Heavenly music

Listen to this music (Gabriel's Oboe) and let it soak into your soul. It's truly inspirational (especially the first three minutes or so) and has been one of my favorite pieces for many years.





And to get you ready for the Olympics...this beauty. Enjoy!

Good Housekeeping

Last year when I flew out to help our girls when they both had new babies, I picked up a Good Housekeeping magazine at the airport. I hadn't read one in years and I was pleasantly surprised. The magazine had a good variety of interesting articles, self helps, organization ideas, and decorating and cooking ideas that I really enjoyed. Inside the magazine was a card for a subscription for a year for a measly $10. I couldn't pass it up, so I sent in the subscription. When Christmas came around I thought my girls might enjoy reading Good Housekeeping as well, so I offered them a subscription. Jord and Courtney responded right away that they would enjoy one, and Claire eventually let me know that she would like to try one as well. So, I got them all subscriptions. Since they are all homemakers, I hope they can find some tips and tricks to help them in their homes. When we went to CA to visit when Elder E. came back from his mission, I took my latest copy of the magazine. My sister-in-law Robyn saw it and commented that she liked the magazine but didn't often buy it. I offered her a subscription for her birthday and actually got a THREE year subscription online for a mere $20. In the first place, how can Good Housekeeping sell their magazine so cheaply? Second question is, why didn't I think of this before? I think giving a magazine subscription is a great gift idea since most women like to read magazines. The trick is finding out which ones they enjoy.

Here are some interesting facts about Good Housekeeping magazine:

• the have a great web site with lots of additional information here.
• they triple test all the recipes they publish in the magazine and online. You can access any recipe they have published over the years online. They test the recipes by cooking them in real kitchens with everyday utensils and using different appliances to make sure that they work under almost all conditions.
• the "Good Housekeeping Seal" is an endorsement of various products. This is what it means to food and appliances that have the seal - "WE PROMISE This is Good Housekeeping's LIMITED WARRANTY: If any product that bears our Seal or is advertised in this issue* (with certain exceptions described below) proves to be defective within two years from the date it was first sold to a consumer by an authorized retailer, we, Good Housekeeping, will replace the product or refund the purchase price. This policy covers you, the consumer, whether you bought the product or it was given to you (by the buyer). Products that bear the Green Good Housekeeping Seal have been assessed by Good Housekeeping in accordance with Good Housekeeping's environmental criteria and are also subject to the limited warranty if proven to be defective." Wow, that's quite a promise.

• The magazine has good common sense helps with recipes, cooking and entertaining, house and home ideas, diet and health, style and beauty, and family and relationships. They have some interesting articles and stories and great photography and writing.
• The magazine is celebrating it's 125th anniversary. That's amazing! A women's magazine that has been published every year since 1885 must have something to offer women to have that much staying power.
• A year's subscription only costs $7.97 for 12 issues when paying online! Wow, what a deal.

the influence of grandmothers

Last Thursday was our monthly Cleofon gathering. Since I was on the lunch committee, I ended up making two kinds of soup and the dessert. I must say that they turned out quite well. I made my sister Lee's world famous cheesy potato soup along with another favorite, Italian vegetable soup. Everyone loved them. They tasted great on a cold winter day. I also made those wonderful little individual cheesecakes made in muffin pans. They are made with a vanilla wafer on the bottom, cheesecake filling on the top and then they are baked for about half an hour. After baking they are topped with either blueberry filling or cherry pie filling. I got some purple cup cake liners and some bright red ones and put the corresponding topping on the little cheese cakes to match. They looked divine and were enjoyed by all the women. It's just the right size for a dessert and most didn't feel too guilty indulging in just one!
Our speaker was Laura Padilla-Walker from BYU. I know her through my work since I manage some of her research accounts. She does a lot of research on family dynamics and this time she spoke about the impact of grandmothers on their grandchildren. I thought I'd include her handout for those who are interested. It's good information.

