Fathers and Sons

One of our sons, standing with his dad in Tahoe.

These two are great friends, and my husband is a great dad––

to ALL THREE of his sons. (And his daughter, too.)

Thought you might enjoy listening to some good music about fathers and their sons. Here is a handy-dandy key to help you decide which selections to click. (REMEMBER TO REACH OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDEBAR, SCROLL DOWN, AND TURN OFF MY BLOG PLAYLIST!)

1. Nostalgia piece from that old TV standard, "The Courtship of Eddie's Father."

2. Funny and touching, semi-rappish song written by Will Smith to his boy. The son pictured above made a CD for his dad once, and this was the opening tune.

3. My husband's favorite song ever, and he paid attention to the message.

4. One of MY favorite songs ever. Do yourself a favor and listen to this live, acoustic version.

5. Another one by Neil Young, who has lots of feelings about dads and their boys.

6. A child's voice, singing a special song to Daddy.

7. Cat Stevens. Pretty much of a masterpiece about the father-son relationship and the weight of parental expectations.

8. A poignant melody by the smoothest R&B singer ever, who fondly remembers being pulled into his dad's arms as a child to "dance."

9. This one lifts and waves the white flag of truce and does a great job of it.

10. Another soulful blast from the past about loving and respecting a good father.

11 & 12. A couple of sentimental country crooners singing about their dads.

13. Solid evidence that rappers love their dads, too.

Have fun, my friends, and don't forget to grab the kleenex! By the way, today was my own dad's birthday. Since he's no longer with us, I think I'll do the honors right here. Happy birthday, Dad. =)

BY THE WAY...HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING IMPACT WEEK AT HOUSE OF SARAGER?

HOP ON OVER AND READ ABOUT STIRRING ACTS OF SERVICE. GREAT STORIES!

OOPS, FORGOT TO MENTION MY POST ABOUT FAMILY TRADITIONS AT MORMON WOMEN TODAY. Check it out!

A Lovely Crew: fleet-footed, too!

What's better than the young adult Relief Society running a 5K?

Especially with these guys waiting at the finish line!

(My hubby, aka Bishop A., is second from the left.)

Looks to me like these girls are ready to rumble.

Some found the run downright amusing,

while others just enjoyed the natural high.

Quite a few paired up with a friend;

one paired up with a phone,

and this lovely lady was spurred on by the guy she's marrying Friday!

There was even a baby in tow!!

These girls look like serious runners.

And so do these.

Well, not too serious.

Here they come, Bishop!

Get ready to welcome the gang home!!

High 5's all around!!!

Now tell me; have you ever seen a lovelier group of young ladies?

And they look even better up close.

=)

♥GIRL POWER♥

(Thanks to Melody and Steve for the photos!)

Good Kids

My favorite writing meme (100 words, minus the prompt) is undoubtedly Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus, and that's no joke. Sadly, neither is my offering this week, inspired by recent and rather unsettling news events.

As usual, the prompt is in red.

∞§∞

Good Kids

Gabriel was screwed, and he knew it. Stared ahead. Disappeared into himself. What did he expect, hanging around after 7th period? Idiot, he hissed inwardly. But how often did a girl hit him up? Even about homework.

The jocks closed in.

“Wanna hold hands, Gaby baby? I heard you wanna hook up.”

“He already knows he’s a freakin’ faggot. Don’t rub it in, dude.”

"If I had a hammer, I’d pound it in. Maybe I’ll use these.” Fists raised, he danced mockingly around his prey.

A couple of football players. "Good" kids.

They never laid a hand on Gabe. He felt every blow.

Looney Birds of a Feather...

If you're wondering what crazy nonsense I'm involved in this time, let me just say that I've been tagged! This writing meme is a pretty interesting concept, started by Kid in the Front Row (winner of the Best Entertainment Weblog Award for 2010) and entitled "A 30-Sentence Kid In The Front Row Story, by 28 Authors."

Basically, the "Kid" has already started and ended the story. The rest of us are supposed to fill in the blanks, one sentence at a time. CJ from Small Stories and Stuff tagged me, and you can find my contribution below: lucky #13! As for me, I am happily tagging my good friend, Jenny Matlock, from ...off on my tangent... to follow in my inimitable (?) footsteps by applying her considerable skills to sentence #14. Go, Jenny!

