OK I must be the worst packer in the history of the world. I spent close to 30 days packing, I am talking nearly every waking minute and in the end my brother and I spent 21 straight hours trying to finish the last few (many) details. I left a huge pile of garbage for Jerry to deal with later. I also left a huge goodwill pile, which I am sorry to say includes a microwave which started arcing on the last day. Weird how it gave out the very last time I needed to use it. I forgot to include a note for those who go to take things, not to endanger their lives with the microwave.
I also forgot to mention that the stuff in the bedroom closet is for Jerry when he visits at the end of May, so please leave the bathroom and bedroom items for him. I left in such a hurry that I did not remember to write directions.
I left behind a few good things, which I hope my friends will take. I learned that I don't need STUFF and I learned that it feels way better to give my STUFF to friends and charity than to earn a few bucks at a garage sale. Did you know that garage sales are banned in many Southern California cities because they realized that break-in and sexual crimes often happened in neighborhoods within a day of a garage sale being held. If someone advertises childrens toys and clothes the pedophiles get a chance to come and scope out the kids and where their bedrooms might be located.
I digress. My brother and I spent a hellish two days with only about three hours sleep and then we drove 15 hours to Utah. Luckily we made it in one piece, but the grief is just starting to hit me. I am missing my friends sooooo much. I did not really realize how much of a routine I had. Bunco on the first Wednesday of the month, Board meeting and general meeting of the genealogy society on the second and fourth Wednesday. Every Tuesday and Thursday in the family history center. I met Jerry at the music store on those nights and we would stand around the counter shooting the breeze. Jerry called the store yesterday and both he and the person on the phone burst into tears. The reality is starting to hit us. We will probably never see many of our friends again and all because Marin is super unaffordable. We love our house and I know we will have a good life, but it is a shame that we have to leave behind so many beloved long-term friends. It is very, very sad!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
What would I do without good friends?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help I have received in the moving process. I Have been packing and sorting for months now and three weeks ago when the pod arrived I thought I would put in three or four twelve hour days and that would be it. I have put in probably twenty such days and I am still not done. Thankfully Clint Shelley, Chris Ballew and Brent Winward moved most of the heavy stuff for me yesterday. Today Tara Winward, Annie Javadi and Harriet Crandall showed up to help me sort through the piles of junk still remaining. I took two bikes to Trips for Kids. I have given away hundreds of items to friends. I have donated at least ten carloads of stuff to Goodwill and I have filled two dumpsters. The Pod is now almost full and I still have a couple dozen boxes after all that purging.
The last time I moved seventeen years ago it took one stuffed car trip. I cannot believe how much stuff I have accumulated. I couldn't have completed the move without the support of so many people from church. Heather Moore helped me empty my storage unit. Josh Moore helped me carry the furniture out of my office. Thanks to Lainie Pyper, Annie Javadi and Annie Ballard for helping me by taking so much stuff off my hands.
The end is finally near and now I get to look forward to the unpacking process. I can hardly wait!
The last time I moved seventeen years ago it took one stuffed car trip. I cannot believe how much stuff I have accumulated. I couldn't have completed the move without the support of so many people from church. Heather Moore helped me empty my storage unit. Josh Moore helped me carry the furniture out of my office. Thanks to Lainie Pyper, Annie Javadi and Annie Ballard for helping me by taking so much stuff off my hands.
The end is finally near and now I get to look forward to the unpacking process. I can hardly wait!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sacrament Talk given 29 Apr 2007
I try to be an instrument for furthering Family History each and every day. I know the great good that has come from seeking out my own ancestors and the ancestors of others. I know that I have helped several people in this ward find long sought ancestors, but I do not take any credit for the results. I absolutely receive help and guidance. Although I have gone to great lengths to educate myself to become a better genealogist, Heavenly Father always meets me more than half way. Whatever steps each person takes you will be guided. I have watched the Spirit of Elijah start to burn within members of this stake in the last two years with the opening of the family history center. People come into the family history center knowing very little and within a short time are often making great strides in not only finding their ancestors, but gaining knowledge about how to research. I am here to bear witness that the spirit of Elijah is alive and well in this stake. The seeds have been planted and now it will be up to those so moved by the spirit to nurture the seeds. I have faith that the acorn contains the oak. Heavenly Father will light the fire of the Spirit of Elijah in those who ask for guidance.
