Whats On Your Shelf??

"From that time on, the world was hers for the
reading. She would never be lonely again, never
miss the lack of intimate friends. Books became
her friends and there was one for every mood...
on the day when she first knew she could read, she
made a vow to read one book a day as long as she lived."
from: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
by: Betty Smith

I've been thinking about self-help books. I've read a LOT of them in my life. Most of them unmemorable. A few of them are irreplaceable.
Here are my top 6 (in no particular order.)

I dare anyone to find fault with this one!! I dare you to find out what your 'love language' is and the love language of all the lovelies in your life!!! Go here to find out.
This one changed my trajectory on raising teenagers!! THank Heavens!!!
Anger issues anyone? Marvelous book on building healthy relationships.
All inclusive!! All answers are found here!!

Im sure my Builder wishes I had found this gem MUCH sooner in our married life. I now commonly give this book as a wedding gift or shower gift.

What have been some of your favorites?

Have a Memorable Weekend One and All!!

"I like trees because they seem more resigned
to the way they have to live than other things
do. I feel as if this tree knows everything I
ever think of when I sit here. When I come
back to it, I never have to remind it of any-
thing; I begin just where I left off."
from: Oh Pioneers
by: Willa Cather

image from flickr

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY!!

Age is the top of a mountain high;

Rarer the air, and blue.

A long hard climb, a bit of fatigue;

But OH!! What a wonderful view!!

-author unknown

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHARON!!

Because of recent events, we have so enjoyed having you here in lovely St. George!! As always, you are a joy and delight, and I learn so much from you. May you have a wonderful day and a fulfilled year!!!

SHES IN MY ARMS ONCE AGAIN!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY (though you know it wont last the day!!!)

Countdown Timers

DAM*%#@* WINTER CAME BACK!!!

Here's my First clue of impending doom!!
Though it was more ethereal than normal....
I should have known that running for cover should be an option.
The Park doenst have a blanket covering it so beautifully very often.
The temps began dropping....

Im really, really THRILLED with my pictures of this wintery morn...Im really, really NOT pleased about the upcoming storm!!!
Then it started to rain.....


And then it began to snow!!! Really snow!!!
Its hard for my silly little camera to catch snowflakes in the air. Or gale force winds blowing down the canyon. Well, maybe not gale force, but wind and blizzard like conditions nevertheless.
My smiling, blurry countenance doesnt give way to just how VERY miserable I am!!!

Get a load of that chin!! I am wet, and COLD and searching for lagging hikers!! Whats a woman like me...who has the art of complaining about cold, doing out on a day like this???!!
Still wouldnt trade my job for anything in the world!!
(this was yesterdays- Monday Stop Sign Hike. Today....the sun is shining, there isnt a cloud in the sky, and......its supposed to reach 60 degrees by this afternoon!!! GOTTA LOVE ST GEORGE!!!!!)

TOMORROW THERE'S A BIRTHDAY!!!

YOU'LL FIND AS YOU GROW OLDER THAT

YOU WERENT BORN SUCH A VERY GREAT

WHILE AGO AFTER ALL!!

-william dean Howells
We wish you the very happiest of bithdays Scott!! Your special day may be a bit overshadowed by a certian other event tomorrow......Hummmmmmmmmmm....I wonder what that could be????????? But please, please know of my great love for you and how very much your friendship and support means to little ole me!! You are wonderful!!!
Have a great day, and hopefully I remember to wish you well at the airport tomorrow!!! TOMORROW!!!!
TOMORROW!!!
BE STILL MY HEART!!!!

Send the Elder a Hook!!??

From a little spark may burst
a mighty flame!!
-Dante

He's requested that his mommy send a crochet hook??? They are going to learn to...........??? Oh the wonders and mysteries of missionary life! Gotta love it!!!

