September in the Rockies -- Hip Hip Hooray!

Dear Family and Dear Friends,                                                                                    15 September 2024

 

“It's September in the Rockies. I'll be coming back to you. 

Little sweetheart of the Rockies with your Bonnie eyes so blue. 

Once again, I say I love you when the birds sing all the day.

 

Little sweetheart of the Rockies in the Rockies far away!” 

Toward the end of August, we viewed the funeral for the grandson to a beloved cousin.  This beloved child, learned at age seven, in second grade that he had six plus months to live.  Then lived four years. His family worked hard to help him feel like Captain Marvel for those final four years.  Hearing of such an idyllic example of honoring a life influences our attitudes in enriching the lovely lives we are blessed to encounter this month, this week, today!    Chiefly, as I dedicate this letter to my "Captain Mother," reaching another year in this landmark month, perhaps we can learn from a few of mom's stories:

 1.       When mom was little her family had a cabin in a little place called Wolverine, close to her home, where her father could abandon his daily farm work and bring his family hunting and fishing for a few hours at the end of the day.  Mom remembers being in the cabin and seeing a rattle snake.  She remembers her father attending to her cries and returning to the rescue with a rake and removing the said snake and casting it into the river.

2.       Shirley talks about being bucked off the family dapple grey horse after it galloped to the edge of the pasture and decided it was time to gravitate back to the house.

33.       Mom remembers being left at church one day and finding a ride home to discover her family eating a Sunday meal and forgetting that she was not there.  The family of eventually nine children had much to notice on a Sunday afternoon.   Mom bemoans that she was not missed! 

 Mom taught her children the blessing of paying attention to "the one," similar to our invitation from a prophet of God issuing an invitation to the world to reach out to "the one" we can see is in need.   I will raise a hand for being ONE today, tempted to title our missive, “Hip, Hip Hooray!" (echoing a friend trying to fit six friends in a tight car seat space!)

 Why, “Hip, Hip Hooray?”  Well, Friday, the last day of August, in response to an invitation to view a tabernacle organ concert at the Salt Lake tabernacle.  Val wanted to view the concert in person.  Mom wanted to come on our date.  Of course!  I brought a wheelchair for mom, but she asked to walk.   Mom loved the music--a fabulous presentation by several renowned organists.  Walking to and fro, went fairly well until about three feet from the car, when Mom wilted to the ground. Arm in arm, Val on one side, Laurene on the other, Mom just bent her knees and dropped.  When she dropped, Laurene twisted and landed pretty hard, right hip on the concrete. Mom walked to the car.  Laurene limped!  After bringing mom home, we considered resting, but Laurene’s inability to mount the home entry stairs sent us south once more to look for answers. An emergency team requested x-rays; later, an MRI, which invited immediate surgery: Laurene had sustained a small femoral fracture (inside of the inner portion of the hip bone socket, where a piece of the largest leg bone, the femur, broke off a little, so three screws were placed to stabilize the joint.) Formal name:  Non displaced, closed reduction with percutaneous pin. 

(Above: this not my hip, but resembles the procedure explained to us by the resident surgeon)

Tender mercy:  successful operation less than 16 hours after the incident on a holiday weekend.  We were told that after surgery, Laurene would be able to walk and play the organ.  Wow!!  Thank you for your prayers. Miracles are real! And an article I love (Stand Forever, Lawrence Corbridge) teaching about this, says, the real miracle is not just healing. "The greater event is not in its healing but in its creation."   After falling for (and over) our mothers, we are coming to understand, 

"Motion is lotion." 

(Translate for Val:  We are learning that movement can and does bless our lives!)

Some of our summer motion: On an August Pacific Northwest visit, 

we discovered that in facing trolls in our lives, 

friendship bonds can deepen.   

Working to make memories with and within our “fairy houses,” 

using imagination and creativity can offer interest. 

 Memories become more secure when we share them:   Games, 

swimming, 

 temple time 

and other visits helped us learn stories the past: 

 specifically, about a grandpa who died before Val was born.  (Thanks, cousins Jedd and Cathie.)

Joy comes as we experience beauty in creation and connection  

-- edification at focused efforts of distilling packages of truth prepared to be applied.

 Grateful we are, to celebrate the Captain Marvels in our life! 

And to marvel at our True Captain.  

Thank you for choosing to be “magic and loving” fairies in our path.

 

 For enriching our summer and September.  What trolls do you face today?

What faerie house are you building? 

 Who are your fairies?  

How is Earth's Captain helping you to marvel? 

 We love you!!  Laurene and Val