Cholla

What a difference a year makes! Last September my almost-two-year-old grandson didn’t say much and what he did say was hard to understand. He loved Elmo but had little patience for the rest of Sesame Street. Since then he’s turned his focus to Dumbo, Jungle Book, Thomas the Tank Engine, Peter Pan, Cinderella and Winnie the Pooh. Now, as he nears his third birthday, he can count to 100. He reads several words, including, “No,” “Stop,” and “Birthday Cake.” While we were walking he pointed and said, “Look, Nana, an octagon window!” I did and it was. I’ve grown a lot this year, too. I’ve learned not to leave drinks anywhere near laptops. I can buy movie tickets with my phone. I’ve found several diets that don’t work. I’m slowly learning to deal with Windows 8. I’ve discovered an amazing bakery just a mile from my house. I wonder what we’ll learn next year.

Johnny 'Round the Corner

I’ve whined about public handicapped restrooms here before. In the UK, disabled stalls are ONLY for the disabled; you need a special key to use them. It’s a better solution than we have here, where the handicapped (who very frequently have trouble waiting) must queue behind inconsiderate dolts who could have used regular stalls. We were pushing my daughter’s wheelchair at the Kimball Arts Festival in Park City three weeks ago when she announced she had to “go.” She doesn’t usually give us ample warning, so we were relieved to find facilities nearby with a handicapped sign outside. Then we discovered her relatively small chair wouldn’t fit in the stall. In the end we abandoned the chair outside while she took care of business, hoping all the while that it would still be there when she was done. If only Park City had roomy, clean, safe facilities like the one near St. Sampson’s Square in York.

Butterfly at the Crossroads

In my purse are two tins. One is full of Godiva Chocolate Pearls, and the other is packed with Eclipse Gum. The outside of the second tin says Altoids Gum. That’s what I’d like on the inside, too, but they stopped making my favorite gum in 2010. Eclipse doesn’t come in a tin, so I’m making do. There is usually a set of keys in my purse on a Winnie-the-Pooh keychain. I carry a pocket-sized package of tissues, a pair of earplugs and my Ray-Ban sunglasses. I usually have lip gloss and hand lotion in there, too, but I’ve run out and haven’t replaced them yet. The most important thing in my bag is my Franklin Planner; the zippered thing with paper pages inside. It carries my cash, credit cards, appointments, and even a few recipes. Yes, I’m stuck in the 90’s. But it never needs to be recharged, never gets a virus, and never loses memory.

Arabella Manor

LDS churches are public places of worship where Mormons and visitors can meet to pray, study scripture, partake of the sacrament, and learn about God. Our churches also serve as social halls where community gatherings like Boy Scout activities, book club meetings, theatrical productions, sewing bees, basketball games and holiday parties take place. By contrast, temples are literally Houses of the Lord. The primary purpose of the temple is to provide a dedicated place where we can make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father. Because of its sacred nature, attendance in the temple is for church members who’ve become worthy to enter by living in obedience to God's laws. Before a new temple is dedicated, the public is invited inside to see what a beautiful, serene place it is and to learn about the kind of work that will be done there; work that can make it possible for families to be together forever.

Twin Star

I’m a Gemini, which means I’m selfish, nosy and have trouble arriving on time. I was born in the year of the pig, which means I don’t make new friends easily, but keep the ones I make. I’m the eldest of four siblings, which means I AM the boss of you. I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue. No, you don’t want to see it. Over the years I’ve dabbled in watercolor, pottery, and oil painting. My current medium of choice is cotton fabric. It doesn’t smell bad and you don’t have to wait for it to dry. I know a little Spanish; also German, French, Portuguese and Italian. I’m really only fluent in English, but I can beat almost anyone at Scrabble; unless of course we’re using an American English Scrabble Dictionary. I know how to milk a cow, play the accordion, and clean a fish. Just not at the same time.

Joseph's Coat

In his short life Joseph Smith suffered more than his fair share of insults and hurts. People told and printed lies about him. He was beaten, tarred and feathered, and even unjustly jailed. Most of us would have responded in kind, but he wasn’t like that. He worried about what he might have said or done (or even missed saying or doing) that could have sparked such behavior. I like to think I’m rather slow to take offense. At least, I hope I am. But I have a long way to go before I can do as he did: blame myself and apologize whenever someone has done something to hurt my feelings. But now that I’m thinking about it, I’d like to say this: if I’ve ever done or said anything to you that made you feel bad, please tell me. I assure you it wasn’t deliberate, and I’ll try hard not to let it happen again.