Good Sabbath

I love Sundays!

We had great discussions in church about Job and affliction and how it can bring us closer to God; and about sharing the Gospel and how we can do it effectively; and the choir sang and sounded great.

This afternoon I spent considering some of the important aspects of the gospel and visiting with a friend I haven't seen in a while. I made yummy food in preparation for the upcoming week, and I get to go visiting teaching in a few minutes.  It really has been a wonderful day of rest.  Just as the Lord prescribed. :-)

Chillin' on the Chaise

Some purchases are totally worth every penny you spend.

For example, my bamboo serving trays.

Free, courtesy of a colleague's kindness and a gift card.

And very useful!

(They make eating dinner on the couch much less messy.)

Then there's my chaise.

Have I told the whole couch purchasing adventure story?

I bought a living room set that seemed to be exactly what I wanted.

It didn't fit through the first front door.

I scaled down, and bought another couch/loveseat combination

(this one was smaller).

Only the loveseat fit.

The couch was too big for the second front door.

By only an inch or two.

The third time, I purchased a sectional - a loveseat and a chaise.

Bingo!

Both pieces fit through both doors, and sits nicely in my living room.

And now I'm glad I didn't end up stuck with a plain, boring couch.

Chaise pieces are awesome.

As evidenced by the fact that I don't really sit anywhere else but here.

The end.

Questions (and Random News)

I learned how to make potato pancakes last night.  They tasted best with salt and syrup. I guess I like the sweet/salty thing. Both seem right for potatoes.  You used to eat your Wendy's fries and frosty together too, right?

It has rained for three days straight. Time to get out the long sleeves and recover a whole new wardrobe from the other closet...  I sort of hope not - it is still August, you know - but it went from 80 to 60 this week. Brr...

Now for the real question.  What do you know about Austrian history?  How does one go about searching for information about an ancestor born in Austria and married in France?  Could an event like the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) have been something to move him the 250 miles between the two places?

Lots of questions... no answers. Yet.

Time + Study + Inspiration = Answers.  Almost always.  Eventually.

I Am Doing It

Sing with me!

Genealogy, I am doing it, my genealogy.
And the reason why I am doing it is very clear to see.
We've a temple trip on Columbus Day and it would certainly
Be so awesome if I could do some work for my fam'ly.

They just announced Stake Temple Day. I have just under two months to prepare. I decided today that it would be cool if I could research my family lines to find people whose spirit lives could be blessed by receiving temple ordinances. So I am going to try. If nothing else, it will be a good adventure!

On Perspective

I had an experience today.  Well, I actually had more than one... but this one was relevant.

I had an opportunity to connect with a good friend and former roommate, who stopped me to tell me thank you again for choices I had made during a hard experience we shared over two years ago.  Her words gave me a new point of view on what others see - and how different it is from what I see when I look in the mirror. It was the good kind of feedback to receive, the kind that opened my eyes to what Heavenly Father sees, and (at least temporarily) derailed the perfectionistic and hypercritical trains of thought.

And frankly, that's the kind of train wreck I wouldn't mind seeing take place more often.

Feeding the Hungry

It was a different sort of week... I alternated between an unmotivated "meh" attitude and feeling super-accomplished.  I felt sort of useless and tired, but also had opportunity to do significant service.  It seemed like I was constantly hungry and searching for food, but I ate some wonderful dishes, too.  On the day my shoes didn't match my pants (which I didn't discover until the end of the day (who does that?!?)), I was complimented on my appearance.  So, like, my week was, you know, different.

But, in the interests of finding something to smile about... let's talk about food.

I tried to make tomato sauce from real tomatoes this week.  It was an adventure.  Well, it was more like a science experiment.  Let's just say, this was not tomato sauce I could feel comfortable sharing with anyone else.  I found myself problem-solving it - if I did this differently, or if I had actually divided the recipe using math instead of generalized approximations, or if I used that kind of tomato - there were all kinds of reasons why it didn't turn out like it should have.  I suppose with a little preparation, I could have had a good experience and made good food too, but it was still worth doing. I learned a lot from my (mostly failed) experiment!

