Living Abundantly

"At the advent of a new year, ... undertake a personal, diligent, significant quest for what I call the abundant life—a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings. Just as we learned the ABCs in school, I offer my own ABCs to help us all gain the abundant life. A in my ABCs refers to attitude. ... B is for believe—in yourself, in those around you, and in eternal principles. ... C is for courage. Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently." Thomas Monson

This resonates with me not only because of the truth in these words but also because the name of this blog is "The Abundant Life" in reference to Christ's words in John 10:10

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." 

One Picture - Many Stories

So many stories in this picture of our living room in Worthington

Christmas 1982

Wall sconce - We bought this on a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia. A family member now has it.

Marble top buffet - John and I bought this at an auction in Plain City. We liked it because the burled walnut matched the secretary we had purchased years before at an auction in the Cincinnati area when we were newly married and living in Oxford, Ohio during John's senior year of college. I had already graduated. The secretary is on the right side of this picture and can barely be seen. Family now has the secretary. The buffet came across country with us. 

Leaded glass door bookcase - Joe and I bought this at a sidewalk sale at Graceland Shopping Center. A family member now has it. 

Marble top buffet, leaded glass bookcase and secretary are three of my favorite pieces of furniture from my adult life. 

Christmas stockings - My stocking was knit by Mom's mother, Mildred Browne Floyd. Each of the Holton children has one with his/her name and birth year knit in it. The stockings appear in pictures in the early 1950s. After Joe and I married, Mom knit a stocking for Joe. 

Angel chimes on top of bookcase - I remember angel chimes from childhood Christmases. I think Mom and Dad gave us these angel chimes. Last year we gave angel chimes to our children. 

Advent calendar - Mom made these for her grandchildren. When I look at the tiny, hand stitched felt pieces, I think about the time, love, and effort Mom put into this gift. Her hands didn't work well so the sewing must not have been easy for her. Each piece has multiple parts, sequins, and/or other decorations - as well as a tiny looped hanger. These were not easy to create - and each calendar had 25 pieces plus the larger tree to stitch.  As a grandmother I understand the desire to give something meaningful and a gift that reflects my love. I feel Mom's love for her family when I look at this Advent calendar. 

Wingback chair - this came across country with us. Unfortunately we didn't have room for it. A friend from church was very happy to receive it for her apartment. We bought this chair at Ethan Allen in Worthington. Joe likes wingback chairs and the fabric was similar to the fabric in our drapes. Joe's mother had a large wingback chair when Joe was a child. We still have the tiny footstool that went with his mother's wingback chair. Joe remembers sitting on the footstool. 

Birdcage - we never did have a bird - just liked the brass bird cage. Neither of us remember when we got it or when we passed it along to someone else. 

Two pictures over bookcase - these came from Joe's mother & step-father, Maude (Mary Elizabeth aka Betty. Joe called her Maude) & Ray Pepper. The pictures appear to be gold foil scenes from perhaps Thailand. They were probably given to Maude by her brother John Neely who lived and worked in the Philippines for years. The pictures are now with family. 

Grandfather (or is it a grandmother because it's smaller) clock - we bought this at the grandfather clock store that used to be on High Street behind the Dairy Queen. We went for a walk one evening and ended up buying a clock!!! It's now with family. 

Drapes - I made drapes for the 5 windows in the living room and dining room. This crewel upholstery fabric was purchased at Fabric Farms on Riverside Drive in Columbus. I sewed these about 1979 or 1980 after we repainted the living and dining rooms. I lined the drapes with material that blocked the sun rays. It must have worked because those curtains were still in good shape when we moved 30+ years later. I made pillows out of the extra fabric. We have some of those pillows with us in Kirkland. 

Christmas tree 

- red & green garland - MichaelK made this in preschool

- Lifesaver garland - Michael & I bought that the first Christmas we were by ourselves

- Christmas tree topper - Michael gave this to Joe for Christmas not long after we were married

- ornaments - I spy some ornaments that are still in our Christmas boxes

Stacking tables - between tree & chair - There are three tables that slide together. They came from Grandpa & Grandma's on First Street. We have them out here in Kirkland and use them every day.

