Power to Navigate Challenging Paths

Dear family and dear friends                                 12 June 2022  (updated 27 June 2022)

My parents were exemplary role models in writing regularly.  

I am one hundred percent not sure that I can fill my parents’ shoes in compiling a letter each week, but a desire in my heart this morning was to try. Today, we heard in a wonderful talk by a teacher and coach at Davis High, Bo Roundy, who taught us about his youth, hiking in the dark on a mountain in Montana.  

This is not Montana, but my best week's capture of a mountain getting dark!

He does not remember a flashlight, only having his father tie each of the family members with a rope to himself to help them down the wooded trail.  He invited us to find good role models (a sure foundation, our Rock, or Best Role Model) for when we are accosted by mighty storms 

and shafts 

in the whirlwinds of trouble, temptation, doubt, self-pity, error, to have power to navigate unknown, difficult and challenging paths (see Helaman 5:12).

 

One of my first enlightening, inviting moments for this past week was to be called into action as “chief seamstress and clothing mender” to the Starkey grandchildren in adding an inch to a granddaughter’s summer wardrobe.  “This skort (skirt with shorts) is a bit short, Grandma, do you have some ideas?”  Ideas, material, eyelet and lace from my Grandma Pearl’s inherited collection, 

 and Grandma Lolly arrived at the invited station, to interrupt origami making “special time with Mama” and watch a ten-year-old aptly choose a matching eyelet (not too wide, not too thin—just right!) and proceed to navigate sewing machine foot controller with ease and steady stitches to complete her masterful outcome—a shorts/skirt to add comfort and cool to summer heat, on her way to visit cousins in the Northwest. 

Tuesday, upon rising to a very breezy, fan-peppered home, so cool in beginning every day with an amazing talent of a fluid, and air-flow trained power engineer, my first inclination came as an infringement on my sweetheart’s “right to remain cool” with my opposing idea to pepper the friends I minister to, with homemade bread. Mostly, it was a hope to find out what caused my unexpected less than leavened bread at Easter time.  It worked, it worked, it worked!  Husband helped (windows opened and pans oiled with a conceding smile!) The yeast did not fail.  Our bread rose! 

As heat rises at evening time, when steps have not happened around neighborhood sidewalks early enough during our day, we have been discovering cooler temperature on wooded hillsides. 

A different discovery under a bookshelf, shared years ago by an 11-year-old daughter savoring “sacred space,” in oriental art of “Feng Shui,” 

 I read about clearing areas of living space to offer varying happy benefits and spent 10 minutes tidying the shed.  

Peering to find a promised prosperity, I discovered change in the washer!  (Is this money laundering?) 

Now I expect creativity, helpful friends, and compassion with efforts in ordering family history space.

Thursday, our neighborhood youth and others brought family names to Ogden, to take part in temple baptisms.  

The feeling there was joyous, sacred, lifting.  Following the excursion, Val and I kept a Spanish speaking appointment at the Bountiful temple—relishing memories of moments with loved ones in Honduras. 

Friday, the neighborhood was to host the life-sized model of the Old Testament tabernacle.  I heard it was wonderful.  In the middle of weeding, my alarm went off.  When I read “Tabernacle” I thought “Tabernacle Choir-- Tabernacle choir on Friday?  What?” and dismissed the alarm.  Mom’s yard became a more weed-free.

 

But early, the next day that I realized my mistake.  

At a happy barbecue hosted by our new neighbors we learned that the living tabernacle was filled, our youth and other volunteers were exemplary.  New Mexico grandchildren will visit at June’s end, and we will visit again then.  Meantime, hoorah to Spencer ward youth, as we celebrate creating and appreciating beauty in places of refuge.  Our talented math teacher daughter marks her birthday with the peaceful prospect of the start of summer vacation.  An eldest 14-year-old granddaughter celebrates her golden birthday on the 15^th. Another daughter lauds the feeling of holding babies in a children's hospital to commemorate her special day.

Update to my 12 June letter--two eventful weeks passed, wheeling in likely repercussion to an omicron variant in the wake of a glorious visit from friends wrapping up their home sale, leaving after finding out they were contagious. 

 I am deciding the best thing to spread (according to Verla) is sunshine and smiles.  Compliments and compassion.  Order and interest. Health and healing.

  Anniversaries 

(you may want to ask Maria and Jacob about Puerto Rico)

and avenues to cool "caminatas" (or walks). 

