DV, Day 2

I woke up early (6 am) since my body was still on Boston time. After breakfast at the buffet, we got ready for the day. We were cruising all day long, so it was a quiet Sunday. I studied scriptures for a while, then went outside to the upper decks to see what I could see.

Sunday morning was one of my favorite times on the ship, because almost no one was awake early, and I could enjoy the quiet on my own. I spent the morning bundled against the wind and chill, looking for wildlife in the vast expanse of ocean. All you could see in all directions was ocean.

I spotted a few whales and some other animals, at a distance so great that taking a picture of them was useless. See?

If you zoom in a lot you can see where the whales were.

It got me thinking, though. All that water! Captain Lars said the ocean is over 6000 feet deep in this part of the world. When Heavenly Father created the world, He made a lot of water. I felt grateful to experience such marvelous beauty. It makes even the giant whale seem small in comparison.

After lunch, I spent time with two of my group sitting and talking outside on deck 7. It felt more normal to be outside where you can see the horizon move when the ship sways, and made the motion more tolerable. Then we came in for an hour to warm up (and learn about the best places to go shopping in port). Then two of us went back out, this time up to deck 13 (where it was a lot windier but had better views) for a while.

The late afternoon view

The view an hour later

After a yummy dinner, we walked laps around deck 7 promenade to burn off the extra calories (and because it was something to do).

Days at sea are relaxing but not very eventful. Overall, I felt it was an OK way to spend the Sabbath despite not going to church; I came to appreciate the beauty and vastness of God's creations more than I had before.

Dream Vacation, Day 1

We woke up early - 3:30 am - to catch our flight out of Boston. I was grateful I had made a list of last-minute things to do the night before, because my brain doesn't work at that time of day. The taxi picked us up at 4, and we made it to the airport in plenty of time. Pay the cab driver, online check-in at the kiosk, bag drop, and security - it all went smoothly considering we weren't quite awake. (I did discover I don't calculate tips - or do any other kind of math - that early in the morning...)

There was time to spare when we got to the gate, so I wandered over to Dunkin Donuts and picked up some breakfast for later. As I sat at the gate, I realized my boarding pass didn't have a seat assignment on it. For a few minutes, I wondered what would happen if I wasn't able to get on this flight ... but eventually my name showed up on the "cleared list" and the desk agent provided my seat assignments for both legs of the journey. Phew.

Once on the plane, I went back to sleep, basically coherent only for the mid-flight juice handout. When we landed, we had just enough time to walk to our next gate before boarding the second leg of our flight. Breakfast, another nap, and a magazine, and we were in Seattle.

After we claimed our luggage, we checked in with our cruise line, gave them our bags, and boarded a bus for the pier. After I got on the bus, I realized the cruise documents I should have kept with me were in the bag I checked. Oops. (See brain not working part above.) We arrived at Pier 66 around 12:15. For the next hour, it was like waiting in a Disneyland line, only with a longer ride at the end.

The sign: Pier 66 Jul/21/12 12:25 pm

Once inside, we waited in yet another line, went through security (again; fortunately they didn't look really closely at anything but the passport) and up an escalator to a third line, and finally were checked in (they were able to look me up by name, so it was OK that I didn't have my paperwork after all. Phew again.). Then we waited in line (again) - this time to have our picture taken (because everyone wants a picture of what they look like after having gotten up at 3:30 am!) before we boarded the ship.

We had lunch in the all-you-can-eat buffet, and oriented ourselves to the small city we would be enjoying for the coming week. Fourteen decks, ten of them accessible to cruise patrons. For scale, walking 2 2/3 times around the promenade on deck 7 is one mile. The ship is 965 feet long and can hold over 2,300 passengers.

By mid-afternoon, we set sail, leaving Seattle behind. The party started in full force, including a sail-away BBQ on deck 12. Swimming, food, sunshine and gorgeous views; what more does one need?

The view from deck 14 at the start of our cruise

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the view, and going to mandatory emergency training, wherein they demonstrated how to put on a life vest in the unlikely event we would need one (we didn't).

The view

The view about half an hour later

The view a little while later.
Check out the colorful sailboat.

We went to dinner at one of the sit-down restaurants that didn't have a cover charge (there were three of these and about 13 others that did), and discovered it was a 3-course meal with different specials each evening - starter, entree, and dessert. And all the rolls you want. Mmm...

Dinner's entree: salmon with spinach and potatoes

The main difference between eating here and eating inland was that the portion sizes were actually reasonable here. And since one of three main activities on a cruise is eating, that was good.

Considering I had been up for longer than was reasonably normal by the time we finished dinner, I called it a day pretty early and went to bed at 9 pm. We cruised all night at about 25 knots.