I have been a zealot for family history and in fact I have been quite pushy with some people. Do not underestimate that it was simply me acting without guidance on you unsuspecting victims. I have no idea why I badgered a certain handful of people and said nothing to others. Prayerfully consider the promptings and either hold them dear or discard them according to the dictates of the spirit.
For me there is great importance in knowing your family history. In fact, I wrote my masters thesis on the Transformational Power of Genealogy. I take the Spirit of Elijah seriously and I know that the great and dreadful day of the lord approaches, but more importantly your ancestors are waiting for their work to be done. They are also waiting to get to know you. Eternity is organized into families. We are responsible for taking care of our living and our dead relations. They without us cannot be made whole. By spending time getting to know ancestral stories we get to know them. Joseph Smith said, "Our dead should be as dear to us as our living relatives." The way that we get to know our living relations is by spending time with them. With living relations we sit around the dinner table and tell stories. We take little moments to just be together. We sit in church and reverently pray together. In similar ways we can get to know our ancestors. When you spend hours hunched over a microfilm reader and finally find the person you have been seeking, they are right there in the room with you in spirit. They cast a warm glow of love upon you that cannot be described. When you visit the cemetery and touch the weathered headstone you get a sense of the love others felt for this person, which then warms your heart. What is even more unfathomable is that when you exert great energy and effort on behalf of your ancestors they start to fall in love with you. When you meet them in the Spirit World you will know them and they will know you.
The doctrine tells the story of the importance of family history work.
The old testament ends and the doctrine and covenants begins with doctrine regarding family history. In Malachi Chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 we read:
5 ¶ Behold, I will asend you bElijah the prophet cbefore the coming of the dgreat and dreadful eday of the LORD:
6 And he shall aturn the bheart of the cfathers to the dchildren, and the heart of the echildren to their fathers, lest I come and fsmite the gearth with a hcurse.
This final proclamation from the old testament was repeated by Moroni when he first visited seventeen year old Joseph Smith in 1823.
D&C Chapter 2. Moroni spoke to Joseph saying:
1 BEHOLD, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of aElijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and bdreadful day of the Lord.
2 And ahe shall plant in the hearts of the children the bpromises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
3 If it were not so, the whole aearth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
On his first visit, Moroni, conveyed to the young Joseph the keys of the priesthood and the importance of family history work.
I testify to you today that each of you has the power within to move mountains in the pursuit of family history. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without a deep and intimate knowledge of my ancestors. The more I learn about my ancestors the more understanding and compassion I have for my living family. We are each born or adopted into a family, which was designed before our coming. Heavenly Father has cleared the way for each of us to learn our family history. Whether you do the actual research or just take the time to study thorough research done by others you will begin to develop a relationship with your ancestors. The doctrine regarding Elijah can be confusing.
When Jesus first began his ministry he was often mistaken for the returning Elijah. And even to this day in the Jewish tradition an empty seat is left at the table for Elijah’s return.
In Biblical times the mission of Elijah was not fully understood and only when the keys of the priesthood were revealed did we finally understand the full picture of the Spirit of Elijah. In 1842 Joseph Smith gave even more clarity to the significance of Elijah’s mission with an explanation of the meaning of the curse suggested in the scriptures in Malachi.
Joseph said in D&C 128: 18 in part
the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding clink of some kind or other between the fathers and the dchildren, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the ebaptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.
He goes on to say in D&C128:24
Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the hrecords of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.
We must tie ourselves to our families or this life was an exercise in futility. We will have lived, loved, suffered, sacrificed and then died for nothing. This raises an important point about doing accurate work. If you tie yourself to the wrong people through shoddy research or by relying on the work of others, What is the point? Sacrifice begets love. You cannot download or inherit your family history. You have to sacrifice either time or money or both. In the average year I spend a few thousand dollars on my own family history and that money is always returned to me. I feel strongly that my efforts on behalf of my ancestors have not gone unnoticed. By the same token I can see the scope of a persons life and that there is an ebb and flow to life. My great grandfather was born in the church to stalwart pioneers who never strayed in their convictions. He married a beautiful woman in the temple and they went on to have eight children. I am in possession of many anguished letters written by his wife, which generally say, “How could you treat me this way?” There are stories of him disappearing for days on end including a ten day absence over Christmas one year. He was an alcoholic and he often stole money from the till in his wife’s restaurant, which she started because she could not depend on him for money. Eventually he returned to the fold and was a devout member of the church and by all accounts the couples last few years were very happy ones. The full scope of this man’s life demonstrates that every person has the potential for repentance and forgiveness. Only by knowing the full history can I let go of judgment for his wrongs.