"And I learned what is obvious to a child.
That life is simply a collection of little
lives, each lived one day at a time. That
each day should be spent finding beauty in
flowers and poetry and talking to animals.
That a day spent with dreams and sunsets and
refreshing breezes cannot be bettered. But
most of all, I learned that life is about sit-
ting on benches next to ancient creeks with my
hand on her knee and sometimes, on good days
for falling in love.
from: THe Notebook
by: Nichloas Sparks

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CHRISTY!!

I've come to learn that you do indeed know how to live life to its fullest. What a blessing that is!! May your day be a lovely one!! We love you!!

"What I think is, it's never too late... or, in my case, too early, to be whoever you want to be... There's no time limit, start anytime you want... change or stay the same... there aren't any rules... We can make the best or worst of it... I hope you make the best... I hope you see things that startle you. Feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people who have a different point of view. I hope you challenge yourself. I hope you stumble, and pick yourself up. I hope you live the life you wanted to... and if you haven't, I hope you start all over again."
from: Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I sure cant shake the latest movie the Builder and I went to Friday night. I just cant shake it from my mind. (Im either being more selective in our choices of movies...or...Hollywood is doing something right more often.........NOT!!!)
This latest movie has been looping through my head. Several times a day I find my self reflecting on what I came away with from this movie.
The idea that a man could age in reverse, is a fascinating concept, to say the least. We all know the common jokes about how growing old is like reverting back to babyhood. diapers, drooling, memory, etc....
Infants
and
Old age
are alike!!!

Poignant Moments in the movie for me:
Daisy (Cate Blanchett) walking down the street, holding the hand of the 'infant' that she loves,who was once her lover, and leaning down for an innocent kiss. Consider the heart strings sufficiently tugged!!

Daisy (Cate Blanchett) asking her dying mother- "Did I disappoint you?"
That's a brave question. Could I be prepared enough for the answer?

Why cant there be 'old folks homes' like the one portrayed in this movie. Benjamin returned often to the place where he was lovingly raise. Why cant our seniors have a place like this to wile away their senior years? A place of warmth, even coziness. A home with open doors, and always a feeling of invitation. Where home cooked meals are served and where grandchildren could come and spend the night with grandma!!! Where one good woman-dear Queenie- took care of everyone!! Everyone felt safe and loved!! Where old people are treated with dignity.

WHAT I KNOW:

Growing old may suck, but growing young doesnt hold much appeal either.

oh.....sweet mortality!!!???

THE COUNT DOWN HAS BEGUN!!! You'll have to bear with me on this. My skin feels prickly, my eyes are CONSTANTLY LEAKING; My sleep may be affected...
MY DAUGHTER IS FINALLY COMING HOME!!!
There's going to be a party at the airport!!!
Be there or be square!!!

Enjoy the email I received on Sunday---
Happy Sunday – we are the BIGGEST fans of your cute daughter! Thank you for sharing her with Texas for the past 18 months – we are better for having had her here. She is adorable, and you can be so proud of what a fantastic missionary she has been. It is with heavy hearts that we let her leave, but I know that wonderful things are in store for her. We love her and hope that your whole family will come and visit us sometime in Houston!

Take care, and have a great week welcoming her home!

Love Melanie and the Chalk family (only part of us are pictured here – some are taking Sunday naps…) 8-)

"Everything cannot be taken from a man
but...the last of human freedoms-- to
choose one's attitude in any given set
of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
from: Mans Search for Meaning
by: Victor Frankl

Such grace and determination to get well, to be strong, to return to 'normalicy.' And all the hard work and priesthood blessings are paying off!! Doesnt she look marvelous!!? Isnt her great-grandson darling??!! Go Ethel!!! We love you so!!!

I cannot think of a better way to spread the
faith. No thundering from a pulpit, no
condemnation from bad churches, no peer
pressure. Just a book of scripture quietly
waiting to say hello, as gentle and power-
ful as a little girl's kiss on your cheek.
from: Life of Pi
by: Yann Martell

We've stumbled upon something really good as we sit around our dining room table in the evenings. Its something called FAMILY SCRIPTURE STUDY.

