Happy Anniversary, Covid-19

 Well, it's been a year since the world went into pandemic mode. It started with the quarantine and the shut down of many businesses and cancellation of events. Basically, we were not allowed to gather in hopes that we could "flatten the curve" and keep the number of cases within a manageable range. The virus came and went in our family with full recovery all around. The vaccine is now here to save the day and many aspects of life have returned. Others have not, but I don't mind so much. I have adapted in many ways. This is my life now. 

I believe in masks. It shows we care about each other. I wear masks. I hate masks. I can't breathe. I find myself yawning constantly trying to get more oxygen. I can't hear what people say, because apparently I don't hear as well as I think I do. I read lips. If I can't see your lips, I can't hear your words. I don't like smelling my own breath. My face gets hot. I get a headache. But...they allow me to go to the store, and the doctor, and church. I love church. I keep masks in my car and in my purse. Sometimes I take the wrong car or leave my mask on the counter instead of my purse. I've bummed a mask from the customer service desk, the store next door, and my relatives. Once I just kept shopping. I felt like a rebel. I don't like that feeling. I'm a rule follower...even if I complain.

On Sundays I go to church. We used to use all the rows in the chapel, then we couldn't use any rows. We had home church. We also joined with my son and his family on zoom. That was wonderful. I'm very thankful for the times I listened to my son testify of Christ and his wife share her inspired thoughts and their children sing the songs of Zion. Thank you Covid. Now we go to church again and sit every other row with our masks on. I miss hugging my friends and seeing faces, but it's better than nothing. I know that now.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I work at the garden center. This happy surprise opportunity allows me to learn more about plants and landscaping, earn money and get more plants which is only the best treat in the world. 

On Tuesday and Thursday morning I have Grandma school with my grandson. This came about because of my son's company's childcare allowance and my daughter-in-law needing to homeschool and online school help her older children. Another Covid perk.

Tuesday afternoons I give facetime piano lessons to a California grandson. We have a great time. He's smart and funny and has a cute smile.  This time together reminds him that he has another Grandma who loves him.

On Saturdays I go to the thrift store with my mom. Because of our awesome thrift store we feel rich. I buy a dress or shoes or teacup and feel the thrill of a pretty new thing. Every once in a while I'll find furniture and sell it online to finance my habit. My mom looks for trinkets to put in her surprise basket. When kids come to visit they get to choose something from her thrift store finds. Mom has made friends with the cashier. Ashley expects us and wonders what's wrong if plans change.

Every day except Sunday I work in my garden. Paul built me beautiful raised beds that are surrounded by mulch and enclosed with netting wrapped around stakes to prevent the deer from eating the plants. I have tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, berries, pomegranates, and flowers. I started them from seeds in the winter. Now they are planted in the garden, and I am advertising my new business. People can order a garden bouquet, and I deliver it within 6 miles. I still get to take flowers to my friends, but I have a dream of a little flower side hustle. Also, gardening is such a joyful activity. I love seeing the plants grow. I'm a big fan of creation.

My life is lovely and especially so now that there is a little more travel and I get to see my grandchildren. Not being with family was definitely one of the worst parts of the pandemic, but I'm thankful that I have clarity on my priorities. All I need now is for the temple to open and my life would be perfect. I'm confident that will come soon. 

I'm sorry that many families have lost loved ones and some are still struggling with long term effects of illness, but it's nice to remember that relationships are a treasure and a simple life can be a joyful life. 

Reaching for the Divine

I was watching a program on BYUTV called "Artful." Brian Kershisnik was one of the artists featured. He made many thoughtful comments that intrigued me, but one that I've been thinking about ever since was, "A significant part of being a human is reaching for the Divine."

 https://www.byutv.org/player/b5a3af8f-cb9f-4e8e-85eb-2a2de8761c84/artful-brian-kershisnik-and-paige-anderson

She Will Find What is Lost by Brian Kershisnik

Of this painting Brian wrote, "...many unseen forces are interested in you, love you, and work to influence matters for your profound benefit.  Most of what we all do is resist it, misinterpret it, or mess it up, but my experience indicates that these unseen efforts persist impossibly.  I thank God for that." 

Reaching for God- I love the word reaching. It is an action word that involves stretching in an intentional way that may cause us to become off balance. We may shift our weight and step forward. We reach for a hand for comfort or to show affection or to gain strength. We reach for a desired object on the top shelf. We aren't sure we can do it, but we hope we can, so we try. God is always there, loving us, planning for us, ready to give us aid, to help us be like Him, our Father. So if I'm reaching for God, I'm not just reading my scriptures, I'm looking for him, what I can do to be closer, how he thinks, how he blesses, how he teaches, what gifts he has that he would love me to have. And I stretch, intentionally leaning towards him with all my might.

