A Fishing Grandpa and More

I have a bit of catch-up to do, but our local women's group taught from a beloved painting, a favorite of President Thomas S. Monson that faith 

is planted in past; hope projects toward tomorrow; but charity is current-- founded in "NOW."  So, will you please join us in celebrating today?





This week flowed in a contented aftermath of our red-haired eight-year-old granddaughter's baptism,  

as journal pages continue to fill, grateful for sacred moments, joyful friends and extended family to participate in spirit (and presence.)

 

Sunday, after enjoying Music and the Spoken word, we basked in a home based sacrament service we are sharing with a happy youngest daughter, who joined our lunch and shared progress with her preparations for a July marriage as she gathers materials for announcements, reception, and her future household. 

After hours of weeding and wrestling numbers, Monday evening brought adventure.  What if we scout for a campsite near a reasonably rated hike? 

 We drove to Causey Dam and browsed Ogden Canyon along the way.   

Atop Snow Basin, focusing binoculars and a spotting scope, reminded Val of his discovery of these items for a wonderful price at a garage sale directly after deciding that he wanted to learn more about birding,   We are pondering the truth: "your Father ^aknoweth what things ye have ^bneed of, before ye ask him" (Matthew 6:8) and are working to desire and seek and love the beautiful and necessary.  

In our digging about the garden, I ran into a metaphor I love about binoculars--when we connect our sight with heaven's, we magnify our vision and our capability--it is possible to see better and do more!

 What we have planted--flowers, lettuce, grapes, and squash plants are blossoming.  

Ten year old fingers Saturday found and pounded rebar as stakes to lift  drooping raspberry stalks and help our snow peas reach up.  Our hope is that what we have planted will someday outnumber less-desired voluntary sprouts.  And this outcome requires effort and patience.
 

It has been uplifting to hear a grandson prance with Scott Joplin's "Entertainer," as he learns to distinguish between playing like a stealthy panther or a cocky rooster.  It is gratifying to observe offspring encourage one other in talents, to watch a younger sister nudged and urged to couple her hands together with chords to "boogie."

We are exploring an organ generously shared by the family of our talented organ teacher, and are preparing hands and hearts to again join with neighbors in worship (though families and times will be more spread and sparse.) 

Tuesday I joined my sweetheart to support, with shovel and wheel barrel determined shovel strokes of his ninety year old mother preparing beauty for July.  Many a story can be shared while planting.  

Here are a few of Verla's remembrances: 

"[As a young woman] I read 20 'how to parent' books. They weren't [hardly] even written.  The first was Dr  Spock. The principle of parenting is 'positive parenting': 

 'Show what you want, then 

praise

praise

praise!'

"I was raised in a positive home

I never heard [my parents] say a bad word to each other, or criticize or complain. The only thing that mother disagreed with was not to wash the overalls and the rug so much. Daddy used to make shelves for her and ask her what size bottles she put on them for the fruit room.  It was always good! He'd go in the kitchen and put his arms around her.  The funniest thing--they would lay on the sofa together like spoons."

Many hours prior to (and including) Wednesday were devoted to wrapping up pictures and details to illustrate a first decade of my father's life.  This was a labor of love, fulfilling, satisfying...

Looking forward, we contemplate the wonder of his next ten years, how  Glendon ventured out to advance his education, meet the love of his life, serve a youth mission, and embark on a career and raise a family that continues to increase.   


Friday, I rode with his sweetheart of 62 plus years, to honor his grave with a loving youngest brother, 

meeting his next older brother with his daughter. 

 

During our mecca of briefly revisiting a precious pioneer "Paris House" 

we walked down memory lane remembering pioneers, patience, prayers, and sweat equity

 

 

 I captured pictures of grandparents who remodeled Grandma Pearl's childhood home as they shared a legacy of love with us. (This past week they celebrated their 88th anniversary in the sphere where we can presume they are happy.)

Friday, after falling hook line and sinker for a red-haired eight-year-old's petition for Grandpa to teach her to fish, Laurene and her "long, tall drink of water" drove to Big Five and purchased salmon eggs, sinkers, size 8 hooks and licenses for 365 days--a "joy set before" us!

It was a blustery day.  As a tangled fish line stumped a set of grandparents, of course, an idea came to invite a grandson to pray.  

 

 "Hey Grandma, guess what!!?"

 "I prayed this morning at breakfast that our wind would die down, and look!  

The wind is calm!"

 If God can calm a fierce tree-shaking wind, certainly He will help us with a few strings, which of course He did--however, not without a bit of patience and attention, which might have better been directed at corralling a four-year-old who got a LITTLE too close to the edge. 

 She was our best catch! (Minus one very wet leg of a six-year-old brother.)  

Nothing that can't be cured carefully with warm soup, reading time with Grandpa warm water, clean clothes, freshly baked bread,  new stakes for raspberry bushes, and a game of Quiddler (handily championed by a nearly ten-year-old.) 

Rain finally broke, in time for us to air out the house from strong aroma of baby shampoo, bringing dust from wind and garden, purging air and floor for a Sabbath day and new week.

Grateful, we are, to strive to stand on shoulders of courageous spouses, parents, grandparents.  Grateful, we are, for friends we can look to, to lift and help us reach!  Thanks for being connected.  

Sincerely,
Laurene and Val