I Am a Child of God

When I was a senior in high school, I took a yearbook class. One of the requirements to get an A was to sell at least three ads for the back of the yearbook. I was very shy and this scared me a lot. But, I also was a good student and I was determined to get an A.

I remember one fall afternoon walking to our local shopping center to sell ads. Every business I went to told me they were not interested. I finally came to the savings and loan--my savings and loan where I had a small savings account. My mother and siblings also had accounts there. Maybe--just maybe--they would buy an ad from me! I asked to speak to the bank manager and then gave my spiel.

I will never forget how embarrassed I was when he loudly said, "I would NEVER buy an ad from you!" I turned around quickly, left the bank--my bank that I never wanted to reenter--and with tears spilling down my cheeks quickly walked home.

As I entered the house, my mom could tell that I was upset. I quickly told her what happened and then went to my bedroom and flopped on my bed. I would NEVER get an A in yearbook because I would NEVER sell an ad! I would have to be satisfied with a B. But what hurt worse were the feelings of inadequacy I experienced. Why indeed would anyone want to buy an ad from me?

Probably 15 minutes passed before my Mom came into my room. She had gone to the bank and had spoken to the bank manager.

"Please go back. He wants to apologize and he may even buy an ad from you," she told me.

I was mortified. How could I face him again? Reluctantly, I began walking back to the bank. I was scared. How could I face him again?

Then, I remembered a song I had been taught in Primary so many years earlier.

I am a child of God,
And He has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home,
With parents kind and dear.

Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way,
Teach me all that I must do,
To live with Him someday.

As I sang this song softly to myself, my self-confidence grew. I AM a child of God! I shouldn't let a man make me feel badly about myself. With a lot more courage, I entered that savings and loan and spoke to the manager. He did apologize and he DID buy an ad. I went on to sell two more ads--including a full-paged one which should have earned me an A+ in that class.

But what is more important is that I learned I can do hard things because I am indeed a child of God.

Judgment Day

Last Saturday was SUPPOSED to be the end of the world as we know it...at least according to one religious leader.

So, what did you do?

I slept in until 7:00 am. If I wasn't taken up with the chosen few, this might be the last good night sleep I would enjoy for many months.

I took a nice long walk with Ron--up and down a nearby hill. If I wasn't taken up with the chosen few, I might as well get in shape in case I needed to start walking everywhere.

I enjoyed a lovely breakfast and lunch with my loved ones. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed a couple more well-rounded, tasty meals because it might be the last good food I would enjoy in a very long time.

I gave the house a good cleaning on Friday because I didn't want to spend the last day of my possible mortal existence scrubbing toilets and mopping floors. A quick clean up and my house was ready to go--just in case I was ready to go.

I packed my bags and headed to the Central Valley. I really didn't know if the Central Valley would be any safer than where I currently live--although they are less prone to severe earthquakes.

I gave Ron a hug and a kiss good-bye and said, "If the world ends today--I'll see you on the other side." He promised he would call me later that night and make sure we were both still here on earth.

I dropped off Emily at an "end of the world" party where they talked, ate, watched Groundhog Day and counted down the seconds till the big event. Meanwhile--I bought a wedding shower gift, stocked up on canned goods for my food storage at a central valley grocery store (food is cheaper there then where I live) and picked up two dear friends for dinner. We laughed and talked and had a great time and sometime after 6:00 pm realized that nothing had happened.

We were still on earth. We hadn't felt any earthquakes. I guess the end of the world as we know it will happen another day.

So, how did you spend Saturday? Were you watching the clock? Was a part of your brain thinking, "What if this minister in Oakland is correct?" Did you do anything differently or was your Saturday pretty much the same?

Speculation and Rumors

There has been a lot of media hype about tomorrow's big event. Even in my small community, we have a large billboard proclaiming that May 21st is JUDGMENT DAY! We had the missionaries over for dinner last night. They asked if they could borrow the front section of this coming Sunday's paper so they could take a picture with it in front of the billboard. Clearly, the missionaries don't think tomorrow will be much different than any other Saturday.

