Donna's Journey

I am finished with my 5 Pillars of Statesmanship certification journey. That was what I set this blog up for. This will be my last post here.

It is now time for me to move forward. Today I have changed Mentoring Our Own from an e-loop to a Newsletter. I believe that this will increase the quality and the variety of our TJEd experience. I will be changing Moor House Academy. I am ending Donna’s Journey, but will leave it here for a while.
I will continue my Going Neo-Georgic and Called to Liber blogs. See you there.

I woke early. I had the answer to Angela’s question. Tjed is not about homeschooling. It is about becoming the best you and helping your children do the same, it is about finding out why you are here at this time and what God has for you to do, and helping your children gain a vision of their purpose. Later, I would realize why I could not answer the question, during my orals. My service to the TJEd community was to those who had already started down the road. I had not had to answer the question, why should I do TJEd if I am happy where I am? The people I talk to wnat to know how to get off the conveyor belt, not whether they should. Perhaps now I need to consider how I can broaden my scope. I need to move out of my comfort zone. It is easy to help those who ask for helping. It is entirely another thing to broaden the coasts of TJEd by reaching out.
I woke at 4:40 so after I got my answer, I began to read more for the colloquium. I rode with the Keppners to the Summit. The Summit began at 8am. As usual, it was profound. I felt the need to reach out to latinos in my neighborhood. Actually, our children play together, we wave, and talk as we are out for walks. I need to do more. Lunch was catered and delicious. Diann Jeppson gave a wonderful presentation on reaching out and working with the community. I can do more there, as well. Monica Gardner spoke about inspiring through valueing and loving others. DeMille gave a moving presentation on how men become men and women become women. We had colloquia on Crunchy Cons and A Whole New Mind. Debi and I continued to discuss later.

Julie Early spoke to us about natural rhythms of the day, and the need for the ebb and flow of increased stress and increased renewal to increase capacity. We discussed renewal and increasing our capacity spiritually, physically, emotionally, and mentally. She said that it is the spaces between the letters that make the words. We need to learn how to renew frequently. Much to ponder, much to share.

I saw Angela before I left. I shared my wakeup call understanding of her question. She said, “Still processing?” I told her I would be for a long time.

I went with Debi to the Classics Book store so she could pick up books for Canada. Debi and her children gave me a ride home. Debi and her children stayed at my home for the night. We arrived in time to have pizza with my family.

I woke early and gathered my belongings and we finally got out the door by 6:45 am. I needed to be in Cedar City by 10 am for my oral defense or oral board. I read from Crunchy Cons, a book about down to earth conservatism. I was trying to read for the Liber League Summit colloquium. At one point I pulled out a list of TJEd concepts I compiled for Mentoring Our Own. When I did, my daughter, Julia, said, “are you trying to cram for your orals. You can’t do that, you know it, it is part of you.” I folded the paper and went back to my book. Every once and a while I would laugh and read something aloud to my husband or jot down ideas in the book. Don’t worry I used pencil.

We arrived in Cedar at 10 sharp. I knew we would arrive at the school late, so I called and let them know I would be there shortly. I got there at 10:07. I was led by the conference room and into the classroom. Normally orals are held in the conference room. My family took the seats in the back of the room. Angela Baker and Todd Hailstone took the seats, front and center. Todd got up and moved the podium for me. I did not stand behind it. I stood next to it and sometimes casually rested my elbow upon it. I thought it was very appropriate that Todd should be one on my board. He was my host in July 2000 when I came down for my first 5 pillar seminar.

They ask if I wanted to start with prayer, which I offered. They began asking me questions, my daughter took notes on the questions they asked. They asked about the different books I had read on my 5 Pillar journey. They asked where I thought my weakest point was on the list was and how I sharpen my saw. I told them C.S. Lewis was my weakest point. I read his book three times.

It will not help you, dear reader, for me to tell you the questions they asked. Why? Because every oral is different. Each person does a different project, writes a different report, and is asked different questions, basically because it is not the same people asking the questions each time.

Todd asked which of the 5 Pillars was my strength. I surprised myself when I answered that my strength was my field experience. They asked why? I said that it is an asset for my mission. I have been down the road, I know the bends and turns, I know the rocks and the dips, I have traveled it.

Angie asked me about ten years from now, what will stand out most from my journey. I told her it was the moment when I caught the vision of my mission. As I recalled that vision I was transformed, because I saw it in an instant, in a way that I had never seen it before. My vision had always been in the future and quite literal. I had seen refugee children and they were war torn and abandoned. I did not know where their parents were, whether they were dead, incarcerated, or injured somewhere. The words had come to my mind, “your time is not now, but in a time when others would not be able to.” I had been preparing myself for that future time. As I said that, I began to see things differently. I had always thought the children were my mission. As I stood there before them, I came to know that the parents are my mission. That we live in a time where a battle rages for the hearts and minds of the rising generation, the future Heroes. Parents are distracted by the world. I get to help the parents gain their vision and reunite these children with their parents. That is why I have been drawn to help women succeed at TJEd. Understanding that God does not usually give a time table and that things often have dual meanings, I will not be surprised that I have this mission now, and that I have a literal experience in the future. Later I discovered that both my 17 year old daughter and Angie got the same epiphany at the same time as I did.

