Patience Grown

Patience Grown

I was born belligerent.

The first words out of my mouth

Were loud and angry

I was hungry,

My mom told me.

And at 2 minutes old

I didn’t have the wisdom

To be patient.

I was born with a fire in

My heart.

A fire, a continuous desire

To have all that Heaven holds.

Money’s not abundant…

Family is

Seven children

Fourteen grand children

Trailing behind

Love in abundance!

Life is always perfect?

Well, good luck with that!

But we are learning

Mothers Day 2000

CERRO GRANDE

200 a.m.

I sat

With my daughter

In the car that night.

We had made it to the curb

In front of the church before the

Traffic came to a standstill.

It was a mandatory evacuation.

In the hills around us fire

Turned the trees to charcoal.

The sky, heavy with smoke

Made us feel like we were sitting

In a coal bin.

The church was open for evacuees

who needed to stop for food

or a bathroom.

It was quiet as the Bishop sat in a chair

Comforting the small group around him.

The radio reported that Arizona Ave. was

Totally gone.

Running her fingers through her hair my daughter cried-

“Why Us?

They are just things. We are all OK. We have what was most

Important.

“Yes,“ she said looking down into her lap, smiling,. We have the cats.

We have my clarinet, and books. If we get back to school, I’ll have my homework done”

Kids are such a comfort.

Happy Mother’s Day

Be a Fisher of Men

John 21:1–17

Joyful,

She put the last touches

On the Portrait de Jesucristo

Remembering to abrigate it with

A protective film.

Charcoal was so touchy.

She remembered affectionately

When President Uchtdorf reminded

Her to put Christ in her life.

What better way to remember than a

Portrait of Him on the boat with poisson.

Dievushka felt blessed.

If Christ wanted fish he could get fish.

He wants us to help find his sheep.

I am ready.

Whoopsy Daisy

 

Strike up the band

Reach for blue sky

We’re making more quilts

My grand kids and I.

They’re all filled with fun.

They’re splendid to touch

The people they ‘re meant for

We all love so much.

We think it’d be awesome

If you learned how too.

No need to be perfect

Just do what we do

With a smile on our faces

Hands up! We all shout—

‘Oh“Whoopsie Daisy!”

FROM ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

OTHER’S HAVE FAMILIES TOO

The elk looked at the truck, and shuddered.

He looked at the gun hanging in the back window

He saw the camping gear, bundled in the back.

A fishing pole stuck out of the pile

Swinging to and fro in the wind.

“Vacation Time”

He bellowed!

 “I’d better get the wife and family

and head up the mountain

“Looks like it’s hunting season again!”

Illumination

Friends

When we are sisters

In the Gospel,

When love is enduring,

A product of Faithful

Righteousness,

When the illuminating

Light of Christ

Touches enthusiastic,

Noble minds,

The devoted increase.

In the knowledge of Paul--

“ I can do all things through Jesus Christ which strengtheneth me”.

Majesty

Majesty

With broad wings pumping

Swiftly and silently

Long legs tightly tucked

They are off for the night

To the Bosque'.

Tomorrow, another day

They’ll come calling

With guttural cry

Hey where’s breakfast?

As they stroll amoungst the

Skeleton  trees.

Apples are long gone from the ground.

A few look longingly upwards at the

Clinging ones.

Fall, they wish, fall!

A jay, laughing, flies upwards towards the fruit.

Landing on a slender branch enjoys the meal.

Her Share

FROM MY JOURNAL

MARCH 27,1997
 

Yesterday I went to Jean McGuire’s funeral. The minister read a scripture that Jean had found when the McGuires had moved to Washington, and she was missing her friends in Los Alamos

Philipians 4:11-13

“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound: everywhere and in all things.

 I can do all things through Jesus Christ which strengtheneth me.

Five years ago when my Michael died some one asked me if I hadn't had my share of sadness and I wrote this poem.

Her Share

She's had her share of sadness

They say

And I but wonder

Who decides

How large is my share?

How small is yours? 

What is the greater price?

We are all suffering different stresses and pain in our lives. Who is to say when enough is enough. I hope we can all look for the beauty in growing that comes from our struggles, and do all things through Christ which  strengtheneth..."

My resolution this year is to learn to accept the difficult as well as the joyful. What’s yours?

Visiting teaching is about ministering. Jesus ministered anytime and anywhere. We can do the same.    

To “minister” is to give service, care, or aid that contributes to the comfort or happiness of another. Visiting teaching is about discovering ways to minister to those we visit. Jesus Christ ministered to all—anytime and anywhere. He fed the 5,000, comforted Mary and Martha at the death of their brother, and taught His gospel to the woman at the well. He did it because of His sincere love.

Following His example,  we can come to know and love each sister we visit, remembering that love is the foundation of all we do. When we pray for inspiration to know how to serve her and help her strengthen her faith, “the angels cannot be restrained from being [our] associates.”

Learning to Teach Again

I was always a teacher.

 I probably always will be.

But instead of math, English, and History,

I want to teach Integrity.

Honesty,

Wisdom,

Health,

Kindness.

The world today,

The people today

Seem to be lacking

Especially in kindness.

Communication skills have changed since I was a youth.

Companionship and understanding have fallen by the wayside.

Our world is growing smaller, meaner.

Do we have the strength

And endurance

To be one

With the angels around us?

Philipians 4:11-13

Philippians 4:11-13

January

I love it.

Life gets crazy in

January’

Until,

The gavel slams down

The spreadsheets fall to the floor.

The music stops playing.

The phone stops ringing.

The Teenagers sleep in,

Early morning

Seminary’s been cancelled,

Ah youth!

It’s snowing!

It’s snowing!

Another Snowmageddon?

One of my grandbabies wakes

Fretful.

I tuck her into my arms

And read my scriptures to her

In Spanish

In my Grandmother’s rocker.

 

Sunday Morning Sounds

Sunday Morning Sounds

Wow!

These Brownies are

Delicious.

Thank you for your

Service.

Please turn to page

Forty- seven

Sister J. had such a romantic vacation!

Woo Hoo!

Sister C. is seventy- seven this week!

Wish her a Happy Birthday

We love you all!

Relief Society is such a joyful place

Isn’t it fun!

Delicious Day

Delicious Day.

The new year is here

And things are calm in

My neighborhood

Hideously calm.

It’s too cold for gardening.

To dry for snorkeling

My husband has gone riding

With the grandchildren.

And I am

Home

Alone

With my chocolate.

I am content….

Pretty content….

Well I would enjoy some

Hugging.