However, I think something BIG is in the air. Tonight, Emily has a chance to meet with Elder M. Russell Ballard, an apostle in our church. He's meeting with the young adults in three stakes. I am so excited for her! I asked her a few days ago if I could pass as a 29 year old so I could attend the meeting, too.

"Uh, no Mom, sorry you can't."

I was crushed! I guess its time to consider a new beauty regime.

Tomorrow Elder Ballard is meeting with the missionaries in the area. The elders speculated last night that Elder Ballard is going to announce when the world is REALLY supposed to end.

Tomorrow evening, Ron will be attending a council training meeting with ward and stake councils from five stakes. Oh, the speculation that has erupted about this meeting! Why these stakes? What will the meeting be about? What will be taught? I can't WAIT to hear Ron's report.

Then, Sunday morning, our stake is having a special stake meeting with Elder Richard G. Hinckley of the Quorum of the Seventy. Other stakes in our area will also be meeting in special stake meetings. These are NOT stake conferences.

Here are some of the rumors I have heard:

1. They are going to realign stake and ward boundaries in the five stakes in our area.
   
2. We will be warned of an impending large earthquake and reminded to make sure our 72 hour kits are ready.
3. We will be told that we are a "chosen" people and asked to gather to Jackson County, Missouri.
4. We will simply be reminded about how much our Heavenly Father loves us and be reminded of the things that we need to do to return and live with Him again someday.

Of all the options, number five is the most feasible. But, it's very fun listening to all the speculation and rumors and seeing how big and preposterous some of them have become.

Frozen Strawberry Squares

Last night I made my FAVORITE springtime dessert for the second time this season--Frozen Strawberry Squares is its official name but in my family, Frozen Strawberry Dessert is the name of choice.

Last night might be the LAST time I make this tasty treat for awhile because alas--my Bosch broke.

After 25 years of it faithfully churning out yummy chocolate chip cookies, peanut blossoms, M&M cookies, and of course--Frozen Strawberry Dessert, it stopped working. Ron thinks he MIGHT be able to fix it. Ron IS pretty amazing and so I'm hoping and praying that he can perform this little miracle. A new Bosch is pretty pricey and it might be awhile before a new one graces my kitchen.

So, in memory of my Bosch and my favorite springtime dessert here is an absolutely delicious recipe guaranteed to make your taste buds happy. You don't need a Bosch or large mixer to make it, but it sure helps.

Frozen Strawberry Squares

1 c. sifted flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans OR walnuts (we prefer pecans because Ron cannot tolerate walnuts)
1/2 c. margarine, melted

Stir together and spread evenly into shallow baking pan.

This is what it looks like before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This is what it looks like after baking.

Sprinkle 2/3 of the crumbs in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.

For the next step, here are two tips: Make sure your mixing bowl is scrupulously clean. If it has even a slight residue of shortening from the last time you made chocolate chip cookies, it will NOT work. I speak from experience.

Second tip: If your kitchen is warm, place the beaters in the freezer for a few minutes. It will help the whipping process.

2 egg whites
1 c. sugar
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
2 T. lemon juice
2 c. whipping cream, whipped (or Cool Whip)

The four ingredients prior to beating.

Combine egg whites, sugar, berries, and lemon juice in large bowl. (I mean it--please use a large bowl.) With electric beater, beat at high speed to stiff peaks about 10 minutes. (See why I love my Bosch?) Fold is whipped cream.

See how nice and fluffy the mixture becomes? This is before I added the whipped cream.

Spoon over crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs. Freeze 6 hours or overnight.

Doesn't it look good enough to eat?

Cut into squares. Top with whole strawberries if desired.

Garnishing with chocolate covered strawberries is EVEN better. Enjoy!

Top Secret Young Women Project Revealed!

Several weeks ago, our ward young women president asked if I would be willing to take on a special project--to be in charge of the graduation presents for the Laurel's who will be soon be leaving us. Of course I said, "yes." She told me that I had a $10 per girl budget. I thought that was VERY generous. She also told me that in the past, they have received towels from Costco and that another woman in the ward will embroider their first initial. I thought that was a lovely idea.

