Happy 100th Birthday Arizona! Happy Valentine's Day!

Today was Amazing!!!

          Arizona celebrated it's 100th birthday today. President Taft signed AZ into statehood as the 48th state. The celebrations have been going on for several days and culminated today.
          Happy Valentine's Day to all those who love and are loved. My family shared sweet treats with grandchildren, our daughter and her husband. What a delight. My former visiting teacher brought over four cupcakes that she and her daughter baked and decorated, saying, "I've been thinking of you a lot and just wanted to let you know." The night before special ward friends brought us a dinner of delicious grilled salmon and chicken and rice soup. It is so special to be remembered.
          My husband and I knew a very special girl from our Palo Verde Ward experience in 2006 through 2008 when we moved to Picture Rocks. Her name is Taylor Lancaster. She entered the foster care system right after we left and was placed with a Ms. Snow in our Picture Rocks Ward. That placement let us get to see Taylor every Sunday and reconnect. We just loved this young woman. She then ended up in a different location just over a year ago and we grieved that we would never see her again. Serendipity occurred today. I went to the Snow's home for a visit with a friend. I hadn't really talked to Ms. Snow since Taylor left so when she told me that she'd finally met Taylor's new foster mom she told me she'd given her our phone number. When I returned home after the visit, I received a call from Taylor!!!!! How wonderful to get an update, get her email and to be able to keep in touch with her. She'd never left our hearts or prayers and now we can stay in touch. Love it.

        AND IT SNOWED!!!

          When my friend came to pick me up to go over to visit the Snows she told me it was snowing as she came over the pass from Tucson. If you look at the background of this blog you will be looking down the road that goes over the pass into Tucson. There were golden flowers carpeting the ground there over the weekend. I have lavender and yellow wildflowers growing in my backyard. Although I live in a little dip lower in elevation and we seemed to only have rain and hail, the mountains in Saguaro National Park West were delightfully dusted with snow. It was beautiful. But I suspect it got the wildflowers and probably killed the chance for a brilliant spring like the ones shown here. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

        Thoughts About Writing a Story

         When an amazing day happens, it should be remembered. Why not write a story. Whether it is just one simple paragraph or a one page "spotlight focus" on a family member, treasured family experience or like my special day today with it's Serendipity of Snow and old friends, family and sweet treats, we just have to take the time to DO IT! Then place it in our Book of Remembrance. We could write a longer story about ourselves (autobiography) or about an ancestor (biography) tying in to a common theme. Here are some simple guidelines to remember:
1.  Review Sources -- Choose what is to be left out
2.  Pick Out Themes -- Service, economics, achievement, holidays
3.  Assess Personalities and Character
4.  Tell the Story -- Narrative is best when selective
5.  Look for Causes -- Why things happened or Serendipitous occurrences
6.  Look for Motivation -- Reasons behind peoples behavior
7.  Bring Out Spiritual Lessons -- Bear your testimony
I hope you will take the time to record a special story that will delight you descendants one day in the future when they read it. I wish my grandmother had written about her life. I would so treasure it. So write short and in your own voice, using your own personality and it will be a TREASURE.
       

Jan. 8, 2011 Tucson Shooting Remembered

Tragedy in Tucson – Congresswoman Gabriel Gifford’s Shot

            I live in Tucson. Today is the first anniversary of the tragic shooting of my Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords. This is my journal entry recording my thoughts and reactions of that day written on Jan. 19^th.

            “Gabrielle Giffords was shot along with 16 others at the Safeway store on Ina and Oracle (this is the one that gives our Picture Rocks food pantry their truckload of food on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) at a “Congress on the Corner” meet and greet event. A mentally ill 22 year old man opened fire on the long line of people waiting to talk with her.

America Must Put Away the Hateful Words

The whole country was shocked and it’s been on the news constantly. President Obama came to a memorial service for the five dead (including Christine Taylor Greene, a nine year old 3^rd grade student who was just elected to serve on her school’s student council) held at the University of Arizona. There were as many people attending inside as outside the stadium. He said all of the exactly right things, including that earlier after he’d left Gabrielle’s bedside, when her close congressional friends were visiting, she’d opened her eyes for the first time!

He concluded with the idea that America must put away the hateful words, become more respectful in our debates and live up to the ideals and dreams of young Christina and all the other children in our country. 

Season of Healing

Diane Sawyer, ABC news anchor interviewed Mark Kelly, astronaut and Gaby’s husband. Their love Story and his strong quiet devotion to her really touched my heart. It was my thought/impression that Gaby had agreed to this “mission” in life when she came to earth (she has been the epitome of what a congresswoman should be) because she’d done her job so well, but the nation is heading for a political disaster with violence becoming more and more prevalent. Perhaps Gaby’s valiant fight to survive (I made a note in the margin of my journal here that Gaby was voted the most courageous military spouse by soldiers on May 5^th) and her husband’s kind loving response to this tragedy, the death of Christine, so young and perfect, as well as President Obama’s speech and the outpouring of love from Tucson may bring about a season of healing.

A Very Personal Connection

            My daughter’s first husband had told her that he’d planned on taking their four year old son the event, but the little guy had turned off the alarm clock. Whew! Both my daughter and her current husband believe that little boy has had other precognitive events, warning others about something and not being listened to and the event happened. I so very much want my grandson to grow up and become a priesthood holder who can use this gift  from God to benefit His Kingdom on Earth and prepare for Christ’s second coming. I am so glad that he turned his daddy’s alarm clock off that morning.”

Remembering is a Sunday Experience

            It is fitting that today, Sunday, the first anniversary of this tragic event, is a day to do some remembering and reflecting. Today, there will be TV specials (at least here in Tucson) with a review of all the milestones of Gaby’s recovery. They will interview the survivors and surviving families of those who were killed. It is my hope that this remembering will feature all of the good things that have come from that horrible tragic event on January 8^th last year.

           

Now I ask these questions:

            Have we put away the hateful words?

            Have we become more respectful in our debates?

            Are we living up to the ideals and dreams of our young children?