So many wonderful memories

Celtic Christmas Concert

We attended the “Celtic Christmas Concert” at the Kirkland Performance Center. We were expecting a somewhat mellow evening of Christmas music with a Celtic twist. We knew Geoffrey Castle,  the featured performer, was a violinist. What we didn't expect was the "rock" aspect of his music. Most of it was wonderful but there were a few parts that were WAY too loud and frenzied for our mature ears. Guess we should have checked out YouTube videos. Here's one from a previous Christmas concert. Click here for the video on Kirkland Performance Center's site. 

Vocalist Beth Quist was with Cirque du Soleil for two years. At this concert she sang and played the hammered dulcimer (on right).

Alan White, famous English drummer who played with John Lennon and other Beatles, did several numbers. Somehow he ended up living in the Bellevue area. It would be interesting to hear his story. Three women from the Seattle Irish Dance Company did many dances. 

Seattle Firefighters Pipes and Drums played some wonderful numbers. Santa came and worked the crowd. He had children come up on the stage and help with audience sing-alongs.

Geoffrey Castle is from this area. He plays frequently at a Kirkland Irish restaurant. The coat he's wearing in the last picture is lined in brilliant scarlet.The outside is embroidered with Celtic symbols. A fan made the coat for him and presented it to him earlier in the day. There was a lot of "smoke" used on the set the first part of the program. We were thinking it was getting way too foggy at one point. Castle finally told the tech people to "cut the smoke" completely. The violin looks very different. Since it's electric/acoustic, there's no sound box.

Castle is a big proponent of music in the schools. Geoffrey Castle tells his story here. About 2/3rds of the way through the video check out the contraption he operates with his foot. He used this at the Christmas concert. He'd record a track. Then play it, then record another track, combine it with the first one and so forth until he had quite a production going. 

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The First Noel

A wonderful arrangement of "The First Noel" (with "Joy to the World" also)

Click here to read an interview with 11 year-old singer Lexi Walker. When preparing for the music video, the producer asked Lexi to "study my scriptures beforehand and to ponder the meaning of Christ’s birth throughout the shoot." 

Many wonderful videos and amazing songs during this Christmas season have touched my heart. I'm going to make an effort to listen to them again through the coming months - to bring back the special closeness to Christ that comes during this season when we celebrate Him and His birth.

Mom's Advent Calendar

When I decorated our Christmas tree this year, I realized the felt, hand stitched pieces from Mom's Advent calendar were the perfect size for our tree. I felt very close to Mom and Dad as I hung the figures. I put the camel and owl next to each other. Dad's symbol was the owl and Mom "adopted" the camel as her animal. 

I think she made an Advent calendar for each of her four children. I don't know if we all received them the same year. Here's a grandson with his in 1979. Below you can see our calendar in 1982. 

When I look at the tiny, hand stitched felt pieces, I think about the time, love, and effort Mom put into this gift. Her hands didn't work well so the sewing must not have been easy for her. Each piece has multiple parts, sequins, and/or other decorations - as well as a tiny looped hanger. These were not easy to create - and each calendar had 24* pieces plus the larger tree to stitch.  As a grandmother I understand the desire to give something meaningful and a gift that reflects my love. I feel Mom's love for her children and grandchildren when I look at these Advent pieces. 

Mom - Christmas 1982

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You football fans might notice that our tree is decorated with green and blue beads which just happen to be the colors for the Seattle Seahawks. Could be we did that for a grandson who is a MAJOR fan - or it could be that those are the colors we had and we realized they were Seahawks colors only after the tree was decorated. Which do you think it is?

* corrected January 21, 2015

Warmth

There are a number of women who are always cold in the room where we hold Sunday School and Relief Society. Before we moved here someone bought fleece blankets that are passed out on Sunday to anyone who is cold. One of my "jobs" as Relief Society secretary is to distribute the blankets. 

Recently I thought about the symbolism of the blankets and their distribution. We should all be handing out “blankets” of love and warmth to each other - every day of the week. 

