A FB post from H to STurley

re: General Conference & BKPacker's remarks re: same-sex marriage.


 I really do Love conference. In many ways it is the best that the church offers. B.K. Packer, G. Von Harrison, McConkie and even E.T. Benson's views of/approach to the Gospel, this life, other people, and maybe even JC, differ from mine. {{No, I have no idea how I got stuck in Utah Co.--there are some mighty cool people here though.}}

U is for Ugh.

I'm back to letter writing... my right elbow has been giving me a lot of grief. After ruling out spin classes and bike riding and funny sleep patterns I realized that it is my computer, how I sit and especially how I use the track pad and not the mouse (too many papers to the right of my computer!). I've taken a break from all things on the computer, blog included. It has helped.

On Thursday, while frantically putting finishing touches on my stuff for the Beehive Bazaar I was listening to KUER, local public radio. There is other public radio in Utah County but not much. The locally produced interview show, Radio West, is notoriously anti-Mormon. The show that day, being polite here, was about how the pioneers were so senseless to have traveled by foot across the country in all kinds of weather. I snapped. I registered to leave a comment, which of course took too long so I just left the computer and got back to work. When I came back everything had cleared up, online and in my head, and I quickly wrote the following:
~~To read the 37 (last I checked) other comments and KUER's reply go here (http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/posts/list/1965810.page).

Once again KUER and Doug Fabrizio are on the attack of anything Mormon, or anything honestly faithful, no matter the religion. This time it is the Mormon pioneers' judgment, core faith and lives.

As I listened I couldn't believe Mr. Roberts' tone. At first I thought I was simply defensive, my ancestors were pioneers and my daughter went on a trek, but then I couldn't believe how this guy could be so pejorative about history and especially the cost of human lives in the pursuit of a better life. I almost expected him to say, "Those imbecilic pioneers, what were they thinking to leave without silk underwear and a GPS?" Doesn't he, and Mr. Fabrizio, realize that 1847 is not a lifetime away from ours, it is a galaxy? At that time there wasn't even plumbing in the White House! The building of the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, using his logic, were nothing more than a waste of human energy. Lives were lost building the Golden Gate Bridge -- they never should have tried before there was the right technology, or 100% faultless judgment.

What is David Roberts' family history? And Doug Fabrizio's? (I'm not interested enough to criticize it. Just wondering if they personally care.) Don't they find ceaselessly finding fault with others' history, faith and experiences tiresome? I agree with the other comment, with hindsight it is easy to criticize the past. It is easy to criticize and difficult to explain.

KUER (a Utah based station) and Doug Fabrizio in particular, seem to delight in Mormon-bashing. Another example of this was days after President Hinkley died Mr. Fabrizio dug deep enough to find fault, when many in this community were mourning. Why not take on the pioneer history so many Utahn's personally revere and have tried to understand?

Also, why wasn't a Mormon historian on the show to shine light on the aspersions Mr. Roberts cast? Please at lease try to be more balanced.

N's baptism day = H's gasp + SH's CAKE! + N(cousins)

The beautiful boy and his cake.

I gasped when it looked like he was going under with his implant on! He didn't.

Aren't those great colors?!

The party was a lot of fun. Many people from C's family came -- Thanks! It was a special day for N and for all of us. Almost makes me think of having a gingerbread party... almost. The cleaning-up of the house was pretty much a miracle. N's concept of the Gospel was as well.
It was a sweet day with S saying the opening prayer, I stumbled through a talk and K played the cello. The spirit was strong and it meant a lot to have so much/many [?] family and friends there.


Nice composition of tie dye and icing. Makes a very groovy 8.

Oh dear.

An actual quote, “Say it ain’t so, Joe! There you go pointing backwards again ... Now, doggone it, let’s look ahead and tell Americans what we have to plan to do for them in the future. You mentioned education, and I’m glad you did. I know education you are passionate about with your wife being a teacher for 30 years, and God bless her. Her reward is in heaven, right?"