I contacted each mother of the graduating seniors to find out what their favorite color is. Do you know that ONLY one girl has pink as her favorite color? All the rest were different shades of blue--turquoise and sky blue being the predominant favorites. No purple. No red. No yellow. I feel rather sorry for those colors.

Armed with this information, I went to Costco to look at their towels. They were lovely towels, but they came in shades of beige, white, and mossy green. No favorite colors there. This would not do!

I asked a few people for suggestions worthy of a young women graduation gift. Several people suggested a gift card to Jamba Juice or In and Out. Those are FUN gifts but so....temporary. I wanted something permanent! Something that these girls would hopefully treasure and remember their young women years with fondness. Something they could use and take with them when they leave home.

And then I remembered Utah Sister! Utah Sister is currently a ward Relief Society president. Utah Sister came up with a lovely idea a few years ago to make fleece blankets for the INCOMING young women--a way to welcome them to Relief Society. I thought, "Loralee, if this is good enough for a 'welcome to Relief Society present' why then it is also good enough for a 'Congratulations, you are graduating (whether you want to or not) Young Women present.'" Thus, the fleece blanket project was born!

I began scouring the Joanne's ads faithfully, waiting for a lovely sale of their fleece material. Lo and behold, there came such a sale shortly before I left for Utah and my much anticipated graduation. Armed with my "favorite color" knowledge, I went to Joanne's and was immediately overwhelmed with the plethora of fabric to be found. Some were clearly not suitable with a most decidedly baby motif, but there were many, many options. There were so many options that I...(wait for it!)


ACTUALLY PULLED OUT MY CELL PHONE AND TURNED IT ON!

I then actually USED my cell phone and called home.

I needed Emily at the fabric store--STAT--to help me make my selections. She has good taste and I knew she would know what 17 and 18 year old girls like. We chose several lovely patterns. I then purchased my first EVER rotary cutter and mat to add to the ease of the project (they were also 50% off thank you very much) and then the fabric was placed in my closet to await the day when I returned from Utah--about two weeks hence.

(I don't think I have ever used hence in this blog before. I don't know how I feel about using it now.)

Two weeks later, armed with directions I found on the Internet, I began cutting and cutting and cutting, and "tying" and "tying" and "tying" five lovely fleece blankets. For two weeks, I spent every. free. moment. working on these blankets.

My back became very stiff and sore from cutting out these blankets.

It was part of the gift.

I stayed up late too many nights to finish a blanket.

It became part of the gift.

I neglected other aspects of my life.

It became part of the gift.

They were made with a great deal of love.

This also became a big part of the gift.

Finally, I finished the last blanket--Emily's blanket--as I rode home from the Oakland Temple with my mom and Jack after working there last Friday.

Here are the blankets.

Blankets for Stacie, Emily, Dawn, Katie, and Laura. I'm going to miss those girls! At least, two are related to me. I'll see them around, even when they are OLD Relief Society women.

Wrapped up and ready to go.

Accompanying each blanket was a lovely card from the Young Women president and Laurel adviser and a very cheesy poem written by me. I won't share it with you in it's entirety (it's three stanza's long) but to give you a FLAVOR of the poem here are the first two lines:

If you're ever feeling blue,
May this blanket comfort you.

Please don't judge me harshly. I NEVER claimed to be a poet.

Emily says that it's her FAVORITE blanket ever. I'm glad you like it my darling daughter.

I"ll Love You Forever

One of my favorite children's books is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. If you haven't read this wonderful book, it's about a mother who rocks her baby back and forth, back and forth, back and forth while softly singing:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

I always change the third line because I truly believe that family relationships go beyond this life and so when I read this book to my children I say:

I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always,
For time and forever
my baby you'll be.


As her baby grows, the mother continues to sneak in her son's bedroom and rock her little boy back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Even when her growing boy became a teenager and later an adult she would crawl across his floor, pick up her great big boy, and rock him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth singing softly:

I'll love you forever
I'll like you for always,
For time and forever
my baby you'll be.

