Belle, the malti-pom

Don and Nori went to 5A's animal shelter to look for her a doggy. Seems there wasn't anything to her liking. So they looked in the paper. There was a woman who had malti-poms. I looked at malti-poms on the internet to see what they looked like. Some were cute, others kinda looked like Gizmo from the movie. Kinda scary. Don and Nori had to go out that night to the Family History Library. The dog breeder lady was very busy, but she said she could bring the puppy over around 7. Well, I was very nervous that this one was going to look more like Gizmo than one of the cute ones. And I was alone to receive this dog and then had to turn it over to Nori. Imagine my relief when I was this little face. She was much tinier than I had imagined. About three pounds worth. And after a stretch of namelessness, she was crowned Belle.

'Til we meet again

I've been contemplating this post for awhile now, not knowing exactly how to start. My father-in-law passed away earlier this month. This has left us all in somewhat of a state of shock. He was sick for a week with what we thought was a virus. Other than bad knees and shaky hands, he seemed very healthy. All we know so far is that it was heart related.

We live on a ten acre farm. Everywhere I look, I see his handiwork. He had a house and shop built here. He planted trees and put in a garden spot. He dug trenches for the pond and for our sump pump when it started flooding the middle of our yard. There's the liar's bench and picnic tables he built. He fixed our pumps and cars and plumbing. He and Armin fixed up the barn for the chickens with doors and nesting boxes and a place to roost. He was often mowing, and afterwards I would take him a glass of water and we would talk awhile. He took care of us.

He had a sense of humor and was known by all for pulling pranks. One could write chapters about his pranks alone. Someone mentioned that he always had a smile for them, which I didn't even realize before. He served in the Navy during the Korean conflict. He was a pipe fitter, trap shooter, hunter and fisherman. He had a full and a happy life, and lived to be 78 years old.

We try to be strong for Nori. They did so much together. She decided to get a little puppy for security and companionship. I think that was a marvelous idea. Thanksgiving came just two weeks after he died. Grandkids and great-grandkids came for a few days, which was a blessing. The holiday was spent getting to know two little ones we had never met. It was good to have a house full of people and to stay busy.

Bob was a man with a good heart. He spent a lot of his time helping others. He never said an unkind word when he pulled my car out of the ditch with his tractor. I have no doubt we will meet again someday. When it's my turn to leave this mortal existence, I'm sure he will be there to greet me.

Somewhat later we learned Bob had a heart attack brought on by hardening of the arteries.

All things must pass

I got released from my calling on Sunday. The last time I didn't have a calling was before Kelly was born. Not that I think they won't give me something else soon. And I actually have quite a bit to get up to date for the next person. So...I have things to do.

But there's this strange, kind of empty feeling. A sort of melancholy. I almost felt like it was part of me, now I don't know who I am. Silly, I know.

I liked being in Primary and being the secretary. I like the kids. I like my job to have variety. I like to organize. It was an almost perfect call for me.

And there's something more. A little bit of sadness for the closeness I shared with the people I worked with. We will drift apart and never quite be the same. One of us will be moving away. The next time I see those kids' faces, I won't even recognize them. Well, maybe if we become Facebook friends.

It just reminded me of that song from the Carol Burnett show. I'm so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh, or sing a song. Seems we just get started and before you know it, comes the time we have to say so long.

Four months later: I don't know just how much God directs our paths, but I realize this release was a blessing in disguise. A few weeks later, when Bob died, I was free to be a help to my family who needed me.

Sweet Potato Fries

After watching Dr. Oz one day last week, I determined to start making a few healthier dishes. I knew not to try the things they were talking about. I've never even heard of a lot of their ingredients. I do have a picky husband and teenager to consider. It doesn't help anyone to make healthy foods if no one will eat them. And I'm not real sure I would want to eat some of that stuff.

We had a very nice sweet potato crop for two years now, so I was looking for recipes using sweet potatoes. I was going to make muffins, knowing husband wouldn't taste them, but thinking I might cajole the daughter. When I came upon a recipe for sweet potato fries. Not fried, but baked. Don even suggested this once in the past. So I just did it. And what do you know? He not only tasted them, but liked them. She did too, less enthusiastically. Oh, well.