The stateroom: three of us shared an inside stateroom. It was approximately 143 square feet. The bathroom was tiny but very functional, all things considered. The shower was about 3x5 feet (that might be a generous assessment), and two people could stand (but not move) in front of the mirror. There were enough cubbies and places to hide things that we stowed our luggage fairly effectively. Considering we didn't spend a whole lot of time in the room while we were awake, it worked. Inside rooms have no windows, so when we wanted it to be night, we just turned off the lights. That has its advantages during the summer in Alaska.

Gratitude

I try to be grateful for my blessings. Some days I am better at it than others. Today, I am grateful that in my work I have been doing a little bit of html coding. It helped me just now to fix my broken button on my blog. :-)

I am grateful that my graduate schooling taught me problem-solving skills, and that it taught me how to not be afraid to try different ways of doing things until you find the one that works.

I am grateful for the children in my life. My niece gave a talk in Primary today that was shared by her mother on her blog. I learned a lot from it. After church today, I saw our only three-year-old, Miss C, in the gym. She was running from one side to the other while her daddy timed her on his iPhone. She wanted someone to run with her. So I grabbed her hand and we raced. It was fun.

I am grateful for air conditioning. My dear friend gave the closing prayer in Sunday School and expressed this in her prayer. I couldn't agree more.

I am grateful for mercy and forgiveness, and for examples of these virtues in the scriptures and in my own life. I am grateful for those who take time to prepare spirit-filled lessons so I can be taught at church.

I am grateful for friends whose lives have touched mine. I have four such friends leaving Boston this week. I am sad to see them go. The quiet, steady faith and faithful filling of callings will be sorely missed. So will the gentle love and consistent hugs. So will the musical talent and love of the gospel, the willingness to do that which the Lord asks just because He asked. Not to mention the faithful, consistent friendship and self-reflective conversations. I love these men and women because they have helped me become better.

I am grateful for naps. They make hard things seem less hard. I am grateful for the Spirit of the Lord, and for this statement by George Albert Smith: The companionship of the spirit of the Lord is an antidote for weariness, … for fear and all those things that sometimes overtake us in life. I needed to remember that today.

I am grateful for good colleagues who accept me and respect my values and standards. I am grateful for the example of generosity I see in those around me. I am grateful to have confidence in God's plan for me, and to know that I can be successful because I am doing what He wants me to do.

I am grateful for quiet times to reflect and acknowledge that God has been kind to me. It helps me feel of His love.

The Land of the Free

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life!

I'm guest posting over on Mormon Perspectives today. Come on over.

And in other news,

as I sat in my sunroom

writing this post,

I noticed a sparrows' nest

in the hollow of the tree

just outside my home.

The babies are chirping

and their mother is diligently

going back and forth from the nest

to feed them.

It's kind of cool.

Independence

It's the Fourth of July (in an hour, anyway). Time to think about our independence and be grateful for those who did something to help us attain it.

As I sang our national anthem with the rest of the Relief Society on Sunday, I was struck by how important the American flag must have been to those who were fighting for their freedoms: freedom to worship, to speak their minds, to defend their properties and homes, and more.

What is that which the breeze,

o'er the towering steep,

as it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

in full glory reflected now shines on the stream;

'tis the star-spangled banner!

It reminds me of another flag, the title of liberty, that an ancient military prophet-leader erected to inspire his people to defend their country's freedoms. (read the story here)

In memory of our God,

our religion, and freedom,

and our peace, our wives,

and our children.

The stars and stripes remind me that our God watches over this land, and that He prepared it as a place of peace and freedom for His children so the fulness of the gospel could be restored. Seeing it makes me grateful for the blessings I enjoy.

Oh, thus be it ever,

when free men shall stand

between their loved homes and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace,

may the heaven-rescued land

praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!

To those (and their loved ones) who give part or all their lives in defense of my freedom, thank you. I am grateful.

Random Thoughts

I have been meaning to post here for ages. (Today, ages is defined as about two weeks.)

Here is my pathetic list of excuses:

- I think about it when my computer is at work and I am at home.
- I think about it at 11:00 pm or later.
- I don't think about it at all.

Now I will humor you with something interesting. (Maybe.)

Summer is here. I am grateful for my friend, who I will call Z-squared, who carried my AC units up from the basement last weekend, braving the two flights of stairs with hands full of heavy, awkward metal after a long day that started with a 13-mile run. There are lots of reasons why I admire him. One is because he decided the other day to run a marathon - and it's happening in less than a month. Another is because he's willing to serve me simply because we're friends. I also like our deep and philosophical discussions.

At any rate, I am much happier when my house is cooler than 89 degrees in the evening (and 84 degrees in the morning).

I wanted this week to be calm. On Sunday morning, there was nothing on the calendar except work, Monday FHE, and Saturday temple service. By Monday afternoon, I had things on Monday night, Tuesday morning, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and possibly Saturday morning. Plus my car had to visit the shop (I finally got there on Wednesday) to have the windshield wipers fixed. Plus it rained every day - but only until Wednesday, of course. My head is spinning. Stop the world, please. I want to get off for a while.

