I t Has Been 13 Years Alone...

It was 13 years on November 27 since Richard took his journey to heaven and Bandido and I have been alone.  The years have gone quickly I must say, but being alone is not the best way to spend your life.  However, if I had to spend it anywhere, I am glad it is here in this beautiful, tranquil place.  I was reading again the poem we had on Richard's program at his Memorial.  It so depicts his life--let me share it again.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve... I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for help that I might do greater things... I was given infirmity that I might do better things.

I asked for riches that I might be happy... I was given poverty that I might be wise.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life... I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything that I hoped for.

Depite myself... my prayers were answered.  I am, among all men most richly blessed.

Thanksgiving 2009

Sleeping at Grandma's house.  All us ladies had a  bedroom but the boys slept on the couchs.

Maria drove from San Diego with Melissa and picked up Mitch in Sacramento.  Mike stayed in Sacramento to do his school project.  I picked up Matt from Tahoe City.  It is a lot of traveling but I am so happy they made the effort to join me.  The food was delicious and the company fun.

We had a puzzle to put together and played Scrabble and Clue--

Friday night we went to the Merchant's Christmas party downtown in Chester.  Lots of goodies to eat and beautiful things to buy--but none of us were shopping.

Consider the Lillies

This is so reaffirming of life and the perfection of God's creations. Some lillies that were planted late this year never had a chance to bloom so when everything had frozen for several nights I cut them down for the winter and gave the stems to the deer. All except for two stems that had buds on them. Not really believing (but hoping) they could go from tight buds to beautiful blooms I set them in a vase of water and put them on the sill of the sunniest window. This is the result. Beautiful, right? The other one hasn't bloomed yet. It was so tiny but it, too, is growing and changing color.

Birthday Girl

The trouble with being up here and all my children down there is that I miss all the birthday parties! I can still remember like yesterday though the original birthday of Maria. I went in for a routine check. They were monitoring me closely because Johnny had been born ceasarean, Linda was natural, and they were thinking maybe Maria could be born naturally also. However, when Dr. Rust checked that day, he said Maria had turned breech, labor had started and the policy was for two surgeons to make the determination so while they consulted I sat and fretted. I could not feel labor, my muscles were worthless in my stomach after that first birth.

They decided the risks were too great for a natural birth and I should go to the hospital immediately and they would prepare for ceasarean. What they said is if the inner sutures tear it was a risk to both me and the baby.

The nice thing about ceasareans is the babies have these beautifully shaped heads and Maria was definitely a beauty, even then. The strange thing was I had some malady and could not stop crying. I was in a room with three other women and people would come in and think I had lost my baby because I would be crying!! And then they would wheel in this beautiful baby. It was very puzzling to everyone, especially me.

I already had a name picked out, can't remember what it was, but another gal in our ward had already used it so we were scrambling to come up with something new. Of course, Maria, was now a popular name after Westside Story so Maria it was. I was a little afraid it would seem like a Spanish name but then later I found all these Marias' in our Swedish genealogy. Evidently it is a popular name in most nationalities. It suited her to a T.

My parents were at our home and we were enjoying baby Maria and baby Linda Poo (my Dad's name for her) was getting lots of attention and Dad was playing with Johnny (he was called that for several years) when President Kennedy was shot and we then spent most of our time glued to the TV.

After my parents left, the thing I remember most, was that supper time was very hectic and I kept the buggy in the kitchen so Maria could be bottle fed if necesarry while I tended to Linda and Johnny. Linda was only 17 months old, so a baby herself. She grew up fast though and soon became the one in charge of all needs of both Maria and Johnny.

"You must have been a beautiful baby, you must have been wonderful child.... cuz baby look at you now" (popular song from the 40's.  Happy Birthday, Maria!

The Snow is Falling...

This is one of those lovely soft snow falling nights you wish you had someone besides Bandido to walk with!!! I bought some little slip on spikes to put over my boots--no more slipping this year!   The date on the picture is wrong--it is 11/17/2009. 