Sweet Potato Fries

Peel one large sweet potato. (you could leave the skin if you prefer) Cut into slices, then french fry shape. Toss with olive or canola oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. The recipe I had called for cayenne pepper, which I chose not to use. Bake at 450 F for 15 minutes. Toss or flip fries and bake another 10 to 15 minutes.

This was so easy. I especially like recipes with not too many ingredients. I would probably like to try some different seasonings in the future. Just for fun.

I'm still rather shocked that Don ate them and liked them. He has a reputation for not liking vegetables. Now I'm wondering what else I can put on the table.

Find-a-Grave

I wanted to add a note about the Find-a-Grave site. I've noticed I get better results if I know what cemetery the person was buried in. If I do a search on Aunt Alice, I get nothing. If I go to Jefferson Barracks cemetery, and then search Aunt Alice, there she is!

I was looking in Alexander County, Ohio for the surname Nichols. When I found someone with that name, regardless that this person was no relation, I clicked on their name. It gave me a menu on the left that let me search for Nichols in that town, or in that county, or in that state. I chose the state, since I'm not having much luck finding people where they're supposed to be. It'll take a while to finish, but I think it's worth it.

I'm sure the more I use this site, the more I will find little tricks that will aid in my search. Like anything, the more you do it, the more you learn.

New Family Search

From now on, every post is going to start with "I haven't blogged in the last five weeks because..."

So I haven't blogged this time because I've been over at the New Family Search. (Not to be confused with Family Search.) No one told me how totally addictive this is. Many nights at 2 am I have to tell myself to get off the computer. The time flies and I don't even feel sleepy.

New Family Search is the site where you enter your own family history in the form of a pedigree chart. I've been going over my own information to double check details first. Which partly explains why I'm up so late. When you add a family member, you can see if their name is already entered on someone else's pedigree. I have found quite of few links. At first I thought, "Yay! A cousin! I think I'll write them a note and introduce myself and see if they want to share info." Then I decided not to. I'd probably never hear back from them. And then I'd be sad. But I may change my mind again. You'll be the first to know. After Don, and my sister Barb. And maybe my mom. And Nori.

What I'm doing now is running back and forth between New Family Search and some of the other sites where I've been finding information on my ancestors.

• Find-a-grave. They have millions of online grave records. You just enter the information such as name, year of birth, year of death, and state. Sometimes I was rewarded with a picture of the gravestone. (Yeah, I know, some people would not consider that much of a reward.) Other times, I got information of other family members who were at that same cemetery. On one relative, they had a nice little biography of him.

• Family Search. The great thing about Family Search is that it's all free. And of course, it's a wonderful resource. This is where I actually got started. It is so easy to enter the name of an ancestor and a few details such as birth year, and see what you can get. I've learned to keep a spiral notebook with all the info I find and where I found it. When doing a pedigree chart on New Family Search, you'll be asked what was your source. If I had done this from the beginning, I wouldn't have to double check all my facts.

• Missouri Digital Heritage. On this site, you can look up birth and death records for certain years. I found at least ten death certificates for my family. You can enter just the last name, and get a list of all the certificates they have under that name. The good thing about death certificates is they have a lot of information on them. Much of my research is in Missouri and Illinois. Illinois has a similar web site as, I'm sure, do many other states. Search Secretary of State Birth and Death Records.

• Ancestry. This is the only site I will mention that is not free. But it is a very nice resource. Lots of people scan their old photos and documents and put them there for the rest of us to see. This is where I found a marriage record for Nellie Spriggs and E P Laney, that no one else had. That was a big deal for me. I've also found many of my ancestors on family trees on this website.

Blackberry Crisp Recipe

I need to make a dessert to take to the church dessert auction tonight. I decided on blackberry crisp. I prefer to make it from fresh berries, but I have to settle on frozen. After they're thawed, they are kinda small and puny. And a lot of the juice is in the freezer bag instead of in the berries. The last time I made it with frozen berries, juice sloshed out all over me as I was going out the door with the finished dessert. So I'm making a few changes to my original recipe.