1. Jane never expected to visit Belarus, but it was the only possible solution after what had happened.

2. Her lonely planet guide had advised her that it was a great place for birdwatching- so she packed her binoculars- Todd would have been proud, had he not been lying in a coma.

3. Poor Todd; Jane remembered the incident so well: he had spotted a rare long-whiskered owlet, had ran out into the street to snap a photo, and had thusly been hit by an ice cream truck.

4. Except the ice cream truck was actually a roasted salmon!

5. Upon seeing this strange occurrence, a Portuguese fisherman who happened to be standing on the other side of the street (and who was also, coincidentally, the resident expert on salmon) ran to scene and called 911, prompting Todd's speedy - albeit smelly - rescue.

6. Naturally, Jane was distraught over the entire salmon/ice-cream truck affair , moreover considering that she was the one who had wanted the photo of that owlet; they were both avid birdwatchers, but she was particularly fond of the owlet.

7. She had gone off owlets since then, and as she checked into the little hotel by the river, she wondered if she could find solace in the azure tit, a beautiful bird that, while easily spotted and hardly rare, at least had a name that sometimes made her giggle.

8. Surrounded by beautiful little azure tits as she wrote in her journal to un-bird-en herself of thoughts of fish, and fowl, and Todd (who was slowly recovering, and would join her soon); and as room service arrived with her vegetarian plate; her phone vibrated, signaling a text....

9. Alas, the careful study of azure tits would have to wait as an urgent text message from the manager of the treatment center where Todd was hospitalized informed her that something truly extraordinary was happening to him

10. Please return to hospital stat - patient awake, agitated, requesting nurse to masticate and regurgitate his dinner - wings noted sprouting from back, need your expertise in birds ASAP!

11. When I returned to the hospital and Todd's room, I was shocked to find that his nurse was a female member of The Blue Man Group.

12. He had a bowl of Froot Loops soaking in milk dyed blue and was layering them carefully on Todd's wings, feathering them smoothly while intermittently tossing handsful of the colorful orbs against the wall and screaming the lyrics to Blue Bayou and muttering "Great Blue Heron, oh, Great Blue Heron."

13. I quickly dispatched the toadying, looped-fruit-cereal-soaking sycophant of a "nurse" (and I use that term loosely) back to Vegas and took the helm; if my friend Todd was metamorphosing into a Great Blue Heron, he was gonna be MY Great Blue Heron, not some gender-bending nitwit's from the Blue Man Group.

14.

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30. The three of them left as quickly as they could and vowed never to return again, especially if Jane was in town.

COLOR Me Teal

The COLOR I love best is teal.

I like the way it makes me feel.

It paints my cheeks a rosy hue

and makes my hazel eyes POP, too.

Teal takes the best from blue and green

and blends them into something seen

in ocean waves and dusky skies

or as a rainy day surprise.

Teal knocks me out and makes me smile.

I think I'll stick with teal awhile.

GO SHARKS!

She Walks in Beauty...

Justin Hackworth (used by permission)

Who do you think the people seated together in this photo might be? Where do you think they are, and what would you guess is their purpose in assembling there?

I almost feel like I'm initiating a game of "Clue" here. In a way, I am, because while this audience is not playing Clue, they are definitely a group that has a clue when it comes to knowing what's important. Indeed, this assortment of fine men and (mostly) women were gathered in the Wilkinson Center at BYU to hear Stephanie Nielson speak about what being beautiful really means. Although the room capacity was only 1700, hundreds more crowded in last week to hear the beloved Nie talk about where true beauty really comes from...and if anyone knows the answer to that, it is surely Stephanie, because this amazing woman definitely has a clue. More than a clue.

Justin Hackworth (used by permission)

This is what Sister Nielson had to say on the subject at hand: "...As for beauty," she explained, "it comes in the red hair of Jane, in the freckles on Claire, the tender spirit of Oliver and the bright white hair of Nicholas. It is the sun, rising over the mountains every day without fail. It is my painted toenails and the people who love me, my friends all around me. It's my sweet husband who knew me then and knows me now and will forever know me just the way I am. With or without freckles on my face or flawless skin. I am his wife, and my beauty is apparent in the way he loves me."

