I feel satisfied that things are moving - even if not as quickly as I'd like... they are still moving.

And I am boiling water.

An Extra Lesson for Sunday

A few years ago, our Stake Presidency said "Get your water storage - if not a year's worth, at least 2 weeks' worth."

I thought to myself, It seems obnoxious when you move regularly, but I'll do it so I can be obedient. And I did. Then, for almost 3 years, I had 15 gallons of bottled water in my storage room, none of which I used... and some of which leaked, and then had to be replaced.  Sometimes I wondered why I bothered.  But I did it.

Yesterday, a water main broke and we no longer have potable water.  We are to boil any tap water we expect to ingest... drink bottled water... sanitize our dishwater with bleach before washing dishes... etc.  When I heard about this, I thought two things.  First, I'm glad I have water storage! and second, Yay! I have a good reason to avoid doing my laundry or the dishes tonight.  Now, it turns out, it might be longer than a day or two before the water line is fixed.  And I'm more grateful today than I was yesterday for my 15 gallons of bottled water.  There will be something do drink this week.

Follow the prophets and your inspired leaders.  There will always come a day when you will be grateful you did.

May

It's somehow May. I'm not sure what happened. (Looks back.) Where did April go? (Shrug.)

Changing the subject to baby toys... I was shopping at Target last night and saw this: Baby's First Computer. Here's an interesting reflection on our generation! Gone are the days of rattles and squeaky ducks.  Now we spend our money on interactive learning toys (instead of teaching our kids the old fashioned way - by reading to them and reviewing their numbers and letters alongside them) and buy fake computers for our one-year-olds (who will likely learn how to use (and then want to spend too much time on) the real computer within a year). Yikes.

That's about all I have to say.

Quote of the Weekend

Context: I was brushing 3-year-old L's hair, which was sticking out in a zillion different directions.

Me: You are a wild child!

L: I'm not a child, I'm a sibling!

Family love is the best kind of love there is.

The Race

The sun's reflection is blinding in my rearview mirror as I drive east down the hill near my home.  I wonder if it was worth the five minute detour to return the almost overdue library book on the way home, and decide that there is still enough daylight left to at least start.  Upon arrival, I quickly drop my things on the dining room table and head back outside - the race begins.  Pick up litter in the yard, get out the ancient mower, plug it in (yes, it's electric) (Doesn't that phrase make you want to dance?), and start cutting the lawn.  The grass is six inches high in some places.  This definitely needed doing.  Shadows lengthen as I work my way down the side yard.  Oh, look, I didn't change my shoes.  Wearing heels for this isn't too bad, I suppose, since they're comfy.

In a Boston spring, you just pick a day when you have time and do yardwork, rain or shine, since it rains as often as it shines, and usually on weekends to boot.  Except mowing.  That would be sorta difficult... electricity, water, and clumpy, wet grass is a BAD combination.

As the front grasses go from tall to short, the sunlight fades... and just as it becomes dark enough to make a normal person reconsider doing anything work related, I finish.  Wind up the extension cord, put everything away.  There is some advantage to the weeks passing by so fast - now it doesn't get really dark until about 8:00.  Good news for me and my lawn.

Grass - zero.  Me - one. (Just don't look at the edges.)

The End.

I Believe in Miracles

This morning I finally felt rested when I woke up. Probably because it was nearly afternoon. But whatever. I determined to work in my yard no matter the weather... and was only slightly deterred when I saw the forecast for rain and temps in the 40s. But, not to be dissuaded, I put on an extra layer and went outside, determined to get rid of the little maple seedlings that were taking over my lawn. Most of the way through, I thought about quitting - there is something about bending, stooping, and squatting that makes the muscles in your legs start complaining after a while - but I pressed on, and finally finished.  I was impressed by how my eye quickly became accustomed to spotting the red-stemmed greenish yellow (sometimes) leaves in the green grass; I'm sure more than one of the people walking by were wondering exactly what I was trying to find. But whatever. I felt good knowing it was done.

This afternoon I picked up my friend and we did a session at the temple. We ran into another friend - my AZ buddy - while we were there, and determined that it was a little miracle that we had both thought to do the same things in the same order today - 4pm session, dinner in the cafeteria downstairs, and on to the evening session of Stake Conference.  I was grateful to be there, and to feel like I was an answer to prayer.

The talks tonight were excellent. I was struck by the realization that I knew everyone who spoke. This is Stake Conference, people. There are thousands of people in our stake, any of whom could have been asked to speak. But I knew all five speakers and at least one person in both musical numbers. Weird. It's like I'm a local or something.  We heard awesome talks about the influence we can have on the children & the youth ... the power of one influence, or how we can be like electrons in a chemical reaction to effect change (I liked that analogy - get lots of energy, start bumping into people, and make a real difference in the world!) ... how God is a God of miracles and we should both expect them and ask for them ... and how we are judged on the desires of our hearts (the temple president gave that talk, and it was pretty much amazing).

