Memories are Like Wind Wolves

What is a Wind Wolf?

     In the Autumn of the year, the tall grasses dry to a soft golden brown in California's Wind Wolves Preserve. As the steady breezes ripple over the fields of grass, it creates the soft waves that the Native Americans call wind wolves. They say it is the spirits of those animals who once lived and ran over these very fields.

Our fondest memories are like these Wind Wolves, they run softly through our minds bringing back those treasured feelings we want to experiernce over and over again.

     I created this paper sculpture measuring about 3 feet wide, from 13 sided shapes designed by Hank Goebel in 1975 for the Downey Museum of Art's annual Introductions exhibit. In 2007 I received permission from his daughter to use these "Hank Shapes" for my own art. She worked at the Wind Wolves Preserve. It was here that I heard the story of the Wind Wolves and was inspired to create this sculpture in his memory. 

     This year's RootsTech2023 will focus on "Sharing Stories" using all of the digital technologies available to us including social media, such as FaceBook, Instagram and now Marco Polo. 

     The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has announced it's theme for the year:

Your Memories Can Live Forever on FamilySearch

Your Memories Can Live Forever on FamilySearch

Miss Universe of the Dead

My friend, Aaron Marie Gillett, said she may never be a proselyting missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that she could become the “Miss Universe” of the Dead!”

I told her that with all of the new digital tools available to us we could really become experts in finding our deceased ancestors.

Everyone can have a free account on FamilySearch Family Tree and can register for free for RootsTech 2023, the online genealogy/family history conference March 2 – 4, next week. As members of the Church we have access to free accounts on affiliate sites of FamilySearch: Ancestry, My Heritage, Find My Past, Geneanet, and Filiae.

The theme for 2023 Family History Temple and Family History Consultants as well as Stake and Ward leaders responsible for this great work is:

Your Memories Can Live Forever on FamilySearch

Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate, said recently that, “The exchanging of stories isn’t just fun or desirable, it’s something essential to our well-being.”

So when your daughter says to you for the 15^th time, “Mommie, tell me the story of the Lost Opal,” you tell it one more time. She was part of that story, and it truly does mean more to her that just a fairy tale. It tells her that prayer works. When we lose something precious, the Holy Ghost will reveal it’s location to us when we pray with the faith of a little child.

I shared this story in a display for our Stake Relief Society event this past Saturday. The theme was “Let Your Light So Shine Before Men, That They May See Your Good Works and Glorify Your Father which is in Heaven.”

In 3 Nephi 18:24 Jesus Christ told the people on this continent after His resurrection, that “Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up…”

Because He wants every person who has ever lived upon this earth to have an opportunity to hear His gospel and accept or reject the saving ordinances thereof, we as Latter-day Saints research our own ancestors and by proxy, baptize them in our temples, thus releasing them from spirit prison. This is an essential part of Heavenly Father's Plan. Note that we only do this for our own ancestors not anyone else's.

Let us all put our memories into FamilySearch and Let Our Light so Shine!

 

Let My Light So Shine!

I've always wanted to be found doing what I was supposed to be doing; being where I was supposed to be; and participating in any church event when asked to participate. So enthusiastically, this former museum curator began gathering photos, stories, ideas, craft projects that I could share when the Stake Relief Society asked for displays, food and talents. 

I wrote this lyric poem to try to share my talents, but alas, they don't want so much "stuff" now I will be limited to 1/4 round table. The theme is "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

A Tri-fold display to let my light so shine

By my good works to glorify God.

Three sides are doubled to tell the story:

My life, my talents, my gifts, my passionate focus

First love, is solving the mystery

Who am I?

Finding my ancestors

Helping to find your ancestors

A calling from God before my birth

Revealed in my Patriarchal Blessing

Now focused in FamilySearch Family Tree

Attaching sources, recording memories

Like the Tree, I branch out to

My Heritage loving AI photos of me

DNA and 17 family trees on Ancestry

Two search engines, different algorithms

Basic research now enhanced

Mountains of data, sifted and sorted

Fold3, Newspapers.com, and FindaGrave 

all reveal their hidden secrets, mysteries solved

My second love, a gift or talent?

