Card Games

"Trust the Lord. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and His sheep know His voice; and today the voice of the Good Shepherd is your voice and my voice. And if we are not engaged, many who would hear the message of the Restoration will be passed by. Simply stated, it’s a matter of faith and action on our part. The principles are pretty simple: pray for missionary opportunities. The Lord has said in the Doctrine and Covenants that many people have been kept from the truth only “because they know not where to find it.” You don’t have to be an outgoing person or an eloquent, persuasive teacher. If you have an abiding love and hope within you, the Lord has promised if you lift up your voices to His people and speak the thoughts He shall put into your hearts, you shall not be confounded before men." – M. Russell Ballard

Going My Way

I was rereading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and ran across this: “You are mistaken, Elinor," said she warmly, "in supposing I know very little of Willoughby. I have not known him long indeed, but I am much better acquainted with him, than I am with any other creature in the world, except yourself and mama. It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.” Willoughby had offered Marianne a horse, and Elinor was shocked that her sister would consider accepting it. The unspoken reason is of course the question of indebtedness. When we became expats, we were warned not to accept gifts from our new neighbors; advice we patently ignored. We received (and gave) garden produce, baked goods, jams, and even quilts. Of course, horses were never mentioned.

Cocoa Jamocha

Several years ago I was having lunch with my grandmother and a few of her friends, and someone posed this question: What qualities would you look for in a second husband? Grandma and her friends had all been widowed years before. Every one of them prefaced their reply by saying they had no intention of remarrying.  (I don’t think any of them ever did. I’ve observed that surviving spouses who were happily married tend to remarry right away. Widows and widowers who have been happily single for a long time tend to stay that way. It’s like Newton’s law about motion.) Having said that, it was apparent that they’d given the matter some thought. They all mentioned helpful things their husbands did that they miss: fixing the car, remembering birthdays and anniversaries, repairing leaky faucets, planning fun vacations, etc. I wonder what I’d miss most about my husband in his absence. What would he miss about me?

June Barn

This is the tenth barn block I’ve done in ten months, and it’s the most difficult one so far. I’m rather proud of the things that turned out well. If you could see the fabric I used for the night sky, you’d be amazed I was able to make this whole block with only one moon showing. I even managed to put the moon exactly where I wanted it, though the angle is wrong. (Think about it. If the sunlit part of the moon isn’t pointing down, why isn’t it daylight?) I’m pleased at how well the fence turned out, considering the posts and rails are only half an inch wide. But the roof line is a disappointment; specifically the right side of the roof. The edge of the roof was supposed to fall a quarter of an inch beyond the end of the right wall, and somehow it ended a bit short of that. Somehow, though, the block came out exactly 12.5” square.

Nine-Patch Star

It rained yesterday – pretty much the whole day – and it was glorious. I live in a desert. That doesn’t mean it never rains here; it means that when it does rain, it rains REALLY HARD. It also means no one takes the rain for granted. Relieved by the elements of having to walk the dog, water the vegetable garden or mow the lawn, I spent most of the day working on two baby quilts. I made a big pot of broccoli-cheese soup and a batch of baking powder biscuits. It may be months before it’s cool enough to want to fire up my oven again. I don’t know why I find such peace and comfort in rainy days. If this weather were to last a week or more, I might eventually find the dark depressing. But it won’t. In a day, maybe two, it will be sunny and dry and hot again. And I’ll be wishing for another storm.