No doubt she changed the paradigms of many women when she declared, "I know I came back to earth after my almost fatal accident, because I wanted my body. I didn't care what it looked like. I wanted to experience this life on this beautiful earth with my children and family."

Sister and supporter, Paige Checketts, shared her insight: "The coolest thing about Stephanie is she's in touch with this inner beauty. At first, it is a little startling because she is a work in progress and in the middle of cosmetic surgery...but as you get talking to her...it just melts away and you see these beautiful green eyes with a light in them. It takes over all the scars and everything else and you truly do see beauty. It is amazing."

Justin Hackworth (used by permission)

Checketts is right. Just look at this woman, who is nothing short of beautiful. The spirit that she emanates draws the eye of every beholder. And have you noticed the way her husband is looking at her? Of course, there are scars...obvious scars...but the beauty overpowers them, for it does not come from the assortment of flesh and bone that make up Stephanie's body. It comes from the way she inhabits that body––the marvelous way her spirit inhabits it.

Looking over the sea of faces that assembled to hear Nie's message makes me realize how much women need to hear that message and be reminded what really matters when it comes to beauty. All of us know people with perfect (or nearly so) face and form, who walk around feeling empty and worthless. We may even be those people, at one time or another. Stephanie teaches us that the beauty we seek comes from knowing that we are daughters of God, loved by Him and worthy of receiving love from others and from ourselves. Even more important, we are capable of giving love and receiving Christ's image in our countenances.

Justin Hackworth (used by permission)

Stephanie Nielson is a woman of courage and grace, who battles every day (and it surely is a battle) to overcome adversity. No wonder these words by Washington Irving are among her favorites: "There is in every true woman's heart a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity; but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity."

Stephanie, without a doubt, beams and blazes. She is all things bright and beautiful. And the blessing to all of us is that she knows it. Early in her recovery process, while studying her image in the mirror, she had this epiphany: "I saw glimpses of happiness; I saw God in my eyes," she said. "It was as if He was looking back at me, reassuring me and giving me hope."

Now, she shares that hope with others.

.

Justin Hackworth (used by permission)

On Top of the World

Seeing son #2 on top of the world makes me happy.

The only thing missing now is a good woman!

Scratch that comment. I'm not going there.

(Oops. Guess I already did!)

;)

PS. Did you know you can get a free mammogram for someone who can't afford one just by clicking here?

October is breast cancer awareness month. Click the pink ribbon to help one woman support life by getting a free mammogram. You may join with me and pass the pink ribbon challenge along by grabbing the code at Things We Share and posting it in your blog entry. Please consider helping The Breast Cancer Site and National Breast Cancer Foundation Inc. by spreading the Pink Ribbon Challenge.

The Best and Worst of Times...

"A Tale of Two Cities" is one of several books by Dickens that I enjoyed reading in high school, and once again I find myself relating to its most famous quote: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." We've all heard this reference more than once, but have you ever paid attention to the passage in its entirety? The words are so timely they could have been written today, which is the mark of great literature:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way..."

What a great description of the human condition this is! Even the best of us go through periods when, perched upon our own ambivalence, we navigate the days in a state of existential discomfort, so wrapped up in routine or rumination that we fail to land on the sunny side of the conflicting paradigms Dickens portrayed. In such moments, the peace and happiness we seek are held hostage by our shifting, frequently circumstance-driven points of view. Inertia sets in, and we lose sight of both the good things in life and the Giver of them.