Using art to share a story

Writing lyric poems, inspired,

Creating sculptures of paper

Sharing gospel light on social media

FaceBook, Instagram, a blog: Malachi 3:16

Bee in the Desert, symbol of my nature

Busy, Busy, Busy

Flower to flower, pollinating as I go

This symbol love began early

The Camp Fire Law said Worship God

How, I wondered?

Searched first one church then another

This lost lamb, now is found in the loving

Arms of the Good Shepherd.

Humble and meek, I pray to serve

My ancestors, then symbols become real

In temple covenants.

Family is my Trifecta

Continuing traditions by sharing

Dolls, sea shells and gem collecting

Combining and overlapping dolls, camping with an artist's eye,

Photography captures memories, creates digital art

My Spiritual DNA revealed

It brings into focus why I am here,

To Worship God, Create Beauty and Honor Family

Happy 111th Birthday Mom!

Happy Groundhogs Day!

My mother, Vivian Ruthe Utterback Eckles Gillette, was born sharing this funny holiday, and she reveled in it. Her mother called her a "Corker" on a picture postcard sent to her dad, Thomas J. Hicks in Taney County Missouri. I had to look up the meaning of that idiom from 111 years ago. It means an outstanding person or thing; one that is excellent or remarkable. The synonyms include: beaut, bee's knees, cat's meow, jim-dandy, peach, standout and sweetheart. This is the photo on that card taken in 1919, Kansas City, Missouri

ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM

 Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

I'm prepared

Ready to Zoom.

I see and hear

The Spirit's near

My soul uplifted

Why would I fear

God couldn't show

His love

Digitally, too

This poem was inspired by a story that appeard in LDS Living Magazine, Jan-Feb 2023, p 59 in an article by Gabrielle Shiozawa entitled, “A Pointed Prompting."

She tells the story of Gerry Schlette , a college professor in New Jersey, who had discovered “Vocal Point,” a BYU 9-member, male a cappella group. He said their songs made him feel better. After 3 years he decided to take a trip out to Utah. It changed his life. 

My poem came from the remark that base singer, Hyrum Jackson made when he said that he was able to attend Gerry's baptism via Zoom and ”the Spirit was felt very strongly, even digitally.”

My friend Brian Flores-Rodriguez, a music major at the University of Arizona, said that he'd love to set this poem to music. It would be a fun song for the youth.

Let's zoom, zoom, zoom!!!!

A Tribute To A King

 

Follow God

Love Others

Be Connected

Tragedy in Memphis

So Close to Home

Now Going Home

Why Kill someone so Young?

His Desire: To Motivate and Serve

Black or White, Those Short Lives Matter

Both Before Hate Filled Crowds

Father Forgive them,

They Know Not What They Do.

Loving Others 

Going to a Heavenly Home.

Now United He is Our King

New Year. New Beginnings. New Journal.

Remembering 1976 Rose Float that I designed

 

Now is the time to start a New Tradition!  

Use Your Patriarchal Blessing to Set Goals

1. START WITH A PRAYER

2. Read completely through and note words that "Pop Out" at you.

3. Look for things you've been blessed with. Make a List.

4. Note warning, especially look for "IF" phrases. Make a List.

5. Look for the one thing you just don't want to see, do or hear about.

THAT'S THE ONE YOU BEGIN WITH. 

Make a plan of how to overcome that dread, topic, or warning. Heavenly Father will help you tackle this one if you treat it as a NEW psychology challenge. 

Use your talents to help you develop spiritual habits and start with naming it something very hopeful like My Miracle or My Blessing.

Make it Smart:  

    S for Specific

    M for Measurable

    A for Achievable

    R for Relevant

    T for Timely