Aging

"Aging seems to be the only available way to live a longer life." ~D.F.E. Auber

I found this quote on one of my calendar pages recently and while it made me laugh at first, it kind of struck a chord with me. My dad will be 88 on August 3 and my mom is 86 and they are not enjoying aging because of all the things that go along with it. They both use walkers now, Dad is in pretty much constant pain and has a hard time getting around. Mom is on oxygen 100% of the time and has a pacemaker along with other physical limitations. Neither of them is loving this season of their life, as it's frustrating to them to not be able to do everything they'd like to do.

I really hate seeing them be this restricted at this point. After all, they were (and are) wonderful parents, active, responsible members of the Church and always made a great contribution to whatever they were involved in (and it was a lot!). I wish for them that they could do more of the things they'd like to do.

But on the other hand, I suspect (just from my own personal experience in this area!) that what they are experiencing is exactly what comes of living a long, full life. And the alternative is not a great one.

It makes the reminders my mom gives us very real: "Make sure you do everything you want to do and see everything you want to see before you can't do it anymore." She is grateful that they did go and do a lot of things while they still could.

I intend to do that, and for now, I'm grateful that I have both of them still here on the earth with us.

*picture by Mary Engelbreit

Dinner

I'm consistently amazed at how much I hate fixing dinner. Really, though, the actual fixing isn't my biggest problem {although it definitely is a problem!} -- mostly it's deciding what to fix that is my biggest problem.

To be fair to Mark, it's not his responsibility to fix dinner {he does go to work all day, every day!} -- but this little cartoon is a great illustration of how we both seem at dinner time. Mostly we'd rather eat nothing than have to fix something {anything!}.

Lame. We are lame.

Home is Where the Heart Is

I just returned from a week up in Alberta {or as Natalie calls it, being called back to the mothership!} with my family. I had a wonderful time visiting with my mom and dad, my sister, brother-in-law, nephews and niece-in-laws and even got to help celebrate baby Oliver's 1st birthday.

I know I've said it before but there is truly something that draws me back to that area and it's not just family although that is without a doubt the most important thing. As I drove around Lethbridge with my parents and saw the change and growth there, I realized that that area is my heritage. There is a part of me there and always will be, even though I know I will never live there again.

And when Val, Keith and I spent a day and a half in Waterton I realized even more {despite the fact that Billy the Goat and his family, the mountain sheep as well as their deer friends had invaded the townsite} that there is something of me there as well.

So today, on Canada Day {Happy Canada Day!}, I am grateful for the heritage that I have, the family I was raised in, the love that I feel for them all and from them all, and the fact that I have now two wonderful countries to call home.

Here's Billy!! The sheep were everywhere -- places I'd never seen them and they were pretty aggressive. Made me quite nervous!

Looking down on Waterton from above -- as we drove back down from Cameron Lake.

Gorgeous blue water.

Val and Keith - my cute sister and her husband at the still {surprisingly} frozen Cameron Lake.

Beautiful!
See Old Chief Mountain? Lovely!

Clearly I can love both the US and Canada.

Again, just lovely.

Prince of Wales Hotel in the distance, where I worked, more years ago than I can believe.

Val and I. Isn't she gorgeous?

More of us. I love her!

Me, standing by Cameron Falls in the Waterton townsite.

Keith and I, with the mountains in the background. He's the best.

**all pictures taken by my sister, Val Walker

Changing Hearts

"We discover he is more than the babe in Bethlehem, more than the carpenter’s son, more than the greatest teacher ever to live. We come to know him as the Son of God. He never fashioned a statue, painted a picture, wrote a poem, or led an army. He never wore a crown or held a scepter or threw around his shoulder a purple robe. His forgiveness was unbounded, his patience inexhaustible, his courage without limit. Jesus changed men. He changed their habits, their opinions, their ambitions. He changed their tempers, their dispositions, their natures. He changed men’s hearts."~Thomas S. Monson

I'm such a slacker -- no posts in such a long time! I guess I feel like I don't live a terribly exciting life although I do love the life I am living, for the most part.

I also love the above quote and it spoke so clearly to me today. Our Savior Jesus Christ always focused on what really matters: what happens in our hearts. He is the only way a heart can change.

I continue to strive to be more like Him: more forgiving, more patient, more kind, more courageous and more loving.

And I need those changes.

picture by Greg Olsen

We are the Easter People

"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people, and hallelujah is our song."~Pope John Paul II

I can't begin to say how much I love this quote. We are the Easter people! We really are, and hallelujah really is our song.

It's Easter week {finally - -seems like it's very late this year!} and I have had my Easter thoughts bubbling up for the past few weeks. I had a sort of epiphany recently as I was saying my morning prayers, expressing my gratitude for all that I have. But it hit me that I need to be grateful more for what I know, rather than what I have. I have many blessings, and I am grateful for all that I do have, but more, I am grateful for what I know.