Christmas Message

As we celebrate this Christmas season, our thoughts turn to that sacred event long ago when the Prince of Peace and the Light of the World was born (see Isaiah 9:6). Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, who was “wounded for our transgressions, ... and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). He promised: “He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

We sincerely pray this Christmastime that the light and testimony of the Savior will come into our hearts, that our lives will reflect His life and attributes, and that people everywhere will accept the blessings of His mercy and grace that are made possible through His atoning sacrifice.

May each of us be blessed during this joyous time of the year, and may we acknowledge with gratitude our Heavenly Father’s incomparable gift to us — His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thomas S. Monson, Henry B. Eyring, Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The First Presidency 
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Singing Grace

One of my vivid memories of holiday family dinners is singing grace (image November 1953). 

Father we thank thee for the food we eat.

We thank thee for fellowship sweet.

We thank thee for memories here that cling. 

We thank thee Lord for everything. 

Amen. 

For years I thought we were singing “We thank thee for memories here that clean” and I couldn’t figure out how memories cleaned!

I asked Dad about the origin of the singing grace. He said his mother Celia probably learned it when she taught at Pine Mountain Settlement School in Kentucky. I found a reference to singing grace at Pine Mountain here. 

After Dad's death, we occasionally sing this at family gatherings. It brings tears to our eyes and people from the other side are very close. 

Precious, precious memory

Christmas - Remembering

Christmas decorations bring a flood of memories. By this point in our lives the items in the bins have been saved for a reason. We had to make choices about what would travel across country with us in our move. There are stories connected with almost everything in the Christmas boxes. 

As I decorated our place I thought about Christmases past. Christmas is about remembering and celebrating special times with family. 

Christmas remembering and celebrating is not only about family. It's also about remembering and celebrating the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ. This should go on year round, not brought out in December, then stored in a bin in the basement until December rolls around again.

Distilling Takes Time

Our lives are full of people and activities. It takes a conscious effort to slow down, to "be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10 & Doctrine & Covenants 101:16) In that act of slowing down, of listening, of pondering, we can allow the "dews of heaven" to "distill on our souls." 

I like that reminder. Distillation is a process that takes time - but the result is of great worth. The things of God - our relationship with Him and Jesus Christ and learning and living doctrine -  take time, patience, and effort. 

Family Files

Genealogists often use the phrase "family file" when referring to the database with all the family information. These are my physical family files. The other day I decided to put pictures of family on the files. This is a wonderful reminder of why and for whom I am collecting this information. 

I want to know the people who went before us. I want to help others in the family know them too. I often feel the responsibility and stewardship of getting these files in order so that they make sense and are useful to whomever is "lucky" enough to have to deal with them after I've joined the family on the other side. 

Recognizing & Appreciating

Driving from the east towards downtown Kirkland there's a certain place you change elevation just enough that the Olympic Mountains and Lake Washington suddenly pop into view. The glorious sight doesn't last very long because the elevation changes again as you drive down towards Lake Washington. 

This view was so gorgeous and so unexpected initially that we literally would drive around the block just so we could see it again (and often so I could take a picture at just the right time!). I came to know exactly when to expect the view and would eagerly look forward to it. 

Now that we're approaching our fourth anniversary here, I find myself taking this beauty for granted - and I don't want to do that. It got me thinking about other parts of my life that I might also be taking for granted. I want to recognize and enjoy all the beauty, abundance, and awesomeness of my life - and give thanks.

Garden d'Lights

"Garden d’Lights features over ½ million lights which transform the Bellevue Botanical Garden into a blossoming winter wonderland. ...hundreds of volunteers have been busy making creations. ... Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into another fantastic light show." 

This is the 20th year for this wonderful event. Over 100,000 people come to enjoy the display. 

To make the light display, volunteers "fashion 3D representations of botanically correct plants and flowers." The pictures below give you an idea how lights are bundled and then put together to create objects like the parrot in the tree. gardendlights.org

 

dragon on right

rabbit in the corn field

 sea creatures on left - right - these rivers "flowed" with twinkling lights

All sorts of creatures were scattered throughout the garden

2014 video about the display, click here

See post about 2012 Garden d'Lights here and 2013 here 

Click on a picture to see a larger image and to view a  "slide show" of the images in the post. 