Jesus died on the cross for ALL Gods children.
I bear my testimony that the work of family history is a holy endeavor and you will be rewarded for any role you play in the furthering of the work. The knowledge of your ancestors will only bring positive rewards. I bear witness that Heavenly Father has opened the way for every one of us. His disciples are ready and waiting. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
I have been a zealot for family history and in fact I have been quite pushy with some people. Do not underestimate that it was simply me acting without guidance on you unsuspecting victims. I have no idea why I badgered a certain handful of people and said nothing to others. Prayerfully consider the promptings and either hold them dear or discard them according to the dictates of the spirit.
For me there is great importance in knowing your family history. In fact, I wrote my masters thesis on the Transformational Power of Genealogy. I take the Spirit of Elijah seriously and I know that the great and dreadful day of the lord approaches, but more importantly your ancestors are waiting for their work to be done. They are also waiting to get to know you. Eternity is organized into families. We are responsible for taking care of our living and our dead relations. They without us cannot be made whole. By spending time getting to know ancestral stories we get to know them. Joseph Smith said, "Our dead should be as dear to us as our living relatives." The way that we get to know our living relations is by spending time with them. With living relations we sit around the dinner table and tell stories. We take little moments to just be together. We sit in church and reverently pray together. In similar ways we can get to know our ancestors. When you spend hours hunched over a microfilm reader and finally find the person you have been seeking, they are right there in the room with you in spirit. They cast a warm glow of love upon you that cannot be described. When you visit the cemetery and touch the weathered headstone you get a sense of the love others felt for this person, which then warms your heart. What is even more unfathomable is that when you exert great energy and effort on behalf of your ancestors they start to fall in love with you. When you meet them in the Spirit World you will know them and they will know you.
The doctrine tells the story of the importance of family history work.
The old testament ends and the doctrine and covenants begins with doctrine regarding family history. In Malachi Chapter 4 verses 5 and 6 we read:
5 ¶ Behold, I will asend you bElijah the prophet cbefore the coming of the dgreat and dreadful eday of the LORD:
6 And he shall aturn the bheart of the cfathers to the dchildren, and the heart of the echildren to their fathers, lest I come and fsmite the gearth with a hcurse.
This final proclamation from the old testament was repeated by Moroni when he first visited seventeen year old Joseph Smith in 1823.
D&C Chapter 2. Moroni spoke to Joseph saying:
1 BEHOLD, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of aElijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and bdreadful day of the Lord.
2 And ahe shall plant in the hearts of the children the bpromises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
3 If it were not so, the whole aearth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
On his first visit, Moroni, conveyed to the young Joseph the keys of the priesthood and the importance of family history work.
I testify to you today that each of you has the power within to move mountains in the pursuit of family history. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without a deep and intimate knowledge of my ancestors. The more I learn about my ancestors the more understanding and compassion I have for my living family. We are each born or adopted into a family, which was designed before our coming. Heavenly Father has cleared the way for each of us to learn our family history. Whether you do the actual research or just take the time to study thorough research done by others you will begin to develop a relationship with your ancestors. The doctrine regarding Elijah can be confusing.
When Jesus first began his ministry he was often mistaken for the returning Elijah. And even to this day in the Jewish tradition an empty seat is left at the table for Elijah’s return.
In Biblical times the mission of Elijah was not fully understood and only when the keys of the priesthood were revealed did we finally understand the full picture of the Spirit of Elijah. In 1842 Joseph Smith gave even more clarity to the significance of Elijah’s mission with an explanation of the meaning of the curse suggested in the scriptures in Malachi.
Joseph said in D&C 128: 18 in part
the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding clink of some kind or other between the fathers and the dchildren, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the ebaptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect.
He goes on to say in D&C128:24
Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness; and let us present in his holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the hrecords of our dead, which shall be worthy of all acceptation.
