Concert Night

Friday evening we met our family at Benaroya Hall in downtown Seattle for a concert by the Ensign Symphony & Chorus - “The Power & The Glory” - celebrating the power and the glory of God and Jesus Christ through music of all different types.”  

"This all-volunteer ensemble is made up of a 120-person chorus and 55-piece orchestra, all performing out of their passion and love for music. Led by Rob Archibald and Fabio Pirola, these rigorously auditioned instrumentalists and singers come from 40 different towns across western Washington to share compositions aimed at making the listener feel empowered and inspired." More information here

by Chihuly

120-person chorus and 55-piece orchestra

Great concert

Great family time

added March 4, 2015
click here to see video from Seattle news station

Mom & Amelia Peabody Books

Thinking of Mom today - 

on the anniversary of the end of her life here on earth & 

the beginning of the rest of her eternal life

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Among the thousands of books at North Oak Street after Mom's and Dad's deaths were Mom's many titles by Elizabeth Peters. She had most of the books in Peters' Amelia Peabody series. The numbers "6" and "8" are written on the flyleaves of the two I took for our library. The writing is Mom's unmistakable tremor writing. I had a hunch she numbered the books in the series. Sure enough, the titles were number 6 and number 8 in the series. The organizational gene that many of us Holtons have doesn't come just from the Holton side! I haven't found any of the underlinings or notes that are frequently in Mom's books. I'm thinking she read these for pure enjoyment. 

Here are some of my thoughts on why Mom enjoyed these books so much. 

The first attraction is obvious. Amelia and her husband are both archeologists who specialize in Egypt. Mom was fascinated by Egypt and its ancient history. That interest was evidenced in other books she studied, magazines she subscribed to, and a trip she and Dad took to Egypt. 

Amelia is very feisty and independent. She has much to say about opportunities, or lack thereof, for women. She had much to say about many issues of the day; she is very out-spoken. The series starts in the late 1880s and goes into the First World War.

My mother wasn't thrilled with life in small town Ohio. Raised in Evanston, a suburb of Chicago, she loved big city life. According to Mom, the agreement she and Dad made when they moved to London was that they would live there a year and then move to the big city of Columbus. Mom never got to move to the big city. In the books Amelia and her husband have marvelous adventures in exotic places. Mom and Dad did travel to exotic places - Israel, Turkey, Egypt to name a few. Did part of her yearn for even more adventure or was she content to read about Amelia's adventures? The fact that she didn't like to fly made it difficult to make more trips. 

Elizabeth Peter's website for Amelia Peabody is well done and full of interesting information. I think Mom would have enjoyed it if we could have ever gotten her to be at peace with a computer! Elizabeth Peters is a prolific author who has written under a number of names. Peters has a PhD in Egyptology. As I read Mertz/Peters/Michaels's short biography (scroll to the top of the page/link), I am convinced Mom would have found this woman fascinating. She's a cat person too, just like Mom. 

Quotes from Amelia - I can imagine Mom enjoying many of these and perhaps having some of the same thoughts. 

Now that I've written this, I need to do the Holton thing and put a copy of the post in the book for someone to find in the future. 

image 1972

What Perks You Up?

What perks you up when the weather is cold, snowy, overcast, rainy - or whatever? 

When life's challenges seem a bit much? 

Here are some of my favorites

Nature - These miniature daffodils were on our Easter dinner table last year. I planted them outside and they've been blooming since early February. I don't know what the bush on the right is. It's outside our front door & started blooming a few weeks ago. Those are monkey puzzle branches I put in the shrub. 

There's a whole row of camellia bushes outside our place. 

They started blooming in January.

Plants & flowers around the house where I see them frequently during the day

Family - family on both sides of the veil

reminders of who I am - who went before me & who's coming after me

Scriptures - reading & pondering the word of God 

bring perspective & peace

Prayer - connecting with God

Jesus Christ & His Gospel

Kindness - A Way of Life

"He came from a home where kindness was a way of life."* Oh, that we all could have such homes.

Dad made this plaque - printed the phrase and cut the wood - as a reminder of kindness. One plaque hung over the doorway from the kitchen into the dining room at Oak Street. He made signs for his four children and their homes. 

I don't think anyone starts out a day thinking "I'm going to be as unkind as I can." Most of us are pretty kind by nature and desire. However, I'm amazed at how much kinder I can be if I consciously focus on being a little bit kinder each day. 