T=23 days.

Family Fun

Family reunions are the best.

It was fun to watch M & MR become good buddies as they shared a room. It was fun to watch L & her similarly named cousin spend time together - and want to spend time with me because all three of us share a name. It was fun to watch A & Aa have a ball together. It was fun to see Young M and Young T and learn more about their personalities and the things that make them characteristically them. And Baby S is pretty awesome herself. The oldest cousin B is also a delight. They are all growing up so quickly! All the girls are beautiful; all the boys are handsome. (Not kidding... we're a good-looking bunch!)

My favorite parts - early morning scripture study on the balcony while M & MR read The Friend on my iPhone - hugs from Miss E (given in abundance!) - the view from the top of Bible Point - silk painting - talking in the hall with my fabulous sisters in law - Young T's giggles when he lets you tickle him - watching Aa and L be soft and gentle with Baby S - late-night Poohead games - a campfire after a hailstorm, s'mores, and watching everyone get the giggles - just hanging with the family - awesome hats and plenty of sunscreen.

And now I will leave you with this view from the top of the mountain near our gathering place:

Aah, the beauty of the desert mountains. :-)

Nothing Terribly Exciting

I felt accomplished today. I did about 6 loads of laundry... and most of it is folded and put away! That's the first time in, well, longer than is proper to admit (ahem... the folding and putting away part... not the doing laundry part). Anyway, I wouldn't remember even if you asked.

While I was putting things away, I also got rid of some clothes that I never wear/have holes in them/are otherwise generally useless, and put spring-summer clothes in one place and fall-winter clothes in another. It will be a lot easier to decide what to wear when I don't get mixed up about what season it is by looking in my closet.

I also managed to clean the church this morning - and arrive on time! - and edge the yard (until I ran out of cord, at which point I totally switched gears and cleaned the garage instead, and now I can actually park my car in there, which is amazing, especially considering that when I tried the other day, I realized even if I did successfully park, I wouldn't be able to get out of my car because there was too much junk hanging around in there) - and go to the grocery store - and finish a few other various tasks that have been hanging around much too long, waiting to be done. Sadly, the list is still longer than my energy level. Does anyone want to come visit and clean my bathroom? :-)

Last night I went to a friend's home for dinner and we talked. She told me about one of her friends who is dealing with lots of tricky issues. It was a good reminder that I can be grateful for what I have, even if it isn't ideal, because I have more than many others do.

I bought myself tulips today because they are pretty and make me happy. Pink tulips. Warm weather makes my heart happy too. I opened windows today!

Once upon a time I had a plan to go to bed early tonight. Somehow that changed. So I guess I'm done.

If you want to read something more substantive, I'm guest posting on mormonperspectives.com again tomorrow.

Serve, Love, Hope

You thought there wouldn't be any more April posts, didn't you? Wrong! Tonight we had a great FHE lesson on President Eyring's talk from General Conference. Since I had gotten a text from a friend and fellow ward member who reported she had a cold similar to the one I had for the last two weeks, our little group accepted the challenge to serve and drove over to her place in Somerville to provide needed succor. One might think that all we did was pick up a few library books and bring by some OJ. But it was more than that. We bonded. We served. We forgot ourselves for an hour and brightened someone else's day. And in so doing, we gained perspective on our own troubles, answers to our own prayers, and felt of God's love for us and for the sister we helped. It was great fun.

Rainy Sunday Thoughts

I attended a funeral service yesterday for the father of one of my colleagues. In the last seven months, four of my colleagues have lost a parent. One has lost a spouse. One has lost a grandparent. (That makes up 20% of the company, by the way.) I have been to three funerals in support of these dear friends, guided a few memory-sharing sessions for the staff as we worked through the emotion of losing our beloved leader, and prayed - a lot - for those who grieve.

Each of my friends who struggles with loss copes in a different way. There are similarities, too. Faith and religion bring comfort, regardless of the denomination. Families bind together and succor one another. The dear friend I visited yesterday has seven siblings. As I walked into the greeting session before the service, it sounded like a party. (It reminded me of an LDS gathering - lots of love and noise!)

There are moments when I wonder whether one of the reasons why I am right here, right now, is because these beloved friends need to know what I know about life, death, and resurrection. I appreciate that I have been able to learn a bit about what they believe as I attend funeral services and talk with my friends. I wonder how I could (or whether I should) be sharing in ways beyond basic teach-by-example-ness. Then I reflect on the experiences I have had - just showing up as a silent supporter has meant so much to my colleagues. I usually don't know what to say, so I just say I'm praying for you. That, I hope, means something, too. The sacred experiences I have had in connection with the choice to attend these funerals have taught me about God, His love for me, and His love for my friends.