Then, tonight I tried my SIL's suggestion for pizza.  Talk about amazingly good... her garlic sauce recipe, combined with fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzerella.  Mmm... I think it was one of my better attempts at creativity.  And it looked pretty, too!  (And, I didn't drop it upside-down on the floor this time, either.)  Totally worth every minute of the garlic breath. Seriously.

I also experimented with fresh soybeans - salt-and-peppered edamame - a great snack if you're totally into green healthy stuff.  Tastes better than hot fudge.  Really.  Not kidding. I had both today, and the hot fudge was ridiculously sugary in comparison (just in case you were wondering).

And then there's tomorrow's plan.  My friend at work has a volunteer tomato plant that grew in her compost heap this summer.  The tomatoes are DIVINE.  Seriously.  'Cause how could you get better soil than in a compost heap? :-)  So she shared a little bag of them with me, and tomorrow I get Italian food again!  Grape tomatoes, basil, and mozzerella.  I'm debating whether I want little sandwiches on a fresh baguette or pasta salad.  Either one could be good... or maybe an omelette... the possibilities are endless.

Service Received, Love Expressed

Today I feel blessed.  Not just because it's tax free weekend in Massachusetts, either.  No, my blessings were bigger and better than that today.

There is a wonderful program in the Church called Visiting Teaching.  Essentially, it is women looking after women, taking care of temporal, spiritual, or emotional needs as a loving sister would.  Generally, at the end of a visit, visiting teachers ask their sisters, What can we do for you? and the sister often replies, Nothing - I'm doing fine right now.  Then comes the time when the answer changes, and help is requested... and the visiting teacher has an opportunity to act as an angel for the one she serves.

My visiting teacher did for me today something I could not do for myself (at least, not easily). And she recruited others to help.  Four wonderful friends aided me in accomplishing a major undertaking involving sand, bricks, and my perennial bed, and now my surroundings are more beautiful than before.  But more importantly, I feel the love of my Father in Heaven, as expressed through the love of a visiting teacher.  Thank you, my dear friend.  You exemplify Christlike love in your actions.

And Then The Fun Stuff

I escaped from reality this weekend, and took a few days off to relax. It was my first ever "staycation" - and I loved it! I read the entire Jane Austen novel "Pride and Prejudice" (a personal favorite and wonderful read), accepted my furniture delivery (it's all here - finally!), visited with good friends, treated myself at a spa, slept enough, and relaxed more than I have relaxed in ages.  All day yesterday I was convinced it was Saturday... and all day today I've tried to remember it's not Sunday. I'm not sure what day tomorrow will seem to be - but whatever it is, it will be good!

Third time's a charm... I love my new living room, especially the chaise section of the couch. It was definitely a good choice. Dark red makes a great contrasting color with tan, and I think on the whole (and especially considering the living room has taken two years) things have come together quite nicely.  Special thanks to the awesome sales associate at JCP who spent so much time with me to figure out what would fit inside the (apparently very unusually sized) space between my outside and inside doors, and offered valuable suggestions and phenomenal service. (And no, I didn't get paid to say that.)

Happy Weekend!

On Sealing

I had a cool experience earlier this week.

I watched in reverence as a family was made eternal. 

A mom and a dad and two beautiful girls, gathered together in a holy place, and sealed for eternity by the power of the Holy Priesthood.

Today I had another cool experience.

I was present (as a hall guide of sorts, a "you go here, you go there" person) at the end of two more sealings, once after a husband and wife and once after a bride and groom were joined in everlasting matrimony.

There is nothing better on earth, I think, than seeing the faces of two beautiful people who have just made covenants for eternity.

Some parts of being Mormon are totally awesome.

