Twenty-Five Friendship Stars

 

“Ordinances and covenants are not big or small. Please let us never speak of a temple as big or small. Let us always only speak with love and gratitude for the House of the Lord. Wherever we live, let us be grateful for the gifts of eternity sacred temples bring. New converts sometimes testify family on the other side of the veil led missionaries to find and baptize family on this side so their family could be united. Some new converts feel alone. But you are part of Heavenly Father’s family. When you take family names to the temple, your eternal family extends on both sides of the veil. My father and mother joined our Church as the only members in their families. Today, family history and genealogy help connect many Gong and Char family generations. Whatever generation you are in the Church, in the chain of your eternal family, please be a strong link.” – Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Halloween Checkerboard

 

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” – L.M. Montgomery

"Just because I cannot see it, doesn't mean I can't believe it!" – Jack Skellington, The Nightmare Before Christmas

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here." – Ariel, The Tempest

"Where there is no imagination, there is no horror." – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

"Halloween was confusing. All my life my parents said, 'Never take candy from strangers.' And then they dressed me up and said, 'Go beg for it.'" – Rita Rudner

"My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage." – Aunt Frances, Practical Magic

"Every day is Halloween isn't it? For some of us." – Tim Burton

"We're all mad here." – The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

“Magic is really very simple. All you've got to do is want something and then let yourself have it.” – Aggie Cromwell, Halloweentown

Twelve Pinwheels

 

Marie Wilcox was born on a ranch in Visalia, California in 1933; the youngest of seven children. She was raised by her grandparents in a one-room house. Her grandmother spoke Wukchumni, a dialect of Tule-Kaweah, which is a Yokutsan indigenous language spoken by the Tule-Kaweah Yokuts of California. After completing the eighth grade, Marie left school to become a farm hand and fruit-picker. She married Joe Garcia and together they raised four daughters and one son. After her grandmother died, Marie began working on a dictionary of her language as a tribute. She included audio recordings of each word. There was a New York Times documentary of her work in 2014 that inspired interest among tribe members in reviving their native tongue. Marie was teaching classes at the Owens Valley Career Development Center when she died in 2021 at the age of 87. In 2014, Marie was the only fluent speaker of Wokchumni. Today, there are three.

Dark Teal Butterfly

 

I wanted to share a story about a Kansas cinema owner named Dexter who invited elderly patrons to bring pets to his mid-week matinees, just to get people through the door. I meant to add Dexter shares old blankets with his canine customers, so they don’t spoil the velvet seats. I was eager to tell you Dexter’s “Dogs Welcome Wednesdays” often outsell Saturday nights. It’s a great story, heart-warming and fun. It just isn’t true. I found it online, and it’s been shared by multiple sites. But somehow, Dexter never has a last name. The town in Kansas and the movie house are nameless, too. All the details I could use to either corroborate or disprove any of it are simply missing. Every time I find the tale, it’s accompanied by an obvious AI-generated photo or video of seated theater patrons with their doggy companions. Maybe, when robots dream, they imagine movie theaters full of dogs.

Yellow Teapot

 

Broccoli Chickpea Salad

 

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

3 cups raw broccoli chopped into small florets

2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 medium red onion finely chopped

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

 

Dressing

 

Zest and juice from one lemon

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Optional kosher salt to taste

 

Add rice, broccoli, chick peas and onion to large bowl; toss to combine. In a smaller bowl, whisk together lemon juice, zest, oil and vinegar. Pour dressing over salad and add feta. Gently toss and serve.  

Sixteen Rail Fences

 

Oliver "Porky" Bickar came up with the idea in 1971 and spent three years gathering 70 old tires. When April 1, 1974 dawned clear, he told his wife today was the day, and she replied, "Just don't make an ass of yourself." Porky and his closest friends tied the tires into two 150-foot rope slings, then hired a helicopter to lift them to the crater at the top of Mount Edgecumbe with diesel, rags and smoke bombs. While the pilot returned for the second load, Porky painted his message in the snow. Thick black smoke was already visible across Sitka Sound before they got home. Phones rang off the hook. Porky had warned the FAA, fire department and police about his prank, but forgot the Coast Guard. A helicopter was sent to investigate, and the Coast Guard found “April Fool” written in the snow. An Alaska Airlines flight was diverted so passengers could see the fake volcanic eruption.

Two Dozen Friendship Stars

“In the Savior’s Church, it is not our political views, culture or personal interests that unite us. It is our love for God and neighbor — God’s children. It is our commitment to our covenants with Jesus Christ and to His restored gospel. We are ‘one in Christ.’” – President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 “Always put Him first and remain faithful to the covenants you made at your baptism. Angels can minister to you. The Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are at your side.” – Andrea Muñoz Spannaus

 “The covenants and ordinances of the Savior’s restored gospel are spiritual credentials that can open wide the heavenly windows of opportunity to receive in our lives divine purpose, direction and strength.” – Elder David A. Bednar

 “Consider how your family, friends and loved ones will be blessed to partake of the fruit that blesses you.” – Elder Gary E. Stevenson