Faith

"And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me." Moroni 7:33

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"As long as we are governed by the Holy Spirit our minds are strengthened, and our faith is and will be increased."  Wilford Woodruff

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We need to work to strengthen our faith and then put it into action to carry out the Lord’s work – He has given us an individual assignment – that is why we came to this earth - we can get the job done. BUT, the initiative is with us – Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always there – the door is always open.           

Joe

Bloom Where Planted

You don't usually look for tulips up in trees

Sometimes we find ourselves in unexpected places. 

We can bloom where we are planted 

and provide beauty from those unexpected situations. 

Kales?

When did "kale" become "kales"? What's next - spinaches and lettuces?

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FYI - this is a great addition to my breakfast drink; read more here.

Is it up to you Ohio?

This is the election-related mail we've received in the last few months. There are informative voters' pamphlets, one for the state and one for the county.  The ballot is to the right of the pamphlets. The number of pamphlets from candidates and issues are minuscule compared to what we received when we lived in Ohio. 

We imagine you Ohio people are being inundated with mailings and phone calls. The pundits are saying Ohio voters are more significant this election year than ever before. 

FYI - In 2011 Washington State became a "universal vote-by-mail" state. 

Avoiding Thick of Thin Things

“We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the ‘thick of thin things.’ In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes.”

Thomas S. Monson

“What Have I Done for Someone Today?”

Jesus Christ counsels us - "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness"   Doctrine and Covenants 58: 27

Halfway Down

Halfway Down 

Halfway down the stairs

is a stair

where i sit.

there isn't any

other stair

quite like

it.

i'm not at the bottom,

i'm not at the top;

so this is the stair

where

I always

stop.

Halfway up the stairs

Isn't up

And it isn't down.

It isn't in the nursery,

It isn't in town.

And all sorts of funny thoughts

Run round my head.

It isn't really

Anywhere!

It's somewhere else

Instead!

by A.A. Milne

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I think of this poem almost every time I walk up and down stairs - and have ever since I was a young child. I don't know why this poem made such an impression on me. My childhood home had stairs to the basement but I never remember sitting on them. Our grandparents' homes had stairs; I don't remember pausing on them. Going up the stairs in our North Street home brought this poem to my mind many, many times over the 34 years we lived there. 

The stairs in our Kirkland home have a turn half way up. This midpoint is often bathed in sunlight which makes it an absolutely wonderful place to sit - a place that's "not really anywhere; it's somewhere else instead!" 

Eleanor - Neighbor & Good Friend

Eleanor

November 2, 1912 - January 29, 2008

It started with a house. In 1976 Eleanor was the realtor for our house on West North Street in Worthington. How do we describe this neighborly relationship that grew so wonderfully and deeply over 32 years? Together we reflected on politics and life’s challenges - some of them serious such as illnesses and surgeries; some of them inconvenient, like losing five inches of height. 

We eagerly watched the seasons and shared observations about various plants and animals. Eleanor was part of a unique four generation neighborhood family. Her sharp wit, caustic comments, and vast experiences enlivened many a conversation. The last few years of her life, our daily lives became even more closely intertwined. 

We still think of her often and know we were blessed to have been counted among her friends. 

picture - summer 1981

*1/14 death date corrected