Reaching for the Divine in self- We know we are God's children, his very creations, heirs to all he has. Usually I don't feel that divine. But within me and you are qualities that are beautiful, eternal, amazing. As I was watching Brian Kershisnik create, he spoke of liking to draw as a boy. "No one would have said, 'This young man shows a lot of promise." In his twenties he decided to give art a try. He painted and painted, thousands of paintings, some of which weren't all that good by his own description, but some of which were very, very good.

Nativity by Brian Kershisnik

 I'll admit, I'm a little envious of the masters, those who have worked and dedicated their life to becoming an expert in their field. But that's not the only way to reach for the divine in self. As I work each day to develop ideas, create beautiful spaces, solve problems, connect with the people I encounter, learn, grow, stretch in intentional ways, good things happen. I change. I'm not a master gardener or even a good gardener. I'm a girl who loves to partner with God in creating and helping plants grow to nourish and beautify. I work hard. I fail, a lot. My garden is becoming more productive. Good things are happening.

Reaching for the Divine in Others- This idea has been very enlightening and helpful. I'm always working on being a more loving, patient, kind person. I'm always working on this because, more than I care to admit, I find myself in a snit. People around me are not living up to my expectations, and I'm not happy about it. I'm not proud of this, but it's how I feel. I will not address how I'm not living up to others expectations. That's another topic completely. Reaching for the divine in others completely removes the performance aspect. I am not judging choices, I am looking for and finding the best. I am seeing the cheerful countenance, best intentions, special gifts-developed and undeveloped, heart's desire, and divine potential. I am not distracted by hair, clothes, untidy rooms, human frailties, or my unmet expectations. How freeing is this?

Thank you, Mrs. Kershisnik for teaching me about reaching for the Divine, the pure, the beautiful, the light, the edifying, the love in life.

Merry Christmas 2020

 

Merry Christmas! I’m definitely not going to start by saying life this year was just like life last year. My family started 2020 with a wonderful gathering of siblings and friends brought together by the tragic event of my brother, Pete’s, passing. Our hearts were broken, but having these sweet loved ones together remembering the life of my brother was a cherished memory.

And then there we were, minding our business, living life, making plans, when out of the blue you-know-what. No church. No temple. No travel. No sports. No concerts. No visits. No fun. We all felt it. Just fear and uncertainty and the question, “How long is this going to last?”

So we adjusted. We wore masks. We stood 6 feet apart. We learned to zoom. We baked. We gardened. We called our family. We worshipped at home. We discovered what was important and found some silver lining along the way.

I had the opportunity to work some hours at my favorite local nursery. For someone who loves flowers as much as I do, it was a dream come true. I’ve learned the names of shrubs, what flowers grow best in the south, how to keep geraniums looking nice, and the answer to the most common question in Georgia. What grows in the shade, is evergreen, deer resistant, and flowering? My answer? Camellias.

I’ve also gotten to spend more time with my youngest local grandson. Luke comes to “Grandma school” on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The curriculum is student led so although we read books sometimes, we are more likely to race cars, play “Marble works” jump on the trampoline or make cookies.

Paul was home during the planting season and was great help. He probably dug 100 holes for the new plants I brought home. He worked a consulting gig in San Diego which was challenging as CA is very much on lockdown. Now he’s working in Lincoln, NE. It’s a much better time zone for communicating, although not a better zone for winter weather.

Gabe is living at home working at Chick-fil-a trying to build his money pile. In January he’ll start classes at Southern Crescent. He helps in the yard, fixes things, and put the lights on the Christmas tree so beautifully. It is just glorious.

We almost made it to the end of the year Covid free. Almost. Somehow Mom contracted it. Her first test was negative which was dangerous because we didn’t quarantine. 6 days, a Dr’s visit, and 5 hour emergency room wait later she was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and covid. A few days later I began to have symptoms. She’s home from the hospital and we are getting better, but not fast enough as far as I’m concerned. I’m a little on the cranky side with Covid messing with my Christmas cheer. I’m sure I’ll be writing about how it was the best Christmas ever someday. But not today.

I have to hand it to 2020. It forced us to reflect on what is important in life. We cleaned out the clutter in our closets. Hopefully we cleaned out the clutter in our mind and heart also. It was a great opportunity to make the changes we’ve been meaning to make for a while. We’re getting very good at problem solving and being flexible. We can take all these great new skills into 2021 because I’m sure there’s a lot more excitement to come.

Stay safe.

 

Love, The Stokers

Come Follow Me 2020.