Blackberry Crisp

4 c fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed

1 1/2 c sugar

1 c flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c melted butter or margarine

Put berries in large casserole dish or 9x9 pan. Pour 1/2 c sugar over berries. Combine flour, 1 c sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter or margarine. Cover the berries with this dough. Bake at 400 F for 30-45 minutes or until brown on top.

Note: When using thawed fruit, drain the juice and add 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and add back to the berries. This should help thicken the juice.

I just discarded the extra juice this time. Last time I did the cornstarch thing and it sloshed out all over me anyway. But it was still very warm and it might help to let it cool.

I used a bag of frozen berries that originally had 8 cups worth. I did not measure it after the thaw, but it was way less than 8 cups.

I tasted a thawed berry and was surprised how tart it was. The original recipe calls for 2 cups sugar, that seems like too much to me. I like to pick my berries when they're very ripe, so I don't usually use the extra sugar. I think you need to taste it and decide for yourself if it needs more sweetening.

When I make this recipe with fresh berries, it is amazing. Served warm with some vanilla ice cream.

Daniel C. Peterson Article

Nori, my mom-in-law, always brings me her Church News and Mormon Times after she's read them. I like everything in them so much that my stack of papers keeps growing and growing. I had decided to whittle it down today. And what do you know, I wanted to save every article that I read. More than one even brought tears to my eyes. I think these writers are some of the best.

Daniel C. Peterson, I'll admit it, writes a little over my head. Okay, a lot over my head. But even I was able to enjoy this. He says in an article published in Mormon Times on February 19, 2011:

I'm reminded of a warped version of Jesus' exchange with his disciples on the road to Caesarea Philippi: "Whom do men say that I am?" he asked. And Peter replied, "Thou are the second hypostasis of the incomprehensible metaphysical Trinity, a hypostatic union of unconfused but coexisting deity and humanity, consubstantial with the Father, a separate person but, onto-logically speaking, the same transtemporal being." And Jesus said unto him, "What?"

This made me laugh out loud. And even better, it made me feel smarter to type it into a computer that also didn't understand or recognize many of these words. You should see the red underlines I'm looking at!

Senior Pictures

The pictures with the black/white top were the first we took.  Each day we shot, the pictures got better.  This is the only one from the first day that I really like.  Because her personality really comes through here.

I love the light and the shadows of this shot. It would probably be my favorite, if she had been really smiling. We were suffereing a little "America's Next Top Model" damage.   

We tried some using a prop.

I suppose these are my favorites of the pictures we took. Yes, we did it ourselves. Pictures from a professional studio cost so much! They charge like $150 just for the sitting. Granted they do give you an hour of their time. I only have a point and shoot digital camera, but I figure if you take enough shots, you'll end up with some good ones. We took a lot we didn't like. We tried some without a smile. That was a mistake. We tried some not realizing that her shirt blended with the grass. Those were okay, but the darker shirt was better. I don't think we'll agree on what to print to give out, but I think that should be her decision. I can always print some to keep for myself. And I actually had a wonderful time pretending I was a real photographer. Now I have to keep it a secret as my teenage daughter is embarrassed of the fact that her pictures were taken by her mother. So if you're one of my Facebook friends, don't write anything on there that her friends can see!

Tomatoes and Marigolds

This tomato crop is probably the best we ever had. And we plant tomatoes every year. We usually have a lot of blossom end rot and cracking. Two years ago, we had a truckload of topsoil dumped on top of our garden. Seems like good soil is the key.

I don't usually do a lot of spring time gardening because of my allergies. I sleep through the spring. But not this year. I think because we had so much rain. These marigolds were some of the seedlings I started in egg cartons. All I paid for was potting soil because the seeds were a few years old. And I love them. I especially love that it's so bushy and green. Now if they were just perennials that I didn't have keep planting every year. I'm going for low maintenance!