Its funny; I dont think there has been a Sunday in my Mormon life that I havent heard counsel from our pulpits, admonishing us to be sure to have FAMILY SCRIPTURE STUDY every day!! Im also sure that I have never questioned the wisdom of this counsel. I also know that through the years the Builder and I have attempted, at varying levels of success, to do just as we're told. Through the years, we have endevored to accomplish this advisement with all different levels of success. There has been much jerking, and stumbling, starting and stopping as we tried to do the right thing in raising our family. Oft times it was ugly. Sometimes it was sweet, but it was never comfortable for the likes of me. (I do hope we get SOME credit for the good intentions of our hearts. )
IT is unclear where the tipping point came....
But the Builder began something new, not too long ago.We are now sitting down, sometimes with a bowl of popcorn, but always with willing minds-even willing teenage minds...GO BRI-DOG!!
The Builder will pick a topic, or we will be asked to pick a subject to search out. Then we turn to the all inclusive Topical Guide or the Bible Dictionary or even our very own minds, and find a scripture that we'd like to share on said topic. When its our turn- we read the scripture and then attempt to say something wise or profound about it --in our own words. Because we are all now "grown ups", we are having quite a bit of fun with this. (I hope no one is offended that I use the word "fun" when describing FAMILY SCRIPTURE STUDY??? Its been a LONG time coming when I can now finally say this by the way!!!) Now each night we find ourselves enlightened, and becoming oh so more aware of each other and our individual idiosyncrasies. (and more obedient too!) We have heart- felt discussions and real conversations!! Oh how happy are we for this!!! We dont find ourselves wishing to run off or desiring to move on to something else 'more pressing.' Now you can catch us sitting there really discussing things and really enjoying one anothers company!! How novel!!
There really does seem to be a time and a season for all things. Gone are the yawns-mostly, and the dozing. Gone are the 'sunday school' answers to things.
Now is the season for sharing, and introspection and discovery and camaraderie. Now is the time we really do enjoy FAMILY SCRIPTURE STUDY!!
Just think folks-- What Sister Anna will add to the discussions!!
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!!

WHAT I KNOW:
Just one more benefit to getting older.......ahhhhhhhh!!!

Dang Technology!!!

So I was sure that I had ALL my ducks in a row!! I was positive!!

I reviewed my vast knowledge of my DVR and felt confident that all was right with the universe. All the correct buttons had be pushed. All the lights that were supposed to be blinking were blinking. I could run my errands that needed tending too, and still come home and watch the premier of LOST -without the headache of commercials even!!

Alas........the best laid plans..........shot to heck!!

I watched the review episode without a care in the world. Was grateful for the refresher course. Needed the refresher course in fact!!

And then.................the second hour was nowhere to be found!! NOWHERE!!! Except.....for the last 5 minutes of course. The all important few minutes. Hadnt a clue what was happening!!!

So I guess Im reduced to going to the computer to 'catch up' before next week.

(It was so good to be reunited with all the beautiful people!!)

Gotta love that island with the polar bears!!!

WHAT I KNOW:

There is a time and place for Hollywood, and their skills in story telling. Viva La Hollywood!!!

I was exclaiming this to my Builder last night, after viewing The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!!

Have a GOOD Weekend my Loved Ones!!!

"Good morning!!" said Bilbo, and he meant it.
The sun was shining, and the grass was very green.
But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy
eyebrows that stuck out farther than the brim of
his shady hat. "What to you mean?" he said. "Do you
wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good
morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel
good this morning; or that it is a morning to be
good on?" "All of them at once," said Bilbo.
from: The Hobbit
by: J.R.R. Tolkien

Human and artifical sound and objects

thrust themselves upon us;

they are within our sphere, so to speak:

but the life of nature we must meet halfway;

it is shy, withdrawn and blends itself

with a vast neutral background.

We must be initiated;

it is an order

the secrets of which

are well gaurded.

from: The Art of Seeing Things
by: John Burroughs