Perhaps because of this book, I like to grab my daughters occasionally and ATTEMPT to rock them back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. My lap doesn't hold them very well but it satisfies my mother-longing--to remind them that I will ALWAYS love them and they will ALWAYS be my baby.


Well, Wednesday night after American Idol, (side note: I LOVED Scotty and Lauren's performances) I was flipping through the channels to see if there was something worthwhile watching as I continued working on a top. secret. young. woman. project. (Don't you want to know what it is? Details will follow!)


I came across the Baby Channel. This is not a channel I would typically watch, but the title intrigued me: Sweet Dreams. Don't we all need sweet dreams?

I pushed "Enter" on my remote control and lovely, soothing patterns and swirls moved across the screen with an occasional caterpillar, or bird, or butterfly accompanied by soothing, classical-type music.

I was hooked!

OK, not really, but it sent those mother-longings to my heart and so I attempted to put Emily on my lap so I could rock her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

However, she would not COOPERATE!

She became as stiff as a board. I shimmied her long legs under my lap with great difficulty. As she arched her back we heard a thwunk. Emily hit her barrette clad head on the end table.

"Emily, I NEED to rock you back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. This Sweet Dreams program is calling to my mother heart!"

"I don't want to be rocked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth," she replied with a giggle.

I shimmied her stiff legs a little more over my lap.

Thwunk! She hit her head on the end table again. This was getting a little dangerous.

"Emily, Sweet Dreams is SHOUTING to my mother heart. I MUST rock you back and forth, back and forth, back and forth."

"Oh, Mom!" she laughed.

I shimmied her a little more on my lap. By this time we were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down our face. After one more thwunk, she was finally satisfactorily on my lap and I proceeded to rock her until my legs went numb. Maybe 30 seconds tops. That's all my mother heart and lap could stand. When did she get so big?

Someday, when I'm old and I can no longer hold my four darling daughters, I hope they gather me in their arms and sing:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
For time and for always
my Mommy you'll be

.

I'm Becoming SOOOOO Tech-Savvy

Ron received a GPS for Christmas. It is his favorite new toy. He uses it EVERYWHERE!

Running to the grocery store? He brings it.

How about the post office? He brings it.

Going back to our home in Stockton. He brings it.

It's not that he's suddenly developed early onset Alzheimer's or anything--he just likes to know how soon he'll get somewhere and what the traffic patterns are like.

He is fascinated.

So, of course, on our recent trip to Utah, the GPS was the third member of our front seat crew. I was worried that he might become a distracted driver (we wouldn't want that) so I held it in my hands and became his personal GPS voice.

"We will be taking the next exit in 2.7 miles."

"Traffic is slowing to the yellow zone."

"We are approaching red driving conditions in 52 miles."

I became fascinated! Pretty soon, the Sudoku puzzle book and the books on CD I brought to entertain me lost their appeal. I could see why Ron loved his techy toy.

After driving to Utah, I proudly announced to Ron and Emily that I was now GPS proficient.

"I can add this to my resume when it asks for my skills."

Proficient in Word, Excel, and GPS!

Won't my future employers be so impressed?

Who cares if my cell phone is NEVER turned on? Who cares if I never bother to check my missed messages?

I know GPS!

A few days later, I was out and about with Utah and California sisters and Utah niece when darling daughter, Emily texted Barbara. Barbara handed me her cell phone and encouraged me to text her back.

It took a very. long. time.

A day or so later, I texted darling daughter, Jennifer with a very important bird question.

"Do birds lay their eggs in mid-flight?"

We had just witnessed that and were very curious if this was a common phenomenon or if the Mother bird was simply TIRED of waiting for Father bird to build their nest or if she had a case of weakened uterus.

As I texted this important question to Jennifer so she could Google it for us, it took a very. long. time.

Clearly, I need to practice my texting skills so I can add THAT to my resume.

With all the recent developments of my tech-savvy skills, I seriously pondered attending a session at Women's Conference called, "Staying Safe with Social Technology."

After all, I do BLOG and have 10's of readers and now I know how to Text.

When I mentioned this to California Sister she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Yes!!!! We definitely need THAT class.!"