Donna's Journey

If April showers bring May flowers what do Mayflowers bring?

Pilgrims

I awoke to cloud cover this morning. I know the weather predictions are not always accurate. We were to have cloudy warming weather. Rain was not expected. So we pulled out railroads ties and prepared the back bank of the yard for the retaining wall. So, this morning I prayed that it does not rain and wash out our hillside. We also have a tent up in the back yard airing and the dome is removed. I was more concerned with the hillside than the tent. Tents can be dried out. The retaining blocks arrive on Monday afternoon from St. George. We ordered 14 pallets. 96 blocks at about 30 lbs each. Hard labor will be invigorating for my 14 year old son, and it calls to his 11 year old brother, wanting to show how grown up he is, as well. He also makes a good water boy! I will have the two youngest help me deep clean for an hour, then they can go help their father and older brother. I will be inside with Valor and a good book. I will have the toys out and a kick ball and all the doors to other rooms closed and he can play! Yes, I do get down on all fours, and have fun with him.
I read Alma 2-3 in the Book of Mormon this morning. James was in the living room so I read it aloud to him. I was reading about Amlici and the Amlicite/Lamanite – Nephite war. They said that they used “all manner of weapons of war.” James asked if they used catapults. Well, that I do not know, but with a few minutes research we dicovered it was of low probability. I could not remember the exact time period of Archimedes and the Second Punic War. Archimedes lived over three hundred years after Lehi and also the Mulekites came to the Promised land. Yes it is possible that the Lamanites and Nephites developed similiar weapons, but they probably did not bring the technology from the old world; as the invention of the catapult was attributed to Archimedes.

There was only one assigned speaker in sacrament meeting.  She spoke about the power of music.  There after the time was opened so that individuals could come up and share their favorite hymn and then we would all sing.  It was heart warming for me to be able to sing, as it has been months since I had that range.  Oh, I have been able to sing a little since my February illness, but this was so exhilerating!  I did not teach Primary today, two young men came in and taught my class so I could go listen to the Bishop’s discussion with the adults.  The First Councilor to the Bishop reviewed some church Policies.  Then Bishop discussed with us about strengthening our marriages.

By the time I got home I had a spitting headache.  Dinner was simple.  Roger and I went for a walk.  We had devotional with the children.

I woke at 5:30 am.  I came out to study my scriptures.  I read from Mosiah 27-Alma 1.   At one point, I fell asleep in the middle of a chapter:)   I woke and studied more.  I got a long distance phone call from  Melissa, she just needed some encouragement.  Then I helped Roger make Saturday morning big breakfast.

I took Jeremy shopping to find cargo pants and a white shirt for his pioneer trek.  We were at the Stake Pioneer Activity all afternoon.  My daughter finished sewing her bonnet as we were heading to the car.  My son added an old vest of his father’s and looked cool.  My husband and I were in charge of the horseshoes for a half hour.  They had a taffy pull, dutch oven cooking, scones, home made ice cream,  fresh hot bread, and home made root beer.  There was stick pulling, fishing, and candle dipping.  I watched as a “frontier doctor” went through his antique surgery kit and demonstrate the use of the tools used to remove bullits during the civil war.  There was an area where men were building hand carts all afternoon, full size.  The young men were piling children into handcarts and taking the on rides around the Stake Center.  Even Jeremy pulled several groups around the perimeter.  At the end there was a square dance.  It was amazing how many people came in costume.

My husband and I tried to stop by a few nurseries to see if any of them had any telstar crimson dianthas’ for the front boarders.  No go.

We came home and had devotions with the children an then Roger and I took a long walk.   While we ate a late snack, he sat at the table an was sitting where one of the children normally sit.  He noticed a country he had never heard of and tried to pronounce it.  I told him what it was.  He said, “You keep this map here long enough and deven I may learn something new:)”   Mind you, he is pretty sharp on geography so I was surprised he did not know this one.

Tomorrow is the 5th Sunday.  The Young Women will be teaching my primary class, as the Bishop wanted all the  adults to be there for his presentation.
Good night!