Yesterday, as I listened to the semi-annual general conference of my church, Elder Richard C. Edgely reminded me of a simple truth, that "the worst of times can be the best of times, through faith." To be honest, hearing this was not an "aha" moment for me; I already know and understand this principle. It was more of an "oh, yeah" moment. Experience has taught me what I need to know about exercising faith on a daily basis, and yet I am continually in need of a reminder...not just now and then, but on a regular basis. Somehow, caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and my unruly brain, I forget my recurring resolution to remember the Lord's words, "Be still, and know that I am God." Even though they are prominently displayed in my home, emblazened on a bronze plaque in my living room, I forget them. *sigh*

One thing is certain: Life will never be an easy ride, nor was it intended as one. Learning can't take place in a vacuum; growth requires challenge, and obstacles are the norm rather than the exception. It will always be our decision to view living and its attendant struggles as either the best or worst of times. It will also be our decision how to proceed. Of course, we all differ in our reactions and coping mechanisms. My "go-to" tendency has always been to grab hold of the reins and gallop, full speed, to the rescue...of myself and others. I am still learning that rescue is not necessarily the answer, and that acceptance is most often the "cure." Despite my predilection for big answers and big solutions, I have come to realize that "by small and simple things are great things come to pass" (Alma 37:6). It's true, as Leonardo Da Vinci said (and President Uchtdorf quoted in his talk yesterday), that "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." What's more, the pursuit and practice of simplicity is the only way to make room for the Lord in our lives. And that's what faith is all about.

I wrote the following sonnet several years before its publication in 1999. (In other words, a long time ago!)

Lifeboat

©1999, Awaken Your Spiritual Power, Susan Noyes Anderson, Karisma Press

A boat is life, a vessel in the gale

Tossed by the wind and driven through the night;

A hapless cutter, searching for the light

That used to dance and shimmer on a sail

Once bright and proud, bedraggled now, and pale.

Life’s boat. The oarsman struggles with its plight,

Unwitting victim of his self-made might,

Each desperate thrusting doomed, at last, to fail.

Humbled, the oarsman tries to understand

The currents that assail him fore and aft;

He struggles with the oars until, unmanned,

He hurls them through the tempest like a shaft.

Henceforth, the raging waters he’ll withstand

By trusting in the Maker of his craft.

Here I am...still working on throwing my flailing oars into the water and trusting my Maker. I find some comfort in Peter's lapse of faith, even while he was walking on water, with the Master in plain view. Peter eventually got it right, and so will I.

"And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer, it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:25-31).

Waiting for the Harvest

Saturday has rolled around again, bringing Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus along for the ride. And what a great ride it is! Especially this week, when we've been asked to respond to a picture, rather than a prompt. The photo in question is below, accompanied by 100 of my own words, doing their best to bring life to it.

Waiting for the Harvest

Leaving him was the hardest thing she did every Sunday. He looked even smaller in that hospital bed, trying to be brave, brown eyes betraying his feelings.

She saved her feelings for the drive, when tears of frustration wet her cheeks. Why did her prayers for relief go unanswered? How many children had come and gone, healed, while her boy remained, suffering? When would her prayers bear fruit?

Stretching before her, on either side of the road, lay her answer. Her row of prayers, like the softly glowing pumpkins gracing those fields, would be harvested when the time was right…God’s time.

∞§∞

"To every thing, there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven..."

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Orange Twine Is More than Fine

Have I got a super-cool treat for you?!

Yes, indeed...I surely do!!

My old friend Katie––creative artist, photographer, and blogger extraordinaire of You Had to Be There––has a brand new Etsy shop called orange twine. I think you will agree that OT is a revelation! What it reveals are "rescued" vintage items, mostly found in Ohio, where her cute husband is a dental student.

Now, those of you who live in the midwest are well aware that there's no better place to find old stuff than wandering through small towns, rustic barns, and garage or yard sales in middle America. And I can't tell you how much fun I had wandering through Katie's site. Best of all is that when I finally decided which item to order, it came to me wrapped in...you guessed it...orange twine. (Oh, how I love the truly artistic people of this world!) In Katie's case, she comes by it honestly; her mom is a long-time friend of mine who can decorate a house better than any interior designer you could name...and it all just comes naturally to her.

My suggestion to you? Hop, jump, or leap over to orange twine immediately and let your fingers do the walking. You'll be glad you did!

=)

PS. Update on Todd's interview. Thanks for all your prayers and good wishes. He feels like it went "fine." Now, the waiting begins. A few people will get acceptances in December, but most will find out in January or February. The rest will be told in March or even beyond. *sigh* (Back to pins and needles...)

;)