Savoring and safeguarding study (ask Val about patenting his red pencil sharpening idea--use a knife, and save extra shavings that would otherwise end in a round file!)

Family history questions--Have you asked your mom or grandma to draw a picture of the stove they remember?--can you help them find a picture of what they remember on the internet?

Thankful, we are for help with Mom's yard

Appreciating walks with and to and from visiting her--the above yellow coreopsis flower is from MY yard. Volunteer.  We like volunteers!

 

Time to saunter, plant, pluck, prune, and hoe.

to discover friends and loveliness in the act.  

 What beauty will you appreciate this week?  Thank you for being part of what we most cherish!  Sincerely,

Laurene and Val 

Gathering and Scattering Sunshine

Dear family and dear friends,

What a blessing to be reminded to gather and scatter sunshine in the month of June! 

My husband’s mother, age 92 has secured such as her mantra of living and it may just be what keeps her going strong. 

 Since I wrote last, a few highlights of sun rays have blessed us.  Early, early Tuesday morning (maybe 4 AM) our sweet wonderful visitors, Don and Pamela Davies let us host them while they finished some odds and ends on their home and attended a kind and generous block party with their neighbors. 

 

It warms my heart as I watch neighbors reach out and “take each other in.”  I feel grateful to be connected to such a neighborhood. 

Monday carried a happy and challenging event, in a search for “where in the world is Shirley Hillman’s sprinkler valve box.” Granddaughter in tow,  

clippers and loppers found enough work to conquer a thick branch jutting out from Mom’s arbor vitae.  In Latin, the word arbor vitae means "tree of life."  In reality, it was more threatening than it looked, when clipping an innocuous branch, I stepped backward into a three-foot window well.  The hole was less dangerous than Mom’s ornamental brick that jutted out to encounter an unsuspecting back rib on the way down. 

Last Thursday, following a suggestion of a kind temple worker (blessings of searching to find sacred space) 

an x-ray and radiologist were consulted.  Funny how “bruised” is so much more pleasant a description than “non-dislocated fracture!”  I am being instructed in Alma 43 and 44 of the blessings of preserving liberty.  

 What liberty it is to get in and out of bed with lessening difficulty, although sneezes are still channeled carefully!  

More help from more grandchildren.  And yesterday, my youngest brother solved the sprinkler mystery (a few twisted and broken heads, along with another lively tree growing in a wonderful watering space, diverting water from most of Mom’s back lawn.)  Thanks for brothers, strong and courageous in wrestling oxen in the mire! 

This past week marked Memorial Day

 and Dad’s birthday, Happy Birthday to Dad!  

Which we celebrated with decluttering, gathering branches, hiking at the Wilderness Park, 

and fasting with thankful hearts for a miracle in finding another house for our friends in central California.  

First, we recollect the joy of remembering the earlier miracle of meeting this little family, recently reunited from an 18-year separation, searching for a place to raise children away from San Francisco streets.  Sitting under an almond tree journaling, I looked up to find a family walking together.  Because of spider-webbed door, the family had decided our chapel had been abandoned.  Not so!  Though we had searched for months to help others with little success, within a few days, an affordable home was found for this family.  The branch showed up in full force in the rain to help clean, move and welcome the family.  The father now presides over our beloved Crows Landing Spanish branch.  His young adult son accompanies the congregation (how appreciated are apt students!) 

Earlier last month, we learned that their house was being sold.  The family was in need of another.  No affordable homes available.  Fasting, prayers, inquiry on every side and (in Red Sea fashion--in the nick of time) friends in the Crows Landing 1st  ward (English speaking congregation) remembered this family and successfully referred them to their landlord as the First ward family relocated to accept a gymnast invitation for their daughter.  God is good.  Prayers are heard.  God honors effort, even when it may not appear to be our individual efforts that directly effect the final outcome. 

Saturday, we were blessed to attend our youngest Archuleta grandson’s baptism, 

hear his older brother and sister speak and witness and accompany a delightfully memorized hymn, “Choose the Right.”  Afterward, we walked through a life sized tabernacle 

 

presented with interfaith effort in preparation to receive two temples nearly completed in Layton and Syracuse, Utah. 

We are grateful for good fruits and good friends.

 Thank you once more, dear ones, 

for your efforts to gather and scatter sunshine in your lives and ours!

Love, Val and Laurene Starkey