So now, after a gang of us went to get ice cream and basically took over the little shop (but then realized there were other customers so we squished all 20 or so of us into the corner so they could all sit down to enjoy their ice cream too) and a trip to Target, my blissful Saturday of no plans and ultimate freedom must needs come to an end.  And I just want to say before it does: I believe that prayers are answered, I believe that sometimes I am the answer to someone else's prayer, and I believe in miracles.

Inspiration

First things first. I have a new computer. And I'm still getting used to it... but it's cool. It will be cooler once I figure out how everything works in Windows 7.

Second. For about two weeks I have felt an unusual urgency to get things going in my garden. It's been a concept for a year, and I planted some sweet pepper seeds inside to get things going about a month ago, and now that it's really and truly Spring, it's time to till the ground and really plant stuff. Of course, now that it's Spring, I also have a million things to do, so I haven't been able to make as much time as I would like to get things into the ground.  And oh, by the way, did anyone mention that if you basically ignore your yard for a year, it's kind of a lot of work to get things functional for planting?

Last night, my mind was busy thinking about it and trying to figure out how I was going to get everything planted in time (and where) (and whether it would get enough sun) (and how would I know what worked until I tried) (and what containers could I use to plant on my back porch) (and what about the space at the end of the driveway) (and ... and ... and).  It kept me up for long enough that I was just the right combination of tired and ready to just DO something today - so I came home early from work and got going.  I worked on the yard, and then planted something in a pot and put it on my back porch.

Then tonight I sat in institute (for the last half hour, anyway... after pulling maple seedlings - 'cuz who needs 80 maple trees in their yard - and tilling soil - and planting!) and we were talking about how the Spirit whispers to us and the lifelong process of learning to recognize its promptings.  And then I thought to myself, that's what all that urgency is - a prompting of the Spirit. And now I feel OK with cancelling anything else that comes up this week so I can finish planting my garden.  Whatever it takes.  I won't regret it.  Not when it comes of inspiration.

The End.

A Day of Summer

It was 90 degrees yesterday.

I loved it.

It was the kind of heat that warms you down to the bones and makes you feel like you're baking.

(Instead of being steamed.)

At lunchtime, I sat outside.

I watched two frenetic ants crawl all over the wooden chair next to me.

And I let the sun soak into my skin.

My seeds are growing.

With luck I'll have sweet peppers all summer long.

And cucumbers, squash, and zucchini, if I ever get around to planting.

I started work on my yard tonight.

We will have a perpetual battle against the maple seeds.

I pulled up twenty or so baby trees tonight, rooted into the ground already.

If you don't get 'em when they're little, they will take over.

Don't believe me?

Check out the one under the back porch with a trunk bigger than your thumb.

Can you imagine if I let it go for another year...?

Twenty maple trees in my tiny front yard.

Preposterous.

Why I Love General Conference

"I ask a question to you mothers: would you ever do something that would cause pain and bring tears to your children when they have done nothing wrong? Of course you would.  When mothers take young children to the doctor to receive immunizations, almost every child leaves the doctor's office in tears.  Why do you do that?  Because you know that a small amount of pain now will protect them from possible pain and suffering in the future.  Our Father in Heaven knows the end from the beginning.  We need to follow the example of the Savior and trust in Him."

- Elder James B. Martino

Thoughts... Some Easter Related

Saturday morning I headed to the grocery store to purchase strawberries. Yep, that's all. I had been craving them for a few days, and now they're on sale enough that I could justify buying them. As I pulled out of my parking spot with my precious cargo, I looked to my left and saw a gentleman, bent over with age, carefully take the cellophane-wrapped flowers out of his carriage (or "basket," if you're from the West) and place them in the back seat of his car. The rest of the groceries most likely went into the open trunk, but the flowers deserved special care. I imagined that he was taking them to his wife, probably a white-haired lady also bent over with age, to place in a vase for their Easter dinner centerpiece. And then that small act of putting his flowers in the back seat of his car suddenly represented all the love he had for the one for whom the flowers had been bought, and I thought, he is a great man; he buys flowers.

Then I saw a group of men at a nearby park playing basketball.  And I thought, there is a group of LDS men. Even if they weren't, they could have been. They were all in T-shirts and knee length shorts.

Strawberry pie makes an excellent dessert after Easter dinner.

I was excited to see when I came home tonight from my Conference weekend excursion that my sweet pepper seeds have started to sprout. Apparently, 69 degrees is too cold, even inside, but 72 is not... a few degrees of warmth makes a big difference, apparently.  It seems only fitting that they should sprout on Easter. The sun gives life just as the Son gives life. I love finding symbolism in the everyday events of mortality that points me to God and Jesus Christ.

Eight hours of TV is a lot in one weekend. But it was worth it. I really appreciated that many of the talks were centered around what we can do to strengthen the youth of the Church and to strengthen our families. And I really felt the Spirit when the member of the Seventy talked about how sometimes our Father causes us pain for brief moments (relative to eternity) because He knows it will spare us greater pain (or even spiritual death) later. He likened it to when a mother takes her child in for an immunization. A little crying now is better than a lot of suffering later. That resonated with me.

The Conference excursion also involved a wonderful sunshine-filled weekend, time outside, and lots of good food, by the way. It was a wonderful escape from the routine of usual life.