Marjorie and I are really doing well on our exercise at the gym. We are usually the only ones there when we go--very nice place.

Had a lovely weekend. Friday I went to the Reno Temple with Jean and Mary Anne. Very lovely. I didn't have the usual pizza and salad buffet...too tempting to eat too much. I am doing well on not eating sooo much and have lots of energy. Yea, yea. That is what it is all about. Saturday we made our Walmart run to Susanville--lovely warm day.

And Sunday I had a lesson to teach and it went ok, too. We had a very nice turnout at church and great talks from Jean's son who is a high council man and two younger boys. After we had our dinner at the church and everyone really lingered and enjoyed the food and conversation. I made Mrs. Krug's Goulash from Glendive, Mt. That is really an old recipe. The secret of the taste is all the butter it has in it!!! Shameful, but it is delicious.

Everyone should be happy to know I have an appointment to get my hair cut short--Shelley is so busy though, can't get it done till after Thanksgiving.

We are supposed to go to Greenville Friday night for a big Thanksgiving dinner at the Branch there. Hmm, if it is too much snow, we may opt out, have to see. It is very dark around here at night... and lots of windy roads...

          Really exciting life I lead, right?

Happy Birthday Carole!

Here is Grandbaby Raina giving her Grandma Carole a whooping big Happy Birthday!  Carole was #6 in our family and I was the baby at almost 6 years old.   Carole was the only blue eyed blonde in the family.  Carole asked Mom (later in life) if she (Carole) had been unplanned--according to Carole, Mom only smiled.  Anyway, we all adored her, and still do.  Have a happy 71, Carole!

Let It Snow!

It may snow tomorrow, so I will get in the mood for winter on my blog.  Today I did well, went to the gym even though Marjorie stayed home and clocked in a loss of 3.6 lbs at Weight Watchers.  It is a nice group of ladies and I think it will help to get me in good habits again.  I also found out I get a free week at the gym because of going to weight watchers!

Kate

Flicker, the program that chooses which grand children will be shown on my blog from all of my 70+ pictures must like Kate--she seems to be on there the most.  Interesting

Yippee!

Today I weighed in at the gym 4 lbs less than when I started last week!  We will see how I do when I really weight in at Weight Watchers tomorrow night.  I am really feeling great--not starved at all, in fact I have too many points to complete.  I am always looking for something more I need to eat to fill my quota.  Karen told me you have to eat a lot and now I believe her!

Marjorie and I have done well at the gym.  Going at noon is so great, no one is there and we have had all morning to do the necessities of being chief cook and bottle washer at our house.  Tonight we go for an indoctrination so hope we learn something.  We are both interested in getting strength in our arms and legs.  I bicycled for the first time a whole mile today--usually my knees hurt before that.

Sunday was a good day.  I spoke at church and people seemed to like what I had to say.  Marjorie said it was more relevant than the usual.  She has told me over and over how good it was.  People were smiling while I spoke, that always gives you encouragement.  I was speaking on the strength of LDS women, something I believe in.

After church I really enjoyed the game between Dallas and the Phillies--I love NFL football--the San Diego game was blocked out but happy they won...

Life Takes a Leap Ahead

Thanks to Karen I started Weight Watchers tonight! Yea.  So don't expect me to be making goodies for Thanksgiving and Christmas!  And tomorrow Marjorie and I are going back to the gym!  After working in Sacramento last fall and eating way too much hotel food and then falling and dislocating my shoulder and sitting for another couple months my body has developed a huge tire around the middle and I have became a lazy couch potato eating buttered popcorn whenever I feel lonely.  No more, I am getting back in shape.  I don't care nearly so much about how I look as having energy again and being able to get into my favorite skirts and pants.