Fasting for Body and Spirit

When I was younger, I used to work in a bank in the St. Louis area. I once had a conversation with another teller about fasting, probably after mentioning Fast Sunday. It went like this:

Her: That's bad for you.

Me: No, that's good for you.

Her: No, it's bad.

Me: No, it's good.

[I'm not sure how long this phase went on.]

Her: Your body needs vitamins.

Me: Your body stores vitamins.

[I might have spoken out of turn here.]

Me: It talks about fasting in the Bible.

Her: That means eating a small breakfast and lunch and regular supper and no snacks.

I think at this point I didn't know what to say. I wondered where she came up with this definition. Is that in the Bible, I wondered. Maybe I should study more before I have to eat my words. I suppose that's what her church taught. I decided I needed some education about the subject. So that night I went to the library and checked out some books on fasting.

One book was quite informative. It told how people anciently would fast as a way of healing themselves of various illnesses and diseases. When the body is not occupied with digesting food, it can rest and recuperate. Toxins are released. Some of these fasts were for an extended period of time, but I'm only concerned in doing a 24 hour fast.

I also wanted to read any scriptures I could find on the subject. In Matthew chapter 15, we read where Jesus didn't want to send the multitudes away fasting, lest they should faint in the way. I seriously think I could walk home if I was allowed a light breakfast and lunch and regular dinner.

In Matthew chapter 17, there's an interesting story. The disciples tried to cure a child and failed. Jesus came and cast out the devil. He spoke to the disciples about faith and then said, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." So, combining prayer and fasting gives a certain spiritual power. Something that couldn't be accomplished by prayer alone, could be accomplished by adding fasting to the formula. If a person were trying hard to overcome something, say dishonesty, fasting might give him the extra help he needs.

I like these lines of a poem by Carol Lynn Pearson. "...good rest for my body, good exercise for my soul."

Honey for your Brain

Just read this yesterday on benefits-of-honey.com : Honey is the only food that contains 'pinocembrin', an antioxidant associated with improved brain functioning. I've already been eating local honey for my allergies. I thought they were better this year. But that could have been from losing the willow tree that was right next to the house. Not sure.

My daughter informed me that my nutrition based blogs are boring. So says the seventeen year old who has not yet noticed the mental decline of age. I also, being one who does a little genealogy, and seen the word senility on many an ancestor's death certificate, appreciate all the help I can get!

Dr. Mark Hyman on Dementia

Dr. Mark Hyman has written an article about reversing dementia. I first saw this after finding out the second person in my immediate family had this diagnosis. What a sense of gratitude/elation/joy filled me at thinking this diagnosis didn't have to be a life or death sentence. He says:

"Start by looking hard for correctable causes of memory loss. They include:

• Pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome
• Low thyroid function
• Depression
• Deficiencies in B vitamins, especially vitamin B12
• Omega-3 fat deficiencies
• Mercury or other heavy metal toxicity
• Vitamin D deficiency
• High cholesterol
• Unique genes that predispose you to nutritional or detoxification problems"

Read the article. I've just given the basics. Some of these things are very easy, like taking a pill. Others may take more work and more time, but what a blessing to be able to reverse this disease. I would start with taking sublingual B12, vitamin D, and fish oil. A lot of things can be improved with a healthy diet and exercise. That reminds me-I need to put B12 on my grocery list!

Spitz's Lemon Bath

Spitz, my gray and white cat, is looking a little mangy. By that I mean she has a few little spots of bare on her back. I looked up mange and found it's caused by a mite. Sweetie, the black cat, had something like this a year or so ago. I made and treated her with a lemon bath. I am not a fan of using poisons, and also not a fan of spending a lot of money. She started looking better right away.

Lemon bath: slice lemon with peel still on. Boil water, and remove from heat. Add lemon slices and steep overnight. Sponge onto pet's coat.

You don't really expect a cat to enjoy a bath. I don't know that I'd say Sweetie enjoyed it, but she seemed okay with it. I sat on the patio and placed her on my lap. I took an old sock on my hand and dipped it in the lemon water and petted her with it. I kept this up until she was quite soaked, as were my jeans, but that's okay. You might think a swim suit would be smart, but not if your cat has claws! But that was Sweetie. Now Spitz needs it and I don't know how this will go...