On Prayer

In the scriptures we are counseled to "pray always" - to pray*

- for mercy
- over our fields & flocks
- over our household (three times a day!)
- against the power of our enemies
- against the devil
- over our fields, for prosperity (or whatever brings us wealth)
- over our flocks, for increase (or whatever puts food on the table)

As well, we should pour out our souls in our closets and our secret places and our wilderness.  And when we're not speaking with the Lord, we should let our hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for our welfare and also for the welfare of those around us. Then, after all that, we are to be charitable, to give to those in need and ease the burdens of others.

* this list is not all-inclusive



I am having an interesting time translating this idea of "pray always" into real life. I do pretty well at "pray in the morning" and "pray at night" and "pray with gratitude over your food". I think I even manage some of the listed topics every day. But when life becomes hectic, when the movement from one thing to the next takes place before one can take a breath, when busy-ness escalates to the point the even meals are missed (or when distractions take their toll), how does one remember to "pray always?"

I take some comfort in the fact that "the song of the righteous is a prayer" unto the Lord, so if I have a hymn in my head, it's like a prayer.  Thus, my experience today with my mind singing "Love at Home" while my hands filed the papers left by another less-than-diligent-person for me to deal with was more holy than it otherwise would have been.  And the days when I don't feel the promptings of the Spirit quite so strongly feel more successful when I remember that the music of the Spirit filled my heart instead.  But often, I come home after a long day, and wonder... I thought a lot about prayer this morning, and am thinking about it now, but what happened in between?

No matter how challenging this idea is to incorporate - and I imagine I'll be doing it for the rest of my life -

I believe in prayer,

I know our prayers are heard,

And they will be answered,

Because He loves us.

A Slow Day

It was a beautiful summer day in Boston; the perfect kind of day to be outside. A gentle but persistent breeze tangled my curls, and the sun shone brightly but not too hot in the blue, cloudless sky. Picture-perfect and idyllic. We wandered along the causeway at Castle Island, sat in the sunshine to watch the water, and talked about important things like who is expecting and who is a twin and the joys of nieces and nephews and experiences we've had that helped us grow into better people. We lunched in the shade of some trees just off the beach, and learned about Fort Independence from men who survived wars and knew what forts like this one stood for. We enjoyed our morning, the slow kind of morning, that lasts a long time yet seems so short, where you do what seems like nothing but it was the best kind of activity that could possibly have been planned.

The rest of the day was the same; slow, steady, a different sense of time than the frantic weekday pace I sometimes often keep. Tomorrow is Fast Sunday. It seems appropriate after slow Saturday. :-)

On Balance

It's been one of those weeks. The kind you look back on and think, Seriously? Where was the balance?

Tuesday I worked until 7:45 or so...

Wednesday I played the "take the car in before work (oh by the way the mechanic wants it by eight) then balance a whole day (on less sleep than usual) and try to get back again before the shop closes at six but don't forget you have that meeting at five and oh by the way don't forget to get a ride or else you have to leave even earlier to catch the T" game...

Then came home and did a week's worth of dishes, hung the laundry I did last week (two weeks ago?), filed the six months worth of paper I had started sorting on the dining room table when I was distracted by the furniture delivery last Saturday and hadn't gotten back to yet, and watched Hercules (until my computer died because I didn't have the power cord with me) to try to disengage from reality.  Which, by the way, makes a lot more sense after reading the Percy Jackson series or getting Greek mythology lessons. The movie, not reality.

Now that my house is clean (ish), I can think more clearly.  One thing is super clear - I need another vacation. 

I determined tonight that it's been about a month since I've gone more than two days without hearing offensive language (and those were all weekends).  There needs to be something to balance it out.  It's really the question of what you think about when you're thinking about nothing.  If you've failed to actively create something else to choose from, wouldn't you think about what you saw and heard all day?  And what if that was all lousy, uneducated, or offensive...?  So it must needs be that we fill our minds with good things, so we have something with which to fill the empty spaces that the bad things would otherwise creep in and take over.