I woke to my sons calling me to breakfast.  My boys had made breakfast after getting home from playing basketball.  They play basketball every M, W, F at 6 am.

We studied the book of Ruth as a family.  That was so beautiful.  This time through I saw so many connections.  We had a wonderful discussion.

We did dishes and tidied things up and headed to the bank so my youths could cah their pay checks.  Then we headed to Walmart to get the pattern for handcart trek clothes. Jeremy read aloud from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
I then dropped my youths at seminary.

I came home and my son, Adam, and my grandson, Valor, were here.  Adam and Roger were bringing in a couple of loads of gravel for the retaining wall. Adam and Roger worked on removing railroad tis from the garden, and posts that held them in place.  The posts were set in cement.    After seminary, I picked up Jen and Jeremy, they came home and rolled up their sleaves and went to work in the garden next to Dad and Adam.  This was a huge job.  They made so much progress.  Even James was helping.  He started as a water boy and began hoisting items out of the garden.  Mary helped me with Valor.  James, Mary, Valor, and I went to Vineyard Nursery and got James some work gloves.

After a huge day of work we had pizza for dinner.  Then Adam, Jennifer, Roger, and Valor went to grandma’s house so they could reinstall grandma’s computer, mow her lawn and change her burnt out lights.

I was at home because tonight was my class.  We had a new couple join us.  We actually finished early tonight.

We had devotional.

Time for bed.

We finished Judges this morning, then the power went on and off a few times and then did not come back on. So we went to IHOP for breakfast.

We dropped the children off at home so they could get on their learning time. The younger three played Mancala, Jen studied. My husband and I checked out another plant nursery.

I recieved a phone call from my son in California announcing their growing family, looks like another Christmas Baby.

I took my mother in law to pick up her suit. She looked wonderful.

I came home and managed membership files for Moor House Academy.  Another book arrived today, Business of Heart.
I got a wonderful email from my daughter on her mission.

I picked up fixins for dinner, I was making finger food dinner for my friends that are moving. BBQ Chicken Legs, carrots, corn on the cob…I popped it in the oven and then went with my husband to pick out the blocks for the retaining wall. Came home and boiled the corn, then Mary and Jeremy went with me to deliver the food. Jeremy read aloud from The Chronicles of Narnia as we drove across the valley. Jen and James helped Roger finish the flowerbeds in the front yard. They are cleaned and looking nice. The new flowers won’t be available until next week. They were still working when I got home. Mary and Jeremy helped them finish.
I went into the kitchen to boil our corn and get dinner on the table. I had a surprise guest showed up. She thought tomorrow’s meeting was tonight and she brought her husband. We chatted as the corn cooked, and then some. I was being a sneaky mom. I knew they would keep working until they heard “dinner’s on!.” The guests left and I completed dinner prep. Then another friend stopped by. We invited her to join us to share our dinner. She joined us. We laughed and shared all through dinner. The power outage had tripped the breaker and the dishes never washed this morning,so we ate on plastic picnic plates.
I rinsed and stacked the dished. My husband and son went hometeaching. My 16 yo played the piano with passion and joy! Time to unload and reload the dishes with the children.

Devotions, followed by a few pages of Porter Rockwell.

Goodnight.

I woke, just in time for scripture study, arriving to hear my boys singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic. What a wake up call! We studied the rest of the story of Samson. Wow, what a story. What would have happened if he had caught the vision of his call and lived fully to his privileges?

I started making breakfast, I cut the oranges, James set the table, and Jeremy relieved me at the stove. So, I thought I would take a moment and post. I am off to breakfast and do our work zone.

We all get the dishes going after breakfast. Then the younger kids and I worked more on the livingroom. We moved furniture and vacuumed. We began to de-clutter. My husband and Jeremy went to get more composted much in the pick up. When they got back, we went to Lindon Nursery and KMart to check for flowers and plants, while Jen stayed home to continue her reading of Alas, Babylon. We found raspberries, grapes, and many other inticements. We bought nothing yet. We need to think of timing and layout. We were also looking for Telstar Crimson Dianthas to go in our border. I found that we can order them from KMArt.