We must tie ourselves to our families or this life was an exercise in futility. We will have lived, loved, suffered, sacrificed and then died for nothing. This raises an important point about doing accurate work. If you tie yourself to the wrong people through shoddy research or by relying on the work of others, What is the point? Sacrifice begets love. You cannot download or inherit your family history. You have to sacrifice either time or money or both. In the average year I spend a few thousand dollars on my own family history and that money is always returned to me. I feel strongly that my efforts on behalf of my ancestors have not gone unnoticed. By the same token I can see the scope of a persons life and that there is an ebb and flow to life. My great grandfather was born in the church to stalwart pioneers who never strayed in their convictions. He married a beautiful woman in the temple and they went on to have eight children. I am in possession of many anguished letters written by his wife, which generally say, “How could you treat me this way?” There are stories of him disappearing for days on end including a ten day absence over Christmas one year. He was an alcoholic and he often stole money from the till in his wife’s restaurant, which she started because she could not depend on him for money. Eventually he returned to the fold and was a devout member of the church and by all accounts the couples last few years were very happy ones. The full scope of this man’s life demonstrates that every person has the potential for repentance and forgiveness. Only by knowing the full history can I let go of judgment for his wrongs.
Jesus died on the cross for ALL Gods children.
I bear my testimony that the work of family history is a holy endeavor and you will be rewarded for any role you play in the furthering of the work. The knowledge of your ancestors will only bring positive rewards. I bear witness that Heavenly Father has opened the way for every one of us. His disciples are ready and waiting. This I say in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.
Monday, April 23, 2007
What I really want to say...
I have been creating blogs that go along with photos I have taken. In the last few days though I lost my charger for my camera battery. I realized that my words don't necessarily need pictures, because ultimately the words are as important as the pictures. However, I am still looking for the charger, because I love the pictures too.
Perfect Harmony
I used to listen to the Grand Ol Opry on the radio on Saturdays when I was a kid. Let me tell you that I was alone in this passion in 1970's Utah. I didn't mention it too often, but when I did all I got were dumbfounded looks. I developed an interest in bluegrass because my uncles were in the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who came up with the idea of gathering together a group of oldtime Nashville and bluegrass legends to record an album. The result was an album called Will the Circle Be Unbroken. I wore that record out. I loved listening to the imperfect voice of Mother Maybell and the perfect guitar of Doc Watson.
I tried to listen to the Opry in case I might catch a live performance of my unlikely heroes. In the summer of 2000 Jerry was invited to do a recording session at Sony studios in Nashville. We arrived a day early and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my Saturday night. I informed Jerry that we were going to see the Opry live. He did not protest, but was a bit puzzled at my eagerness. That is when I first told him about my Opry obsession.
Our seats were pretty far back, but I didn't care. I was in a state of rapture. I watched with fascination how the hosts of each segment entertained the audience during commercial breaks, something I never knew since I was always hearing the commercials. The commercials even to this day are for things like Goody's headache powder and some fried chicken place. I am not even a huge fan of country music, for me it is a love affair with bluegrass.
I was grinning from ear to ear as some famous people and some not so famous people graced the stage. Then it happened. A band called the Osbourne Brothers came out. The place went nuts. I had never heard of them, but they were no spring chickens. With the first notes my mouth dropped open. They started out acapella with perfect four part harmony. There was no wavering on the pitch. As the song progressed their playing was fast and flawless. Mid song the harmonies hit a note so pure and sweet that I burst into tears. I was having what might be called a peak experience. I was here in a place I had long dreamed of being, listening to exactly the kind of music I had loved, only this was better than anything I could have dreamed. This perfect note in the perfect place was beyond a dream come true. I cried uncontrollably for several minutes. I could not gain my composure and you know what is so funny is that not a single person gave me a look. These people knew.
I went straight to the CD store the next day and I chose an album titled: The Osbourne Brothers, Once More, Volumes I and II. When I got home I read reviews on my random choice and there was a general consensus that this was the quintessential bluegrass album.
I tried to listen to the Opry in case I might catch a live performance of my unlikely heroes. In the summer of 2000 Jerry was invited to do a recording session at Sony studios in Nashville. We arrived a day early and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my Saturday night. I informed Jerry that we were going to see the Opry live. He did not protest, but was a bit puzzled at my eagerness. That is when I first told him about my Opry obsession.