GrandParenting: Enriching Your Life Through Improved Relationships
Laura M. Padilla-Walker (laura_walker@byu.edu)
Brigham Young University

· Approximately 1 million children in the Unites States are currently being raised by their grandparents
· However, most of you probably are not custodial grandparents, so we’ll focus on the role of non-custodial grandparents
· Today, 80% of older people are grandparents, and 75% of 30 year olds have living grandparents. In other words, you are a part of your grandchildren’s lives, and will continue to be!
· What role do you think grandparents should fill in the lives of their grand children?
· The quality of the relationship with grandchildren depends on a number of factors including proximity, but the relationship with your child is MOST predictive. Even more important is the relationship with your child-in-law, especially if it is a daughter-in-law.
· Grandchildren are generally closer to their maternal grandparents, why do you think that is true?
· There are five types of grandparent relationships:
o Formal: follow traditional, involved but hands-off, role for grandparents.
o Fun Seeker: informal and playful relationship with grandchildren.
o Distant: little involvement with grandchildren except for holidays and family rituals.
o Surrogate Parent: raise the grandchildren.
o Dispenser of family wisdom: dispenser of family history and special skills.
· Which type of relationship do you have with your grandchildren, and which is best? Formal and fun seeker are most common.
· C.S. Lewis, The Problem With Pain
· A study I recently conducted with a colleague, we looked at emotional and financial involvement of non-custodial grandparents: financial involvement was related to fewer externalizing behaviors and higher school engagement. Emotional involvement was related to prosocial behavior, even after controlling for parenting.
· Why might you be particularly important for your grandchildren’s prosocial development?
· Overall, there is a great deal of literature suggesting that grand parenting is beneficial to the grandparent, especially grandmothers, but much less research looking at the actual benefits for the child.
· Where do you think research should go? What are some of your unique struggles with your grandchildren?
· How about emerging adult children (18-25) and grandchildren?
· Bottom Line: YOU MATTER! Read at least one article below to see what more you can do.

Additional References

Ensign Articles

Richard B. Miller, “For Newlyweds and the Parents”, January 2006, p. 27
Mildred Barthel, “Now that I’m a Grandmother…”, June 1982, p. 67
Caroline Eyring Miner, “Makers of Moons and Testimonies”, September 1978, p. 68

Self Help Books and Scholarly Articles

Fingerman, K. L. (2004). The role of offspring and in-laws in grandparents’ ties to their grandchildren. Journal of Family Issues, 25, 1026-1049.
Serewicz, M.C.M. (2008). Toward a triangular theory of the communication and relationships of in-laws. Journal of Family Communication, 8: 264-292.
Syrtash, A. (2007). How to survive your in-laws: Advice from hundreds of married couples who did. Hundreds of Heads: Atlanta.

Scripture power

I've been reading a lot lately in the scriptures concerning happiness and joy. I've made some interesting discoveries and thought I'd share what I'm learning. There are 38 scriptures on HAPPINESS and 93 scriptural references to JOY. I get the strong impression that our Heavenly Father wants us to experience some of both feelings and experiences and a lot of both if we make it our quest.
There are my favorite descriptions and references to happiness:
Job 5:17 - Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore, despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.
Psalms 127:5 - Happy is the man that hath a quiver full of them (referring to children.)
Psalms 144: 15 - Happy is that people, that is in such a case, yea, happy is that people. whose God is the Lord.
Proverbs 3: 13 - Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Proverbs 14:21 - ...he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
John 13:17 - If he know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Romans 14:22 - ...happy is he that condemmeth not himself.
James 5: 11 - Behold, we count them happy which endure...that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.
I Peter 3: 14 - But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye...
I Peter 4: 14 - If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you...
I Nephi 8:10 - ...I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy (referring to the word of God.)
2 Nephi 2: 13 - ...if there be no righteousness, there could be no happiness.
Mosiah 2: 14 - And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true, for the Lord God hath spoken them.
Alma 27:18 - Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness.
Alma 40: 12 - ...the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.
Alma 41: 5 - The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness or good according to his desire of good...
Alma 41:10 - ...wickedness never was happiness.
Alma 44: 5 - ...the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear to us.
Alma 50: 22 & 23 - And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times...But behold, there never was a happier time among the children of Nephi...
Helaman 12:2 - ...doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people...
4 Nephi 1:16 - And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, not lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
Mormon 7:7 - ...in a state of happiness that hath no end.
Mormon 9"14 - And then cometh the judgement of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.