Today is one of those days when I wish I could see my life from my Heavenly Father's perspective - you know, the view where time is irrelevant - and understand what the significant parts of now really are, so I can appropriately focus on them. I am aware that end-from-the-beginning-itis leaves no room for faith. (No need to lecture me there.) For even while I wish it, I also know that the gentle nudgings of the Spirit will teach me the significant things and help me adjust my focus appropriately. I just need to listen.

It's Easter

It is Easter Sunday. (Just in case you didn't know.)

Celebration this week included three temple trips, all of which were a blessing; a trip downtown to hear Brahms' Requiem performed by the BSO and TFC, which was nothing short of absolutely amazing; and a music-filled Sacrament Meeting.

If it were a sunshine-filled afternoon, I would go walking in the cemetery and ponder what it would be like to be there on resurrection morning. I have always thought that would be an interesting sight to see "many graves ... be opened, and ... yield up many of their dead." (Helaman 14:25)

How grateful I am for the gift of resurrection and the opportunity for eternal life that comes because our loving Father saw fit to provide a Savior as part of His plan, and because His Only Begotten Son atoned for our sins and gave His life that we all might live!

Behold, I shew you a mystery;

We shall not all sleep,

but we shall all be changed, 

In a moment,

in the twinkling of an eye,

at the last trump:

for the trumpet shall sound,

and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,

and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption,

and this mortal must put on immortality. ...

then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written,

Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory? ...

But thanks be to God,

which giveth us the victory

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

On Order

Today I helped reorganize a room. It left me with such an incredible feeling of satisfaction and contentment to be a part in bringing order, peace, and calm to a space. I was a little surprised at what I felt, until I remembered that I have always felt that way about organizing. About creating order from chaos and disarray. Even when I bake, I am happiest only after the kitchen is clean and the only evidence of my baking is the delicious end result.

It makes me want to de-junk my house and get rid of all the nonessentials.

And it was fun. I hope M enjoys it.

Pi(e)

Clearly, I would be remiss in my duties as a true nerd if I did not, along with three of my siblings (or siblings-in-law), acknowledge Pi Day on my blog. (I would link to their blogs to demonstrate, but that seems too tricky on an iPhone.)

However, I did not eat pie to celebrate. Instead, I received grapefruit in the mail from my awesome mother. And a neat letter from my niece, which made me smile.

And I ate off a round plate. But doesn't everyone?

All I remember from high school calculus: e to the i Pi = -1.

The end.

Spring!

Be it known unto all people that I am loving this warm open-your-window sunshine weather we are having! It almost makes the fact that I have worked ridiculous hours so far this week worth it. At any rate, it makes me happy.

That is all.

A Partial Answer to A Hard Question

I had a conversation with a colleague on Friday that has been rolling around in my head all weekend. It was one of those conversations that left me thinking, because in it he asked a question and I didn't have an easy answer.

The conversation was about revelation. The question? What happens if I read and understand a scripture one way, and my ecclesiastical leader understands it a different way and counsels me to do the opposite? Who is right?

It's a fair question, and a hard one. I like these kinds of questions, because they give me an opportunity to consider my faith (which is different from my friend's) and why I have not asked that question myself. And now, two days later, I have some initial thoughts - perhaps a part of an answer.

At the foundation of my thoughts are some fundamental assumptions inherent in my faith that ought to be articulated.

First. I belong to a church that is directed by Jesus Christ at its head; indeed, it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His doctrines are eternal and unchanging.

Second. As members of Christ's church, we have a prophet who is called of God to lead His people. This prophet will not - and cannot - lead the church away from Christ's doctrine. If he tried, he would be removed from his place. Additionally, local ecclesiastical leaders are called of God, by revelation, and lead the people over whom they have stewardship by revelation.

Third. Just as importantly, each individual is entitled to receive revelation for himself, and through that revelation can confirm all points of doctrine and instruction from his leaders.

Now for my thoughts.

I have never had the experience my friend asked about. I can't even really fathom it. My foundation of truth provides the tools necessary to align any counsel I am given with the principles of the gospel, and I can't think of a time in my life when I have been asked to do something by my leaders that went contrary to those principles.

When my leaders counsel me to do something, I can use the following scripture as a guide:

Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; ... that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God. (Moroni 7:12-13)

If what I am being counseled to do will bring me closer to God and inspire me to do good, then I can be assured it is of God.

A church can be measured in the same way: if it is of God, it will invite you to do good continually. It will model His gospel as outlined in the New Testament. It will teach His doctrines as they are taught in all the holy scriptures. And those teachings will be consistently reemphasized today by prophets, just as in former days. Although The Church of Jesus Christ is administered by men, who are fallible, it is led by Jesus Christ Himself, just as its name articulates. And He who gave His life to redeem us all will not fail us now.

What are your thoughts?