By nature I don't interact easily with people I don't know (unless there's a chance to discuss a few favorite topics that I'll discuss with anyone anywhere :)) Recently at the RootsTech conference in Salt Lake City I decided to be extra vigilant about being kind by smiling more and interacting more with those around me. There were 20,000+ fellow family history enthusiasts in attendance and almost 200 vendors in the exhibit hall. From my time doing state conferences back when I was working, I know how lonely and exhausting this can be for the exhibitors. The days are long and sometimes not many people talk with you. That goes for some conference goers also. It's amazing what a smile or few words will do to perk someone up. I met some fascinating people. 

Kindness as a "way of life." That's a great goal. 

*James McBride

The Sun and The Son

The sun can power items like this watch. 

The sun also cleans and disinfects. We sometimes put things in this windowsill 

to give them a good dose of sunshine. 

I think of laundry Mom hung outside to let the sun bleach away stains. 

The other day I walked by the windowsill & thought about the sun and the Son. 

The Son and His gospel give us power and purpose to our lives. 

The Son cleanses us, removes our earth stains. 

"I am the light of the world."

John 8: 12

the sun and the Son

Snow - January 1978

My father & his dog - January 1978

Those of you from London will recognize the Creamery and Courthouse in the background

Family Connections

Southwest's February 2015 magazine has articles connected
to two of our family's cities. 

Shakespeare in Detroit

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

RootsTech

5th year for RootsTech 

largest family history conference in the world! 

about 22,000 attendees from

49 states (where was West Virginia?)

37 countries

Morning keynote presentations and evening events are fantastic parts of RootsTech. Click here to read about the headliners. Friday morning Laura Bush spoke about family life before, during, and after the White House. 

Studio C and David Archuleta performed. Studio C is a sketch comedy show produced by BYUtv. They wrote a sketch specifically for RootsTech. In May 2008 Archuleta was second place on American Idol. 2012-2014 he was a missionary in Chile.  

Saturday’s keynote speakers were AJ Jacobs and Donny Osmond. Can you believe Donny Osmond is a grandfather! - and has been performing 50+ years! He’s the family historian for the large Osmond clan. 

about 300 sessions and almost 200 vendors

so much to see, hear and do and so little time :) 

It's always fun to run into people I haven't seen in ages

Cindy (middle) & her sister Jodi

Cindy's husband Greg taught and baptized us back in 1981

Cindy & Jodi grew up in Ohio but now live in Utah

Reflections - It’s all about love. It’s all about family - on both sides of the veil. It’s all about God’s purpose for us and our time here on earth. Turning the hearts of the children to the parents and the hearts of fathers and mothers to the children - it's the whole purpose of the earth - it's all very real. (See Malachi 4: 5,6)

Pictures from last year's RootsTech here and here
Daily highlights - click here

Why Commandments?

"Behold, I am God and have spoken it; these commandments are of me, and were given unto my servants in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding.
-And inasmuch as they erred it might be made known;

-And inasmuch as they sought wisdom they might be instructed;

-And inasmuch as they sinned they might be chastened, that they might repent;

And inasmuch as they were humble they might be made strong, and blessed from on high, and receive knowledge from time to time."   Doctrine and Covenants 1: 24-28

I like what these verses say about the reason for commandments. Too many people think of commandments as being negative or restrictive. God gives us commandments for great reasons. 

So we can come to understanding and recognize errors of our ways. So we can be chastened for those errors and repent and move on down the gospel path. 

So that we can be taught.

So we can be made strong, be blessed and receive knowledge. 

Those are all great reasons for knowing and living the commandments from God. 

Rolls & Memories

The crust, texture and size of this roll were just right to bring forth thoughts of Germany. 

I was a sophomore in high school and had gone to Hamburg, Germany to live with Aunt Dorothy and Uncle David to help care for the children. Perks of this experience included freshly baked rolls delivered to our apartment door every morning. They were still warm when we retrieved them and put them on the breakfast table. Aunt Dorothy also used real butter, no margarine for them. 

Warm, fresh rolls and butter - delicious!

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Click on the "Germany" label on the right for more about adventures in Germany

David's Visit

Our son David recently visited us. 

Our big excursion was to the LeMay - America's Car Museum. 

This is how cars looked in 1946, the year I was born

Tacoma as seen from the museum

Click here for pictures from a previous trip to this museum

On the way home we stopped at Kerry Park so David could 

have his picture taken with the Seattle skyline. 

The Space Needle is lit with green and blue lights to honor the Seahawks

Michael, Julia, Joe & David

Rain & Worms

Not long ago we had one of those rainy days that results in worms all over the sidewalk. I've often been curious about why this happens. I looked it up this time. 

This article is full of interesting information. For example, did you know that a bunch of worms is called a "herd?" Somehow I don't picture a herd when I see a group of worms. 

As for the rain - worms come to the surface when it rains either for migration reasons - they can travel faster on top of wet surfaces than they can through the soil OR the vibrations from rain drops cause worms to think moles are after them and they come to the surface to escape the moles. 