A Bit of Ohio

Recently a friend told how a long ago coworker made up his lunch for the week. Starting with a loaf of bread and pile of bologna, he alternated slices of bread and bologna - no mayonnaise, mustard or other fixings, just bread and bologna. Then he put the whole thing back in the bread bag and took out something to eat every day. 

That story brought back memories of Trail Bologna from Ohio. We didn't have it very often but periodically our bodies would tell us it was time for some Trail Bologna. Every once in a while on my way home from Mom's and Dad's I would stop at the Cheese House in Plain City and get 3-4 slices of Trail Bologna and matching number of slices of Baby Swiss cheese. That always took care of the craving for a while. 

Click here for a story about this family business that's been operating for more than 100 years and what makes this bologna so good.  Here's another article.  I always thought Trail bologna was named for Trail, Ohio. This website says that's the case. But the Troyer's website says - "Originally named not for the town it was produced in but for the fact it was the most portable meat that could be eaten after not being refrigerated for quite some time." Trail bologna was eaten on the trail. This article talks about the Midwest and bologna; Troyer's Trail Bologna is mentioned. 

These days you can find about anything on the Internet - even Troyer's Trail Bologna from Trail, Ohio. We had some shipped to the west coast last week. Now, if we could only find a way to get broasted chicken from Der Dutchman out here :) 

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After typing bologna so many times for this post, I started wondering about the origin of the word and why it is spelled bologna and pronounced baloney. dictionary.com's explanation includes connections to Italy, Ireland, Poland, and politics. 

Book - Candy Experiments

We know Loralee Leavitt, the author of this fun book. Her daughter once asked "What would happen if ..." and candy experiments were born in the Leavitt household. That led to a book. The second Candy Experiments book has just been published. The experiments and explanations are a fun way to learn science. 

from worldcat.org    "Candy is more than a sugary snack. With candy, you can become a scientific detective. You can test candy for secret ingredients, peel the skin off candy corn, or float an 'm' from M&M's. You can spread candy dyes into rainbows, or pour rainbow layers of colored water. You'll learn how to turn candy into crystals, sink marshmallows, float taffy, or send soda spouting skyward. You can even make your own lightning. Candy experiments teaches kids a new use for their candy. As children try eye-popping experiments, such as growing enormous gummy worms and turning cotton candy into slime, they’ll also be learning science. Best of all, they'll willingly pour their candy down the drain. Candy experiments contains 70 science experiments, 29 of which have never been previously published. Chapter themes include secret ingredients, blow it up, sink and float, squash it, and other fun experiments about color, density, and heat. The book is written for children between the ages of 7 and 10, though older and younger ages will enjoy it as well. Each experiment includes basic explanations of the relevant science, such as how cotton candy sucks up water because of capillary action, how Pixy Stix cool water because of an endothermic reaction, and how gummy worms grow enormous because of the water-entangling properties."  

Fun for all ages. 

Read more here. Loralee's facebook page is here

Book - Unruly Places

Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, and Other Inscrutable Geographies

by Alastair Bonnett

"...Unruly Places explores the most extraordinary, off-grid, offbeat places on the planet. Alastair Bonnett's tour of the planet's most unlikely micro-nations, moving villages, secret cities, and no man's lands shows us the modern world from surprising new vantage points, bound to inspire urban explorers, off-the-beaten-trail wanderers, and armchair travelers. He connects what we see on maps to what's happening in the world by looking at the places that are hardest to pin down: inaccessible zones, improvised settlements, multiple cities sharing the same space. Consider Sealand, an abandoned gun platform off the English coast that a British citizen claimed as his own sovereign nation, issuing passports and making his wife a princess. Or Baarle, a patchwork city of Dutch and Flemish enclaves where crossing the street can involve traversing national borders. Or Sandy Island, which appeared on maps well into 2012 despite the fact it never existed. Illustrated with original maps and drawings, Unruly Places gives readers a new way of understanding the places we occupy."

image & summary from world cat.com

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jht comments

I found this book fascinating. “Place is a protean and fundamental aspect of what it is to be human. We are a place-making and place-loving species.” (xviii) Topophilia is the technical terms for this.