Update: All went well. She meowed a lot and tried to get away. I got my shirt drenched by trying to hug her to keep her on my lap. She's a sweet cat who didn't bite or scratch. I think she's very happy to have it over with! And there is now fur growing back in those bare places. :) [I never made a smiley face with italics before. Looks a little sauced.]

Family Reunion

The family reunion was in our town this year. Usually it's held in Joe's Valley in Utah. But this year, right here on our little farm. Well, part of the reunion.

Mom-in-law went all out, as she usually does. She comes from a different generation where their work ethic is something else. She's at least twenty years older than me, but I don't manage to do half of what she does. For the family reunion, we painted her kitchen, living room, re-landscaped her front yard and also did some work in the backyard. Everything in the house was taken down from it's spot and cleaned. She even came over and cleaned my garage. Granted a lot of the things in there were theirs, but I still have a feeling I should be ashamed of myself.

She planned three meals for around forty people, but one of the meals fell through. She was disappointed but I was relieved, my back and feet were killing me. Her meals are not a little light fare, but something of a smorgasbord.

Some of the family from out west are talking about coming out here next year. I know it's a lot of work, but it was really nice getting to know them a little. I personally would change menus to make it easier. That's what I've been saying to my sisters for years. If we had a more simple meal, we would have more time for fun. But I know Mom. And she'll want a big to-do. And that's just fine. There's always ibuprofen.

The weeping willow tree

It took me awhile to blog this time. They changed some things and I had a hard time finding my way back here. Some of us who aren't so computer saavy are like that. Plus I've been busy freezing broccoli from my garden, cleaning house for a family party, doing church secretary stuff, and the like.

Today, as soon as I finished with my broccoli, I went to join Don and Bob outside. They were cutting down the last of the weeping willow tree that was next to the house.

I always have mixed feelings about changes. In some ways, I didn't like the tree. I always had to trim the long hanging branches so Bob could mow underneath without getting caught. It left lots of broken branches and dead wood to be cleaned up. Storm damage made it look a little unattractive during months when there were no leaves.

But there was a time when the tree was full of leaves. We sat under it the summer Alden and Afton were here. And lots of other times. The cats would sit on a branch and look in the kitchen at me. And I used to enjoy the view when I had my breakfast. I even took some pictures hoping my mom would find it worthy to paint.

I took some pictures today, too. But I think I'd prefer to show it the way it was. Mom doesn't do much painting anymore. Maybe I'll try it.

Update: I did try painting it. Conclusion: Some of us are better with a camera.

Grandpa

Sixteen years ago, today, my dad passed. I like to say passed, because I think it serves as a better description. Our soul or spirit passes into another phase of life. The body dies, the spirit lives on forever. To be later resurrected like Jesus was. In some ways, we follow his example without even trying.

A funny thing happened, though, sixteen years ago. We went to the funeral with our one year old daughter. All the people were sitting in folding chairs in the center of a large room. In the front was the casket. The sides of the room had couches and chairs and tables and lamps. I sat in the front row with immediate family, and Don sat back a few rows with Kelly. Sometime during the service, she pointed to one of the couches and waved.

I'm not sure who Kelly saw that day. I watched her for awhile afterward, to make sure she didn't go around waving at inanimate objects. She didn't. I like to think she was waving to grandpa. I know he loved her alot, and would have been there if he could.

Move It or Lose It

I'm always interested in new information about dementia. Two family members have symptoms. One is 92 years old, so that's not so surprising. The other is in her fifties, and that was quite a shocker.
The things I have been reading on the subject are very hopeful. I was looking at a magazine article about having a sharper brain. The number one thing you can do is exercise.
From August 2006 Reader's Digest:
Arthur Kramer (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and his colleagues have proved two critical findings: Fit people have sharper brains, and people who are out of shape, but then get into shape, sharpen up their brains.
It was suggested by Mark McDaniel (Washington University in St. Louis) to use a combination of aerobics and weight training. Studies show the best outcomes for those engaged in both types of exercise.