Its lunch time. The kids are building bagel pizzas and I sampled one. I think I wll build a salad. Then I will drop off my kids at seminary and then come back and study,

Tonight I need to sew pioneer clothes. It has been a while since I sewed. I wonder if I can create what I need in the time I have left myself?

OK, I started to study and work on my paper for Understanding the Times until my young scholars arrived. Boy that was a challenge.  I constructed my essay in letter format to my children and tried to articulate my worldview.  Our scholar group had a wonderful discussion on Alas, Babylon. Jen finished reading the book just as class started.   We decided to read Freedom Factor instead of Great Expectations next month.

After my scholars left ai fixed dinner.  We ate and every went to their meetings.  Mary wanted to go for a walk and visit neighbors, so we did.  When I got their, my friend was about ready to go visiting teaching and was short her companion.  Our children began to play, her husband came out to watch them and I went with her as a substitute companion.  As we passed our house my husband arrived home, so he went over to my friend’s house to talk to her husband.  When I got home, I went and got my husband. We went home and had devotional with the children and read Porter Rockwell.

OK, I kind of woke up with my seagull alarm. Then I proceeded to fall asleep in the middle of my prayers…this is wrong!! I woke up and finished. We read through Judges 13 today.

I made eggs and toast for breakfast.

Mary and James asked for coaching in Math and reading.  Jeremy finished Carry On Mr. Bowditch.  Jen is getting close on Alas, Babylon.   I finished reading the Afterword to Gulliver’s travels.  I got to finish The chapter on Christian Biology in Understanding the Times.

Roger, Jen and Jeremy cleaned the front flower beds, and filled them with composted mulch.  Mary, James and I cleaned the three windows and blinds in the living room.   James and Mary steam cleaned the paint from  the new screens.

I received two books in the mail today, and the mailman actually came twice to deliver them, one at a time:
The Land was Everything
The Portable John Adams

My daughter remarked that its like Christmas, the wonder of what book came today.

Went with Roger and the children to look for flowers; specifically Deep Red Dianthus and Blue Moon Lobelia.  We walked through an endless maze of greenhouses at the plant nursery near the Provo Cemetery.  I LOVE GREENHOUSES!!!!

On the way home we stopped at Sam’s club.  They had The Great Reads Series–12 children’s classics in hardbound  marked unabridged!  The set is 14.88.  A great way to start a kid with their own library of unabridged classics. This is our summer reading program:)

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
The Secret Garden by  Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
The Call of the Wild by Jack London

We had spaghetti, salad and french bread for dinner.

We are off to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My husband did not sleep last night, allergies sent him into anxiety attacks. So he got up and started reading and considering all the papers he was given with his new calling. I awoke to find him missing, and found him in the living room.

Started the day with reading Mosiah 26. Joined the family for Judges 9 and 10. Jeremy and Jennifer made breakfast.

Mary wanted coaching in math. So I did. The older kids had seminary. I dropped them off and stopped at the store. We will BBQ tonight.

I had three boxes, with books I ordered, arrive today. When I am done with my 5 Pillar papers I have a lot of reading I want to do. Here are the surprises I got today:
Road to Reality
The Shield of Achilles
A Whole New Mind
Noble Purpose
Tramp For the Lord

My husband got in about 5 hours of sleep this morning. His day is upside down. I need to get the air purifier from my son. Last year when we used the HEPA filter, my husband slept through the night very well. He is using Beck’s devise and could be experiencing toxin dumping. Gotta watch this guy!
There is work to do!!!!

We did a picnic up Provo Canyon at Nunn’s park.  FHE was “The Need For Greater Kindness” by Gordon B. Hinckley.

Family devotional and we are off to bed!

Goodnight.