Our seats were pretty far back, but I didn't care. I was in a state of rapture. I watched with fascination how the hosts of each segment entertained the audience during commercial breaks, something I never knew since I was always hearing the commercials. The commercials even to this day are for things like Goody's headache powder and some fried chicken place. I am not even a huge fan of country music, for me it is a love affair with bluegrass.
I was grinning from ear to ear as some famous people and some not so famous people graced the stage. Then it happened. A band called the Osbourne Brothers came out. The place went nuts. I had never heard of them, but they were no spring chickens. With the first notes my mouth dropped open. They started out acapella with perfect four part harmony. There was no wavering on the pitch. As the song progressed their playing was fast and flawless. Mid song the harmonies hit a note so pure and sweet that I burst into tears. I was having what might be called a peak experience. I was here in a place I had long dreamed of being, listening to exactly the kind of music I had loved, only this was better than anything I could have dreamed. This perfect note in the perfect place was beyond a dream come true. I cried uncontrollably for several minutes. I could not gain my composure and you know what is so funny is that not a single person gave me a look. These people knew.
I went straight to the CD store the next day and I chose an album titled: The Osbourne Brothers, Once More, Volumes I and II. When I got home I read reviews on my random choice and there was a general consensus that this was the quintessential bluegrass album.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Yessssss!
I have little compassion for drunk drivers. I think it is a really terrible decision to drink to excess and then drive. The possible outcome can be life altering and I don't appreciate anyone who takes chances with my life. Tonight or this morning, depending on one's perspective, at about 1:30 a.m. I was driving home on 280 after visiting family in Santa Clara. I was driving 55 because of a construction zone when a white sedan cruised past going about 70-75, not super fast, but weaving quite a bit. At one point the car steered towards a work crew missing them by five or six feet, running over some orange cones in the process. I had that thought, "Where's a cop when you need one?" Maybe two minutes later a highway patrol car passed me in a hurry and a couple of miles down the road I saw that the white car had been pulled over.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Two Sides of the Same Fence
This blogging life has changed me. I think my first few posts were kind of like a first date, "Let me tell you a little about myself...." Now our relationship has matured and its like a telephone conversation, albeit one sided. I find myself taking note during the day of potential blogging subjects. Maybe in a way creating potential blogging subjects. What I have noticed is that I feel more connected to my friends, because there is daily feedback. On the average day I do A LOT of listening. I hear all about people's family history and I am amazed at how quickly these people, to whom I have listened attentively to every little nuance, glaze over the moment my mouth opens. It is an occupational hazard, I understand that many people are only interested in their family, but sometimes I am simply opening my mouth to agree, that what they have just told me is the most amazing story of all time.
However, with blogging I get to spill my guts and some of you are actually listening. It may seem like a small thing, but for me it is a big deal. I also look forward to checking my friend's blogs every day. Jerry chastised me one day for spending too much precious time typing away at the computer. I sat him down and told him a story, which I will share with you now. When I was a kid I used to lay awake talking about anything and everything. My sisters would yell out, "Mom, Kathy won't stop talking and let us go to sleep." To alleviate the "problem" I was given my own room in the basement. With no one to talk to I would lay awake nights trying to solve the world hunger issue, for one. I have never been a good sleeper and I have spent thousands of nights tossing and turning trying to figure out why this person said this or why that politician did that. Problems I could not possibly solve gnawed away at me. I am one of those people who needs to know why. Jerry lays his head on the pillow and he is snoring. I go to bed and toss around the days events. I wonder why the driver in front of me on the way home refused to drive the speed limit, going 25 in a 35. I wonder why it was unseasonably cold and windy today.
Instead of tossing and turning I will roll out of bed, grab my laptop and head for the living room so I can see if there are any weather explanations and then I will look for websites on traffic psychology. What is happening now though is I am writing nearly every day and I am putting the contents of my brain on paper, so to speak and then I roll over and sleep peacefully. It is an amazing phenomena for me after 35 years of sleepless nights. I am looking at the world through different eyes. I am looking for photographic opportunities. I am trying to leave thoughtful and inciteful comments on my friend's blogs. Not even for the person necessarily, but for me. Drew's blog about being an instrument of Christ really got me thinking. Lainie's blog about singing with her kids made me stop and rethink how I spend family time. Annie B has inspired all of us to be better parents and photographers. Annie J. inspires me to be more relaxed about life.
All in all I have gotten to know everybody in a deeper way through blogging, but most of all I have come to know myself better.
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