If Governor Palin didn’t like a question, or didn’t know the answer, she responded as though some other question had been asked. She made no bones about this, saying early in the debate: “I may not answer the questions the way that either the moderator or you want to hear.”

from the article: Palin's Alternate Universe

Is she flirting with the US? One reason I love to watch LDS General Conference is to listen to the women speakers.

(the award winning LDS Conference Center Roof in Salt Lake City)

They present their talks without jargon, innuendo or winking at me, or my sons. Their clothes are feminine without looking like come-ons. Just saying...

I is for I Spy quilts!

This is a picture of my very young and stylish mother blowing out the candles on her birthday cake almost a year ago. It was a significant birthday and seemed to call for a special token or gift to mark the occasion. With the exception of my grandmothers, she is the one of the best ever.

I had been thinking about what I/we could do for her for about 6 years, meanwhile I kept special but worn out clothing that she and my father had given the children... one day the idea came to me: an I-Spy quilt. Finally all the velour pjs, alligator swim trunks, torn elegant shirts for boys had a place to be.

My parents, like many others', are IMPOSSIBLE to give gifts to, for any reason. My mother puts up with handmade goodies but really hates it when I spend my time making stuff for her. Really. I knew this project wouldn't be a hit with her. Her idea of domestic abuse is crafts, canning, sewing, decorations-- anything not Idea related. She enjoys travel and that includes traveling light. She and I are on the same quest to rid our lives of clutter. However, I like to make cool significant/useful things (Duh.) and although I rarely give them to people (topic for another post) this one, even though it would be coolly received, is what I had to do.

Here are the pieces on the dining room floor, not sewn yet...planning, arranging... (Late night photo shoot)

KISS principal in action. Keep It Simple Sister.
Each square is 6"x6". I'm not the most clever quilter...

Once the top was finished, a cool woman in Provo (Who taught me all about "Religionists" in the process! That was cool and helped me understand some men in my ward.) quilted this for me. She had a lot of fun and drew with the stitches things/patterns that supported the fabrics.

Voila, the finished product! What surprised me is that although my Mum left it in the apartment in SLC and my Dad didn't see it for maybe months, S, K, J, N and M LOVED it. Really. They loved watching me work on it, they all helped with it, they loved learning about the process and they adored the finished product. Gama didn't want to not take it and seem ungrateful (though she might not have really wanted to take it), but all the children wanted to keep it!

To make an I-spy quilt you need a lot of one or 2 squares of funky fabric. Gama's quilt is 12(6"squares) x 12 = 144 different fabrics. You are left with a lot extra... that's where the next idea hatched from... Christmas 2008 everyone gets their own quilt, that is it. No toys, no books, no clothes, no skies, no i-pods, no cash, no nuttin'. (I am filling their stockings with cool goodies from NYC!) This might not be what the economy needs but it is what we need. Less stuff, hopefully more meaning.

My bestest friend Ashley liked the idea and so we are making more together. We will make 9 quilts, plus possibly one for her beloved nephew and maybe the start of a few (smaller ones) to donate. Last night while the men went to priesthood meeting she and I snuck into my ward building, hung out in the primary room, turned the volume off and got to work. With laser like focus, we sorted all the fabric that we have cut so far, divvied it up for each child. We are short about 50 fabrics, although between the two of us I think we have them. They too need to be washed, pressed, cut, sorted.

The clock is ticking... These need to be assembled and quilted, and paid for (Gasp) and then the edges need to be bound. We meet every Wednesday and hopefully work on our own during the week.

I am also really excited about my idea for the Beehive Bazaar this year -- hope Noelle and Molly are too. Heidi and I want to have a space together, full of cool and a bit random things. More about that another time.

Right now I'm off to make Ratouille for Russell. Enjoying the rain and looking forward to Conference. Grateful for the time to write in a quiet house.

Did you hear Brother Anderson's talk Saturday morning? He spoke about Hadley, that is N's friend! He was riveted to the television listening to the Conference Talk!!! Whoa. At the end of the talk he said, "Hadley did a really cool thing!" She did. We had tears streaming down our cheeks at the end of the talk.