After reading this and other articles I think the scientists don't really know why worms come to the surface when it rains - they just have some guesses. 

Happiness

"... walk confidently and joyfully. Yes the road has bumps and detours and even some hazards. But don't focus on them. Look for the happiness your Father in Heaven has prepared for you in every step of your journey. Happiness is the destination, but it's also the path." 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

And It Was Very Good

In Genesis we read about the creation of the world. After each “day” God observes what was done and “saw that it was good.” Genesis 1: 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31

I pondered this and wondered if I stop often enough to observe what I’m “creating” in myself, my home, my family, and my relationship with God and with others. I want to be able to say “it is good” and like God observes in Genesis 1: 31 when he looks at “everything he had made and behold, it was very good.” "Very good" is my goal in all that I create. I am thankful for the guidance of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit in my efforts to do so. 

Christ - Light of the World

Light of the World

"As we come to understand that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World, we will increase our faith in Him and become a light to others. Christ testified of His role as “the true light that lighteth every man [and woman] that cometh into the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:2) and asked that we “hold up [His] light that it may shine unto the world” (3 Nephi 18:24)."

The light of Christ has made an amazing and awesome difference in our lives. We can feel and see a before and after as we look at ourselves before we became serious about being disciples of Christ and after we stepped firmly on the gospel path and pressed forward. We try to share the light of Christ with others so they can come to know Christ and see and feel the difference in their own lives. 

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."   John 8:12 

Keepsake - Mom & the 12 Days of Christmas

My mother made this 12 Days of Christmas tablecloth. She wrote 1972 on the back. 

Look at the detail in these pieces. 

Think about the time & effort it took to create this keepsake 

- and my mother's hands weren't very flexible. 

This creation was made with persistence and love.

Thanks Mom!

Thanks to my sister for taking such good care of it. 

photo of my mother- 1972

Book - Caribbean by James Michener

Caribbean by James A. Michener 11/14

“A fictional account of the history of the Caribbean area includes the racial, political, and economic struggles from the arrival of Columbus and Spanish control to present day problems.” worldcat.com  “The historical novel Caribbean (1989), written by James A. Michener, depicts the history of the Caribbean region from the time of the native Arawak tribes until about 1990. It mixes fact and fiction as Michener notes in the foreword.” wikipedia.com 

See reviews at goodreads.com  Click here for an interesting 1989 article on Michener as he was writing "Caribbean"

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After rereading Michener’s “The Covenant” recently, I decided to make my way through other Michener books. I'd read many of them decades ago and remember enjoying them. “Caribbean” was a natural choice to reread next since we lived in The Bahamas for almost 1 ½ years during our mission. We became acquainted with people from all over the Caribbean and found the history of the area fascinating. Michener doesn’t include The Bahamas in his book. The Bahamas technically isn’t part of the Caribbean because it’s in the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the events and issues in the Caribbean were major factors in the history of The Bahamas.

For me the book didn’t hold together as a smooth flowing story. That’s because each of the islands has such a different history, depending on which colonial power was in charge. I still enjoyed the book because of our experience in the Bahamas.

Initially I didn’t like the fact that he created a fictional island, All Saints, and mixed its story with the historical islands. Perhaps he used this island to make statements about the whole area. 

Speaking of the past.  “It was a memory, not a magnet.” (703)  It's important to keep the past in perspective.

Each colonial power governed differently. That made a difference in how the island country developed and how it is after independence. England, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, France - all were different and left different legacies. At one time these tiny islands were major players in global politics. Some of them changed hands numerous times in their history. 

One of the modern day characters in the book grew up in Trinidad and goes to college in Miami, Florida. “When I got off the airplane in Miami … my lungs expanded, as if responding to the freedom in the air, the excitement.” (612) One of our Bahamian friends used to talk about how the United States felt different and that you could feel and smell freedom in the air.

This isn't an easy book to read because it's not a "page turner" and doesn't have a story that flows throughout the whole book. It's more like a history book with stories. The history is fascinating. The issues are as relevant today as they were centuries ago. 

(image)

Old Way - New Way

Most of my adult life I've taped grocery and other shopping lists on the inside of a kitchen cabinet door. Last year I started keeping all my shopping lists on my phone - all except the grocery lists. I have lists for Costco, Trader Joe's/Whole Foods, and regular grocery. At the beginning of the new year I decided to put the grocery lists on the phone too. 

Joe's not quite ready to sync via the Cloud - perhaps soon. Then we'll be all set and have all our lists with us at all times - always prepared :)!

It's much more convenient than the paper lists. We feel like we fit right in the young folks as we wander the aisles consulting our phones for our shopping lists.