 Every January we start a new course of study in church. The program is called, "Come Follow Me." We study at home with our families during the week. When we go to church on Sunday, we discuss our insights from our reading. 2020's course of study was "The Book of Mormon." I was excited to kick off the new year, so I changed the pictures in my home to match the study theme.

"Tree of Life" by Greg Olsen

"First Vision" by Greg Olsen

We all have to agree that taking down Christmas trees can be sad, so I left one tree up and made it a Book of Mormon Tree.

I decorated the tree with little Book of Mormon characters and favorite scriptures of mine and people I love who were passing through.

 2020 has been a wonderful year to be studying the Book of Mormon. Every day I found a scripture that gave  me the courage, faith, knowledge, or hope that I needed to face whatever craziness I encountered. Here we are at the end of the year, and I have to admit, I have gained significantly greater understanding of the scriptures I've read. I attribute this to the trials and challenges that prepared my heart in a new way. I was looking for answers and truth and comfort, and I found them. So thanks for a year of growth and clarity as to what is most important in this life. May 2021 be the year we apply what we've learned.

PS. Here is a list of the favorite BOM scriptures that were hanging on the tree.

1 Nephi 3:7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. Eliza.

1 Nephi 17:3 And thus we see that the commandments of God must be fulfilled. And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them and strengthen them, and provide means whereby they can accomplish the thing which he has commanded them; wherefore, he did provide means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.

1 Nephi 17:13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.

1 Nephi 18:3 And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things. 

1 Nephi 20:10 For, behold I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

1 Nephi 21:15-16 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 

2 Nephi 2:6-7 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

2 Nephi 2:27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

2 Nephi 9:18 But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever. 

2 Nephi 9:51 Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, no your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

2 Nephi 10:23 Cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves--to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life. 

2 Nephi 22:2 Behold, God is my salvation I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation. Annalisa

2 Nephi 25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and w write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins. Paul

2 Nephi 25:29 And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all you might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out.

2 Nephi 26:27 Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men; and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden

2 Nephi 27:23 For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.

Mosiah 4:5 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend. And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive your; and now, if you believe all these things wee that ye do them.

Mosiah 4:19-20 For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have, for both food and raiment, and for gold, and for silver, and fo all the riches which we have of every kind? And behold, even at this time ye have been calling on his name and begging for a remission of your sins. And has he suffered that ye have begged in vain? Nay; he has poured out his Spiit upon you, and has caused that our hearts should be filled with joys, and has caused that your mouths should be stopped that ye could not find utterance, so exceedingly great was your joy.

Mosiah 4:21 And now, if God, who has created you, on whom you are dependent for your lives and for all that ye have and are, doth grant unto you whatsoever ye ask that is right, in faith, believing that ye shall receive, O then, how ye ought to impart of the substance that ye have one to another.

Mosiah 5:8 And under this head ye are made free, and there is no other head whereby ye can be made free. There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient unto the end of your lives. 

Mosiah 5:15 Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that ye may have everlastng salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

Mosiah 18:12 O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.

Alma 37:35-37 O, remember, my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God. Yeah, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever. Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day. Mary

Alma 37:44-45 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land. And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise. Elder Bailey

Alma 48:17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. Janet, Andrew and Gabe

Ether 12:12 For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith. Natalie

Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become string unto them. Kyle 

Moroni 7:41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the Atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise. Janet

Moroni 8:26 And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God. Jacob

Moroni 10:32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. Jeff

Moroni 10:33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. Elder Todd

 

Don't forget the camellias. .

 Yesterday I realized it was time to bless my plants with a little water. It has been coolish, but we haven't had rain for a while. I walked around the perimeter of my yard dragging my hose around corners, trampolines, (well, one trampoline) and in some cases over plants to reach every green thing growing in the yard. I scrutinized each plant to see if it had fungus issues or needed insecticide or if it had been eaten by deer. I was looking over some azaleas lamenting that they had problems. Should I spray them, move them to a place with more light? How could I get these bushes to be okay? I was really worrying about them and what I should do differently.

And then I looked to the left and realized that my sweet camellias could not be working any harder to make me happy. I felt sad at my lack of gratitude for their contribution and loyal service. I felt even sadder as I realized that I need to be more grateful for the friends and family who are so kind to me and try so hard to bless me with their love and goodness. I'm sometimes so preoccupied with problems that I neglect my blessings. So let me take this time to say, "Thank you" to all who are making life more beautiful for me and others with their beauty and light..

Y'all, chip drop is no joke.