I also had been counseling with the Lord for a long time over getting some answers I needed--you might even call it a little depressed because answers were not coming.  I was not accomplishing anything.  However, the answers finally came, thankfully!  Now my mind is clear and I am suddenly bursting with enthusiasm over my many projects again.  I have also added another to my list of "Things To Do Before I Die" and that is to use all the material I have in making something for others or maybe even me (when I get my new body).  Meagan and I spent a long time picking out my red material in Singapore.  I really want to make something very special.  And I still have that gorgeous material from Anderson's in Montana--so much to do.  I put a list of all the things I want to do on my computer and now it is reminding me every morning!!!

Yesterday I did a little quilt, pillow and toy bag for Ryan and hopefully tomorrow I will finish Kate's princess cape and hood and get Jimmy's birthday present ordered.  Jimmy turns 8 next week, old enough to be baptized, so he gets some  see through stick-on pictures for his scriptures.  I also have a princess cape and a red polka dot dress for Kelsi lined up.  The new Janet--finally in forward gear again.  When I start dancing 30 minutes at night you will know I am really back to my old self.

Optimism, Prayer and Patience

I thought of Maria as I read this message from Norma B. Ashton in her talk entitled "A Unique Melody" but it is really something important for me and all us us to remember.

"How can we solve our problems?  I'm sure there are as many methods as there are challenges in life.  Each of us has different obstacles.

As I was visiting with a friend who is divorced, I asked her what advice she might have.  "First," she said, "Never give up.  This too will pass.  If you look for it, there is always a glimmer of hope.  There is no divorce without hurt, Your earning power is limited.  Widows get a lot of sympathy, but divorcees don't get much attention."

Though she received help from local leaders and singles groups, her greatest strength came when, she said, "I came to realize that I was entitled to answers from God about my problems if I were in tune.  I prayed a lot--a whole lot.  And the answers began to come."

Developing patience is another way to cope with our problems.  Paul advised us, "And let us run with patience the race that is set before us." (Heb 12:1)

When the American hostages came home in 1981 after 444 days of captivity in Iran, I remember what Bruce Laingen, the spokesman for the captives, said when he was asked how he was able to endure it all: "A friend slipped a tiny piece of paper into my hand.  On it these words were written, 'Patience is a bitter cup from which only the strong can drink.' I had these words firmly entrenched in my mind and they helped me through those dark days."

With God's help, and as we help ourselves, our obstacles can be over come.  Optimism, prayer, and patience are all important ingredients.  My husband (Elder Marvin J. Ashton) has helped many people with these words: "No one is a failure until he stops trying.  The direction in which one is headed is the most important."

Janet Shedding Tears?

I am not one to shed real tears very often but for some reason this story really touched my heart and I was laughing and crying at the same time.  See how it touches you.  It is from a talk given in 1987 by Mary Alice Campbell entitled "A View of the Eighties:  What It means to Be a Latter-day Saint Woman Today".

"In Luftkin, Texas, Marsha Ault, who was eight months pregnant, was shopping with her husband and four children. She endured the curious, disapproving, and pitying stares of several of the store's patrons before a woman approached her and asked, "Don't you believe in birth control?"

The question sent Marsha and her children to the car, leaving Marsha's husband to check out the groceries.  Marsha began to cry and her children asked what was wrong.  "I tried to explain that many people nowadays feel it is wrong to have more than one or two children, and that people seemed to think I was very foolish to be having another child.  Then my five-year-old daughter, Ginger, said innocently, 'Mama, we can duck down!'  I have never felt so small."

The thought of this little girl trying to make her Mom feel better with that solution was so sweet.  I am so thankful we were able to raise four beautiful children, I had always intended it to be six but was not that fortunate.   But others are not even that blessed.  Alene Tucker of West Valley, Utah said, "As a twelve-year-old girl, my goals were to go on a mission, get married in the temple, and have eight children.  As a fifty-year-old woman, I hve accomplished one of those goals.  I went on a mission."

More Halloween Pix

Kate and Ryan as Princess Aurora and Prince Charming and Sarah as the perfect Nerd!