I arose and prepared for my day. I made an apple pie for Alvin and baked Lemon Honey Rosemary Chicken in a terracotta pot for dinner.

We had a great Executive Council meeting. My husband and I made plans for the next 6 weeks. I discuss those on my Going Neo-Georgics Blog. We presented the ideas to the children, discussed them and came to agreement.

My class was a bit active at church today. After church my husband led me to a room, then the High Priest leadership came in. Then they told me that my husband was now the secretary for the High Priest in our ward.
We had Candace and Alvin join us for dinner.

Our Home Teachers came and taught us.

We had devotional and the kids went to bed.

My husband and I walked down to a councilor in the High Priest Group’s house to get all of the records that Roger will now be responsible for.

OK, what season are we in? Its 74 degrees out side at 6:18 pm.

I walked with Candace this morning. We got to the house just as brekfast was finished being prepared. So we all ate together.

Roger mowed the nice tall grass. Some areas are thick and others are spare. Our work is cut out for us this year. I wonder if I will make my secret garden a reality this year? A well shaded area where we could have out door living space.

After Candace left, we made quick work of dishes. She asked that I make cookies for the celebration today, so i did. I made cyclops cookies.

My son dropped my grandson off. We took Valor with us to the celebration. We were celebrating the life of Candace’s husband. He almost died 3 times in February, lets say he had an “experience.” He is miraculously better. There were writers, artists, script writers, and lots of polynesians, mostly Samoan. They brought their music. I closed my eyes and listened. My children did too, as they had heard me sing many songs of the Pacific Rim, since they were in the cradle. I finally went over and talked to the musicians that had their guitar and ukulele. We chatted and thye played the songs that I remember from childhood and we sang together………Tahitian, Fijian, and Samoan songs.

At the party we sat next to Derek Hegsted and we both shared the new directions our gifts are taken us.

I am going out side to trim some bushes and pick up twigs:) Did not happen. My husband came in and asked for me to go with him to check out tillers. We discussed the yard and the projects coming up. More about it as it happens.

Goodnight

It’s a clear day and I can almost see forever, well, I can see the mountains across the lake, and the endless sky beyond!

I woke and had my little devotional. I pondered the priestcraft like conditions that Amulon had caused when he gained favor in the eyes of the Lamanite king; Laman. I found that Amulon had caused his children to persecute Alma’s children. I wondered how young Alma the younger was as this was going on.

I made breakfast for the family; eggs, whole wheat toast, and sliced navel oranges.

Managed my email. Did online banking.
Made reservations for a software class on creating large murals, in Pleasant Hill, California for May 20th. It will be a 4 hour class and then a long drive home. this gives us a month to become familiar with the software, and then bump it up a notch or two when we get there.

It is still spring break and the kids are out in the sunshine. I am going to run throught the house and do a quick MM (minimum maintenance) of order, then snuggle up to make a huge dent in Understanding the Times. We had cleared the table, put the dishes in the dishwasher, and wiped the surfaces after breakfast. Roger and I already made our bed, together. I might need some basic tidying, probably vacuuming. uploading my essays to my Called To Liber blog and then dive into the book.

I was visited first by our local Mr. Georgic (not his real name), who was looking for my husband. Now Mr. Georgic is always interesting. He and his family are flying to Equador in August to pick up their missionary son. They will get to take a side trip to visit Galapagos Island. I asked if he had read Origin of the Species and he put his head down and in mock sheepishness admitted, “not since high school.” I laughed and asked if he wanted to borrow my copy. I have met few people who told me that they actually read it. Go figure, he is well read. He was here to find out our progress on our business and share a source he found.
I answered more email.

My friend Dixie came and we chatted for a while, then she discussed with me our divine nature.

I know, not very nutritious, we did hot dogs on the BBQ for dinner.

I was able to read to page 315 in Understanding The Times. It was interesting to watch the Marxist stance vasilate, as it first embraced, then rejected, then again embraced Darwinism. Worldview really determines our interpretation or analysis of things. So what is my worldview and is it consistent???
Goodnight!