I am so thankful at this time of year that I know that the story we read in the scriptures is more than just a story. The fact is that Jesus was born on earth {in a miraculous way}, He was raised by a mortal mother and father, He taught, served and loved the people on the earth at that time, and eventually, as His mission neared the end, He was taken by unbelievers and crucified.

But the glorious fact {here comes the hallelujah part!} is that after 3 days in the tomb, He rose again. And because He did, we will too. And not only that, before he was put to death, he atoned for our sins. Every one of us. Every one of our sins.

I am one of the Easter people and hallelujah really is my song. I am SO grateful.

At this beautiful time of year and always, I hope everyone will take a minute to reflect and be grateful for a truly magnificent gift. Happy Easter week to all!

The Love of a Good Book

"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." ~Anna Quindlen

I love reading. I love books. I love the library. And now, I love seeing our grandkiddoes all curled up with their noses buried in good books or chuckling over something that tickled them or hearing their excitement over a book they love. There really isn't much that makes me happier than that. I love reading to them, I love reading with them, and I love hearing them read to me.

Books opened a whole new world to me when I was a child, and they still do. And it makes me so happy to see the children I love loving books like I do.

A New Career -- Clowns! (?!)

This past Friday, the Cottam kids and their neighbors threw an awesome carnival for charity. The kids came up with the idea and with the (awesome) help of several mamas, they ran with it. It was amazing. Booths with games, fortune-telling, food, fun -- and (wait for it!): a fabulous clown show.

Yes, we were the carnival clowns. Maya came to us the week before the carnival and requested that we put together a 'clown show'. We looked at each other dubiously and then agreed because seriously, when a 7 year old and her cohorts think you can be funny, you suck it up and do your best.

I was a bit nervous -- I have been sick for the past couple of weeks and while I was feeling better, I wasn't sure I was going to be very energetic or very funny. But we pulled out the old Raggedy Ann and Andy costumes, found some jokes, got a helium tank for regular balloons, got Mark trained to make a few balloon animals with the skinny balloons (yay for the internet!), and figured if we danced the chicken dance and threw out some necklaces, all would be well.

But the chicken dance wouldn't play on the CD I burned and when we tried to do the helium balloons, that didn't work either. Sigh. But the (very corny) jokes were pretty well received, the necklaces were popular, and Grandpa was a hit with his twisty balloon animals. (actually, only wiener dogs -- he's going to up his skills for the next time around.)

Because you can be sure there will be a next time. And if we get asked, we will try harder to be funny. As it was, I heard from a neighborhood mom that 'the clowns were our favorite part of the carnival, mom!'

I love seeing kids put their minds to something and really do it.

Wrinkles

Life gets busy -- there is always something going on, that's for sure. We've had some beautiful weather here lately, almost too hot for March (complaining already?!) but it's cooled off a bit the past few days. That makes it perfect for this time of year. I've had a round of sickness -- cold that turned into pneumonia and bronchitis so I'm on antibiotics and steroids for that. (maybe I'l lbulk up! ha!) Starting to feel like I can see the light at the end of that tunnel, thank goodness. It is certainly true that you need to lose your good health for a bit to be grateful for it - I will be so happy to feel good again.

Natalie took this picture of me with Lucy and I love her little face -- but I hate my wrinkly eyes. ("Grandma said the 'h' word!" Sorry kiddoes!) I know I've earned every wrinkle I have -- lots of smiles and laughing as well as too much sun and too little sun protection. The things we learn, right?!

Anyhow, it took me to this little cartoon which put a happy spin on it -- I can wear wrinkly clothes too because I coordinate!!

Have a happy week - I plan to, cold, wrinkles and all.

Love and Compassion

"Whatever the intellectual quality of the education given our children, it is vital that it include elements of love and compassion, for nothing guarantees that knowledge alone will be truly useful to human beings. Among the major troublemakers society has known, many were well-educated and had great knowledge, but they lacked a moral education in qualities such as compassion, wisdom and clarity of vision." ~Dalai Lama

I read this quote this morning and it has been food for thought. I have always hated hearing people say that we live in a terrible world because truly, I believe we live in a wonderful world in many ways. My grandkiddoes would never believe the world I grew up in -- no computers, no cell phones, even cordless phones arrived after I got married, I think. {And I know I am old, but I'm not that old!} Just the difference in the two time periods I was a college student was amazing. On Round 2, it was so easy to do research and write papers because of the computer and the internet. But I do agree that we live in a complicated, difficult world as well. Which means it's ever more important that the children in our lives are taught well, raised well and loved well.

The concept of the moral education is something that I love, and I love to see it happening in the lives of my grandkiddoes and their friends. When you can see 7 year olds, 5 year olds and even 2 year olds with more compassion, insight and love than many adults, you know their parents are doing something right.

And us grandparents? We watch, we hug them and we cheer them on.

On My To-Do List: Floor Mopping

Yup. That's me.