Notes from a few of the chapters -

Lost Spaces – islands that never existed but were on maps for centuries, like Sandy Island (see wikipedia's entry and "map" for Sandy Island to the right). Villages sacrificed for war; ancient cities whose old sections are bulldozed to make way for modern buildings; places that appear or disappear with rising or dropping water levels

Hidden Geographies – I’ve long been fascinated by cities under cities. Seattle has an underground that was created when the downtown was raised one level in order to deal with water problems. Seattle wasn’t covered in this chapter but the Labyrinth under Minneapolis was. Then there are "secret” cities that for whatever reason never made it on official maps. The story about Zheleznogorsk, a secret city in Russia (p 42) reminded me of Los Alamos, New Mexico. People who lived in Zheleznogorsk had just a post office box address. For decades the city didn’t even have an official name although 90,000 people lived there.

No Man’s Lands was an interesting chapter – It was about territories that are in between established borders or where border posts of two contiguous nations aren’t contiguous. Sometimes these inbetween spaces develop an atmosphere of a “twilight space” of sorts (p 70). He described Bir Tawil, a place no one wants to claim - and the politics involved. Then there are communities that end up in another country when borders shift or are disputed – or places once important enough to fight over no longer are wanted by either side. This happened to people in Nahuaterique. They were in El Salvador and then Honduras.

Dead Cities – Cities abandoned because of industry and/or environmental calamity (think of Chesire, Ohio although it wasn't in this book). The accounts of ghost cities being built in China was fascinating. 

Spaces of Exception – “normal rules do not apply”. “Sometimes such places escape the rule of government, but they have also been used by governments who wish to undertake activities that would normally be forbidden…” Camp Zeist was established in Holland in 1999 to hold a trial for the Libyan men suspected of blowing up a Pan Am flight over Scotland in 1988. For the time of the trial, the plot of land in Holland was legally Scotland. It was a “legal enclave where Scottish law applied.” That allowed the trial to “take place both in Scotland and outside Scotland.” It's interesting what governments are willing to do - "black sites," "green zones," declaring a room in a Canadian maternity ward part of the Netherlands so a little girl who is born can claim Dutch citizenship and be a princess.

Enclaves and Break-away Nations – Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog (178) is a story of convoluted borders of the Netherlands and Belgium. To make it even more complex there are seven Dutch exclaves within the Belgian exclaves. There’s a similar situation between India and Bangladesh. On the border there are 106 Indian enclaves and 92 Bangladeshi enclaves. Supposedly the enclaves were stakes in card or chess games between two regional kings centuries ago. Wikipedia has a list of enclaves and exclaves here. Have you heard of Sealand? It’s an independent state built on an abandoned World War II gun platform off the coast of England. A retired British Army major bought it and proclaimed himself “Prince.” He and his family rule. They have their own currency and issue passports. The author talks about the birth of new nations, often based on ethnicity and a group that feels it is being ignored.

Floating Islands – Trash islands & pumice islands float in the oceans. Ice islands are created with spray that freezes; buildings are constructed on these islands. 

Ephemeral Places – This is the chapter where the author talks about spaces created by children. He called it "den-making," playing with place instead of toys. I thought of all the spaces we created as children. He also talks about the parking lot at the Los Angeles airport. One lot has been filled with RVs which have become housing, a “commuting settlement” for pilots, mechanics, flight attendants who need sleep between flights. 

If you read this book, try to get an edition with photos and maps. The edition available at our library had no pictures and no maps! Very unusual for a book about places. The author did include coordinates so you could find the places on Google Earth.

Reading this book will cause you to look at "place" very differently. 

Keepsake - More Than Just An Egg

Joe keeps this egg on his dresser as a connection with his beloved Grandfather Trapper, Alonzo Solon Neely.

It's an "ordinary" hand-painted plastic egg. But it has quite a story. Elizabeth Gilmore Neely, Alonzo's wife, gave Ray Pepper and Joe the egg to take to Alonzo at the hospital in Urbana, Ohio. Joe gave the egg to his grandfather. 

For years Joe thought this was the egg Trapper was holding when he died. Then Joe remembered that egg was cracked in Trapper's hand at the time of death. Now he thinks his Grandmother Neely, Mamaw, painted two eggs; one was given to Trapper and this is the second egg.