Here are some of my thoughts in regard to those scriptures: we should be happy to be corrected and not take offense because correction will help us more closely follow the commandments of God; people are happier when they have children in their lives in one form or another; we will be happier when we have our Heavenly Father as our God and not other things; happiness is something we must seek, we must look for it to find it and those who do are more wise than those who don't; those who help the less fortunate are happier and are blessed personally for their service; those who obey God's commandments are happier than those who do not; good self concept and loving ourselves is an important part of being happy; endurance teaches many things and those who endure challenges well can learn to be happy even through their trials; those who endure criticism and ridicule for defending the truth and their God will be blessed with the tender mercies of the Lord; the word of God (the commandments) make us happy and free from the consequences of sin and disobedience; there must be opposites in all things, we must know misery and suffering to understand and appreciate happiness; we will have spiritual and temporal blessings (including happiness) if we stay faithful throughout our lives and we'll be blessed with endless happiness; one must seek happiness and be humble in the process, it's a process to find happiness, not an automatic gift to all those who are faithful. The rain will fall on all; if we prove faithful to the commandments and teachings of God, we can dwell with him in peace and happiness forever; we'll never be truly happy if we aren't following the Savior Jesus Christ and living his teachings and commandments; if we're doing wrong things against the laws of God, we'll never be truly happy; we have to maintain the word and teachings of God in our lives, we can't become complacent and slothful, or we will lose it; when we serve those around us, we will be happier than if we don't. We must forget ourselves and serve others to experience happiness; when evil is eliminated from our lives, happiness has room to grow; happiness can be our state forever if we choose it.
We can learn how to attain happiness through the scriptures. Happiness is an individual pursuit. Someone else can't give us happiness or make us happy. We must each find and keep happiness in our own lives and if we do, we've been promised that we can keep it for always.

Some thoughts on...

Cleverness

1. mentally bright; having sharp or quick intelligence; able.
2. superficially skillful, witty, or original in character or construction; facile
3. showing inventiveness or originality; ingenious
4. adroit with the hands or body; dexterous or nimble.
clev⋅er⋅ish, adjective
clev⋅er⋅ish⋅ly, adverb
clev⋅er⋅ly, adverb
clev⋅er⋅ness, noun
Synonyms:1. ingenious, talented, quick-witted; smart, gifted; apt, expert. skillful, agile, handy.
Antonyms:1. stupid. 4. clumsy.

I woke up early this morning to get back to reading a most clever book (and I didn't go to Curves to exercise since my exercising partner is out of town, oopsie.) Then it dawned on me. I absolutely love cleverness. I can't get enough of it. I adore it. I look for it in people, places and things. I love to soak in it up to my eyeballs. But it's so hard to find. I'm on the outlook for it constantly and I'm so pleased when I find it. Like this book. What a delightful surprise. It's so clever!
Here are some of my observations concerning cleverness:

• Not everyone is clever (This point is not so obvious. Some who think they are, aren't and some who think they aren't, are.)
• Not everything is clever (obviously)
• You can't force it if you don't have it
• A person generally either has it or they don't, or they can be clever in some things but not so much in others
• It often involves subtlety and nuance and sometimes sarcasm
• Things are created that are ingenious, different and new. Give two people the same raw products and the clever person will create something amazing out of nothing.
• I personally value clever speech, writing and thinking the most of all.
• It takes humor to a new level, a higher level

A clever person usually has had some life experience and they can see irony in things. They don't see the world in black and white and they can enjoy all the glorious shades of grey that lie in between the two extremes. Their expression of those ironies in writing or speaking is usually laced with clever statements and observations. They are beyond funny, they are clever in how they express themselves. I admire clever people. It's a gift to be clever and I celebrate and congratulate those who are. Come sit by me, I'd love to listen to your observations!

This book has all the elements I adore in a book: an interesting story, a historical story where you learn something about a time and place in the past, a strong and CLEVER heroine, interesting twists and turns, extremely well written, a CLEVER and happy ending.

Did I say it was a clever book? Well it is. (Let me know if you want to borrow mine.) Oh, and as a side note, I wish a certain clever writer would post more often to her blog! I miss reading her observations...