As Elder Holland says, "Like thieves in the night, unwelcome thoughts can and do seek entrance to our minds. But we don’t have to throw open the door, serve them tea and crumpets, and then tell them where the silverware is kept! ... Throw the rascals out! ... Whatever thoughts you have, make sure they are welcome in your heart by invitation only."

Thus, choosing to read (and going back to memorizing) scriptures is more than just good.  It's imperative.

End of sermon to self.

Random Brain Dump

It's a curl up on the couch and watch a movie sort of Friday. Only one problem. No couch.

Notes I would write today - and in case you couldn't tell, I'm really glad for the weekend.

Dear people who wanted everything done five minutes ago all day long,
CHILL. I'm trying to do what it took four people to do last week. You can wait.

Dear sis,
Thanks for looking up a most important piece of information before playing your game tonight. :-)
<3

Dear Chick-Fil-A,
Won't you please consider opening a branch near Watertown?  PLEEEEZE???  Burlington is just too far to drive for dinner on a whim! And you're the only fast food I can stomach.
Your chickin-lovin-customer-to-be.

Dear random beauty consultant,
Just because someone told you I might be interested in her makeover party and gave you my email address does not give you permission to send me unsolicited emails. Especially since I have never met you. Plus, I get better stuff from my sis.

Dear friend whose call dropped twice in 2 minutes,
Thanks for being patient with my lousy reception! It must have been the weather.  If I'd known it would happen, I would have prayed for better reception.  It worked last time.  ;-)
Love, Me.

That is all.

A Summer Sabbath

Last year, I felt gypped out of my summer.  This year, I am not complaining.

I have to keep reminding myself of the former, because it helps me with the latter.

I carefully prepared for church this morning... just like every other Sunday.

Only this Sunday, the A/C was sputtering (at best) and ineffective in our building.

This Sunday, everyone needed a program.

As a fan.

This Sunday, we all had a glow about us.

(Maybe from sweat, maybe from the Spirit.) 

Sacrament meeting wasn't too bad, but it got progressively hotter as the meetings went on, and by the end of Relief Society, I felt like I was going to melt. 

Choir practice felt (as heat exhaustion goes) like mile 12 of a half marathon.

But we were all there - faithful people wanting to worship, even if it was hot, because it was the right place to be on the Sabbath (and as my friend said in the closing prayer, because she knows it's hotter in hell).

In spite of the heat, I felt the Spirit testify of the power of the temple, the reality of the Atonement, and what things I need to ponder this afternoon.

I felt the love of my Savior.

And now, as I sit in my small but air conditioned space at home with a big glass of (mostly) ice (and some) water, I feel grateful for the experience.

Because I know that feeling hot for 4 hours is a small thing to sacrifice in exchange for what I was given in return.

On Memorization

I decided last week that if I used a portion of the time I spent in the bathroom and the car memorizing scripture (no extra time required - just multitask while washing your face or driving to the store!), my day would be a degree more productive without much additional effort.

I started with something easy: Psalm 23. Within a week, I had it down, thanks to a Mormon Tabernacle Choir rendition of the Psalm that helps jog my memory about the order of the phrases.

Then I started in on Isaiah 53. I figured if Abinadi can do it, so can I.  Although perhaps someone could put it to music, too (Handel's Messiah doesn't cover it all)... it would help me.  I'm still working on it, but I have been interested to observe that, as I memorize, I have to first make sense of it - which means I find myself pondering why Isaiah used certain words or phrases.

Why, for example, did he refer to Jesus Christ as "a man of sorrows"? Of all things, I would not have considered His life as one marked with sorrow - particularly because of His triumphant victory over death and hell.  However, as I pondered, I understood that when He saw those who had rejected Him and the salvation He offered, it undoubtedly brought Him much sorrow.  But that cannot be all He experienced - after all, men are that they might have joy.  And He describes His joy multiple places in scripture.  Thus, it stands to reason that His mortal experience was not unlike mine - the deep sorrow He felt carved out a place in His heart for the joy, and His capacity for joy was expanded through His sorrows. 

No wonder He felt a fulness of joy after the completion of His infinite Atonement!