Dr. Neely's Christmas Cards

Alonzo Solon Neely's Christmas cards give us wonderful likenesses and glimpses into his personality. Alonzo is Joe's beloved grandfather. Joe called him Trapper. Everyone else, including family, called him "Dr. Neely." He was very proud of being a doctor and wanted everyone to acknowledge his calling/occupation. Joe says Elizabeth Gilmore Neely, Mamaw, sometimes called her husband "Lonnie" but usually it was "Dr. Neely." 

Alonzo had Christmas cards made from woodblocks for a number of years. 7 different designs survive. We have the woodblocks for 4 designs and prints of 4 designs (only one design has woodblock & print). Each design has Dr. A.S. Neely or ASN and all but one are signed by artist Bob Hertz. 

According to Joe, this reflects Dr. Neely's personality - charging forward with intensity. This card was during WWII according to Joe.

Other designs include Dr. Neely in fishing gear; Dr. Neely as Santa Claus driving the sleigh through the skies; and Dr. Neely in front of his desk. 

This Christmas Dr. Neely must be commenting on a recent operation. He has a pillow tied to his back end and is telling Santa to put the turkey on the mantel and "I'll take mine standing up this year." This is rather ironic because one of Dr. Neely's specialties was rectal surgery. Believe it or not Joe still has some instruments used for that surgery! Joe said Trapper "designed" the surgery he needed and had it performed by a doctor in Chicago. 

Read more about Dr. Neely by clicking the FamilyHistory label on the right

Reflections on Marriage

Henry Eyring reflected on 52 years of marriage with Kathleen Johnson. 

“I have become a better person as I have loved and lived with her. …We have been complementary beyond anything I could have imagined. …I realize now that we grow together into one — slowly lifting and shaping each other, year by year.” He said the differences between him and his wife have combined to form a better whole.

“The happiness that came from our becoming one built faith in our children and grandchildren that marriage could be a continuing source of satisfaction for them and their families.”

He acknowledged that not all marriages produce happiness. One prime factor, he said, can make the difference between being happy or unhappy. “Where there is selfishness, natural differences of men and women often divide,” he said. “Where there is unselfishness, differences become complementary and provide opportunities to help and build each other.”

It’s essential for marriage partners to replace self-interest with charity and benevolence, he noted. “Only then will people be able to make the hourly unselfish sacrifices necessary for a happy marriage and family life — and to do it with a smile.”

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So much wisdom here - "Hourly, unselfish sacrifices ... done with a smile" - definitely are key factors. 

Lately I've done a lot of pondering about the "becoming" process as I develop my discipleship of Christ and my potential as a child of God. This quote is a reminder to me of the "becoming" process that Joe and I are committed to as eternal companions. 

Read more from Henry Eyring here

Festival of the Nativity

Bellevue Festival of the Nativity is in its fifth year. The presentation of Nativities from around the world is amazing. In addition to the gym (aka cultural hall) which has hundreds of Nativities beautifully displayed, there is the children’s room with more child oriented and child friendly Nativities; the Christ room; a room where children could get dressed up and have pictures taken in front of a manger; an activity room for children; a movie room. Groups and individuals from the community perform throughout the event. Friday evening we were hosts at the Festival.

550 Nativities from 80 countries

100 trees in the gym & many more throughout the building

360 live poinsettias - The poinsettias are purchased by individuals, “loaned” for the festival, and then picked up after the festival closes.

Click on pictures to see larger images

above - Puerto Rico; clay

below - Peru; gourd with plaster & potato clay

Made by Zulu women in South Africa. Animals are hand-carved from hard wood and covered in a complex web of beads in traditional designs. I love the giraffe.

 above - Thailand

 above Nepal; below Cambodia

above - Kyrgyzstan; wool felt

below - Mexico; clay, beeswax & beads

above - Japan

below - Hondurus, made from snack bags

above - Slovakia; corn husks

 below - Philippines; recycled newspaper

Alaska

Click here for pictures from last year's festival 

This is a wonderful way to start the Christmas season. 

A great reminder that Jesus is indeed the reason for the season

He is the gift