Dancing in the Streets

I've never forgottern how the Palestinians danced in the streets and gave out candy after the 9/11 attacks. I told myself I would do the same when they got Bin Laden. Well, I got the news last night. But it was dark out and raining. And no one is ever out there on our lonely country road anyway.
Chris Matthews said it's a day for going to church rather than going to a bar. I agree. I don't really feel like chanting "U - S - A", but rather feel like thanking the Lord for our world being just a little safer.

Cemetery records

I spent quite a lot of time today searching cemetery lists of Ripley County, Missouri. I thought my great grandfather, Emerson Laney, might have died there. His daughter was supposedly born there and not long after, he died. I realize it was a long shot. There were so many cemeteries for one county. I was tired and my back was aching from looking so long. The woman who did this research has photos of all the tombstones and will send you one if requested. For every single name I looked at, she went traipsing through sometimes very overgrown, neglected cemeteries. What wonderful people, who do all this work so the rest of us can look for our ancestors. The spirit of Elijah is so strong in some people.

Happy 1 Month Birthday

Here's our babies at one month old. They're looking kind of scraggly. But they'll get more feathers in and be looking quite pretty in time. We haven't had baby chicks in about three years, so the grown ups are getting pretty up there in age. We are getting a decent amount of eggs from the older ones still. We give them lots of grass and greens to supplement their layer feed. It makes the egg yolks almost orange. The grocery store eggs we bought in the winter looked anemic compared to these.

Family Search

I read an article not long ago in Mormon Times. It was about Family Search on lds.org. It sounded so easy to get started. So I went there and I am having so much fun. I don't know if others consider the research fun, but it's not that hard. Granted, there are some things I just can't find. But I just go on to the next name. I'll go back to the hard ones when I've learned a little more. I've found family on census records which I hadn't found before. In some cases, I was able to make a copy of the actual census page. Luckily, my Great Aunt Vera wrote lots of information down which I use as a starting point. She typed her pages using carbon paper. She wrote on one page, "Don't throw this away". Don't worry, Aunt Vera, you work is useful and appreciated.

My Latest Blonde Moment

I was reading an older copy of the Church News this morning. There was an article about help the church gave to Haiti after the quake. It said we've sent the equivalent of more than 60 truckloads of relief supplies - including air shipments. And I thought, for just a moment mind you, "We sent them air?!"

Seedlings

I used egg cartons to start my seedlings this year. I had an overabundance of cartons since our chickens haven't been laying any eggs over the winter. It seems to be working well. They're very handy to water in the kitchen windowsills, and are getting plenty of sunlight. It's quite fun to check each morning to see any new sprouts. Now I wish I had done more. The only thing that hasn't come up yet is the nasturtiums. The seed might have been too old. I'll give it some more time, and then get some new seed. They're supposed to help deter some of the insects that invade the vegetable garden. My biggest problem last summer was the cabbageworms on the broccoli. The book said to put paper collars around each plant. I used plastic soda bottles, cut off the top and bottom and put around each plant. The worms found the plants anyway. They were so bad, I pulled the broccoli up early because I was so annoyed with trying to get off all those little beasts. Better Homes Gardens says to plant tansy to deter cabbageworms. I looked up tansy and its an herb. I'll try to find seed and plant near the broccoli.

Pray for the Mormons

I was watching this thing on the religious channel. There was this man talking about the Mormons. The unfortunate Mormons who are so misguided. Pray for your Mormon friends, he said. Well, I don't have a problem with anyone praying for me. In fact, I kind of like it. He was talking to a young couple, asking them questions and obviously trying to trip them up. They sounded like they knew what they were talking about. I would have liked to hear the Bible reference on at least one of the statements he made. In a world where there is so much strife and sadness, earthquakes and tsunamis, AIDS and children going to bed hungry, I'm surprised he's worrying so much about the Mormons. But, if you want to pray for me and my friends, then I thank you. And don't forget to pray for all those people hurt by the earthquakes and tsunamis, and AIDS, and hunger. And maybe for that guy on the religious channel.