 So this one time, I was watching Jim Putnam on HortTube and he mentioned something that sounded amazing-chip drop. All you have to do is sign up, and someone brings a pile of wood chips to your door for free. "What's the catch?" one might ask. Well, the catch is they don't tell you ahead of time when it's coming, the mulch is a little rough-just trees through the shredder-and it's a lot. A lot a lot. They explain this to you in the video about why you might not be a good candidate for chip drop, but I said, "Bring it on." Sometimes I can get a little enthusiastic about whatever I'm obsessing about, and I admit I'm obsessing about gardening right now, but I wasn't afraid of a little pile of wood chips. That is, until Wednesday when I was at work at the nursery and I got a text that said, "Chip drop today." A little while later I got another text, this one from my neighbor, "Did you order some mulch to be dropped in the cul-de-saq?" Now, this is a very patient neighbor, not one to be alarmed, but she sounded, shall we say, concerned. I got a little concerned also, but admittedly excited. I drove home, and as I turned the corner to my driveway, I saw why my neighbor was nervous.

This pile of woodchips was as big as a truck and extended halfway into the cul-de-saq. Of course it was the day before garbage pickup, and I knew there were going to be some unhappy people if the garbage man couldn't circle around the street. I gathered my courage and determination along with my pitchfork and rusty wheel barrow and started moving wood chips. It smelled delightful. The weather was cool and perfect for shoveling, but the task at hand was daunting. I worked hard for a couple of hours and made what I thought was great progress as the 4 foot tail on the edge of the pile was now spread around my bushes. Considering how much time there was until sunset and how much mulch was still on the street, I was feeling like maybe I overestimated my abilities. My son came out to join the fun and our production stepped up a bit. Earlier I had invited the neighbors to help themselves to chips, but so far no takers. At about 6:30 my awesome neighbors, Taran and Mike Swanson came out of their house with shovels and their not rusty wheel barrow and jumped in to help. I wanted them to take chips for their yard, but first they worked on mine.

Can we stop for a moment and talk about how much  it lifted my spirits to have these good people join me in my chip job? They brought fresh muscles and smiles and friendship. Then my neighbor Casey came out. He didn't have a wheelbarrow, but he's a smart engineer for real and we filled his recycling bin which holds a lot of woodchips and has wheels. With all of us working together, bit by bit, the pile grew smaller and smaller. The street light came on as the sun went down, and who knows where we were dumping the mulch exactly. But the street began to clear until there was plenty of room for the garbage man the next morning. We were tired, but no one wanted to be the first to quit. We finally called it a night, and I had to admit that it had been a really fun evening. 

The next morning the garbage was picked up on schedule and no one even came knocking on my door asking why the heck there was a pile of wood chips on the street. I was sore, as in my legs wouldn't move, but there were many wheelbarrowfuls to go before I could sleep, so back to the street I went. Gabe helped some more and we convinced the other neighbors that they would definitely benefit from a little mulch along their borders. The next night Angela and Carter came to join the chip party, and I got to catch up with them and their sweet family. After a few more pitchforkfuls our monstrous woodchip mountain was a little mound of chip dust.

 

Tomorrow I'll sweep the street and all that will be left will be the wonderful memories of being with my lovely neighbors, and the knowledge that we can do big things if we work together and just don't give up. And someday, I'll forget how sore my legs were and sign up for chip drop again, someday in the far, far, far distant future.

When Covid-19 makes dreams come true.

My mom, Janet Miller, didn't have the opportunity to learn the piano when she was little, but she made sure all of her children took piano lessons. We all ended up with varied ability to play, but we all love music and use our skills in family and church settings. After her children were all grown, Mom decided it was her turn to learn to play the piano. 

I remember visiting her in her Manti home a few years ago where she showed me what songs she was working on. I was so impressed with her desire to continue to develop her talents. When she lived in the skilled nursing facility with Dad, she practiced on the piano in the commons room. It was fun to go to church with Mom and Dad there. Mom played the prelude every Sunday. Dad was so proud of her and so was I.

Now she lives with me and still practices the piano. A secret dream she has had is to accompany the congregation at church. We have a large congregation with many accomplished pianists, so it is unlikely that she will have that opportunity at her age of 84. Enter Covid-19. All the families in our church were asked to worship at home as the building was closed to keep people safe from the Corona virus. Every Saturday Mom prepared the songs for the next day. She wrote the list and handed it to my husband who conducted our home worship service. We sang and she played. "God Be With You," "We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet," "There is a Green Hill Far Away," "Oh God, The Eternal Father," "Count Your Blessings, " and "Abide With Me" have become some of my favorite hymns. It warms my heart as I realize that Heavenly Father is answering her prayer and the desire of her heart.  Even though she plays the simplified version of the hymns, when I hear the music I feel the spirit of God and love fills my soul. Isn't Heavenly Father kind?