Angie asked me to pretend I was talking to someone who is not a TJEder, is happy where her kids are, and with her husband’s job. What would I tell her to share TJEd. My brain went numb. I tried engaging in conversation and got nowhere. This question would not leave me.

Angela and Todd went out to discuss my orals and then came back for a debrief. Todd gave me the score of “honors” for my depth and content. Angela gave me a split grade. She gave me honors for content and pass for delivery, basically because I did not nail some of the answers and was not concise. She then told me she loved my project summary, that she loved the flow of it. It had been the most thorough and cohesive report she had read. She said that I had a gift for writing and that I must share this paper with others that women need to see it. She said I was concise and clear in my writing and that it moved her. I had one copy of my summary, Angela kept one copy, Todd kept another, and they gave me back my forth copy. Whew! We finished it was 11:35.

I chatted in the hall with Dr. Groft. My daughter enrolled as a sophomore for this coming fall, at GWC. I went with my family and got a hotel room for the night and lunch at subway. they dropped me off and went to look for a rental for Julia for fall. I went to Liber League.

I learned so much at Liber League. There were many new faces. Late in the afternoon, we all got to introduce ourselves. When I stood to introduce myself, Angela arose and announced that I had passed my orals that morning for 5 Pillar, that I had done well, and had everyone applaud my effort. I shared that at the last Liber League DeMille Challenged us to go home and look at our organization and figure out what our weakest thing was and nail it. I said that i was my weakest thing and I knew I needed to finish 5 pillar and nail it. I did it before Liber League met again. I shared the changes that were coming to Moor House Academy and Mentoring Our Own. There were many MOO members there and they thought it would be a powerful change!

I gave the copy of my project, that Todd gave back to me, to DeMille. Debi handed in her master’s thesis, to DeMille, at the same time.

We had a BBQ at the DeMille’s home. I met so many fascinating, creative, and passionate people. The food was great, they people were inspiring, and different Liber League members honored us with entertainment. Stan plaid a powerful guitar, Dr. Groft had us singing as he played the guitar. Rachel DeMille played the piano and sang. Then her daughters sang as she played the accompaniment.

Janette gave me and Debi a ride back to our respective hotels. My family had gone home and I was without transportation. I called home and my daughter Jennifer answered and told me how proud she was of how I did on my orals. I showered and then stayed up and read more. Finally I decided that I must retire.

I did genealogy.

Managed email.

I prepared my Primary Lesson.

I went to Church and taught.

I was home taught and since the stake president is my HT, he left a blessing with me for tomorrow that I will have clarity of thought and be able to articulate my ideas and feelings well, and that I will be happy with what I have done.

Took a walk with my family and had a great doctrinal discussion with friends.

Had family devotional.

Good night!

I walked with Jen this morning.

I read Crunchy Cons.

Watched April Morning about Lexington and Concord.

Folded laundry.

Bought a message center board for the hall.

Went to dinner at Magleby’s, I had won a $25 gift certificate. I unveiled to my husband the ideas I have about Mentoring Our Own and Moor House Academy, and how to improve them.

Had devotional with the family…Goodnight.

My daughter woke me up when she got home from her date last night.  She shared her evening with us.  Of course that means I got to sleep really late.  I woke at 9:50 this morning.  I answered email, folded laundry, and watched a movie with my children.  Then I went to Sam’s Cub with Roger.  i cooked Lo Mein tonight.
Julia is camping with her friends.

Roger and Jennifer are on a daddy daughter date to a Jon Schmidt concert.

I am here with the boys and Mary.  They are playing and I will read for Liber League.

I got up and caught up on my blogging.

I drove my walking partner over to Marie Osmond’s office.  That was an interesting visit.  She was not there, but I took a drive down memory lane as I looked at the pictures on the walls and gold records.  Then I took my friend to Brigham City to drop off her books at a new distributor’s.  I met the new distributor.  He was wonderful.  On the way home I drove to Tooele and dropped off my Summary at Angie Baker’s.  My orals will be on Monday at 10:00.  I came home and my son was working on the patio and my husband was working on the cinderblock wall that surrounds our stairs that go down into our basement.  I fixed dinner.  Chatted with my daughter’s first date since she has been home.  This guy is 1 year older than my oldest son.

I read about 13 pages of Crunchy Cons, for Liber league.  We had devotional.  I am beat, I think I will sleep in and give my eyes a rest.

I posted my essays to my blogger site, Called to Liber and then I worked all day on proofing and compiling sections of my paper. I fought with the computer as it tried to convert my text into italics and was a mess for hours. I missed the 6 pm post deadline. I got to the printer at 8:15. I had each book spiral bound. I bought some baskets at Shopko so Jennifer could organize her room. I went home and made tacos. I cleaned the kitchen, with Jennifer. Jeremy swept the floor.

I called Angie to get her address.  I discovered that I have my orals on Monday at 10:00.

We had devotional and then Roger and I went to Fed Ex to mail my summaries to GWC.
Then Roger and I went for a long walk. These walks are so helpful, because they mean we can talk and discuss things.

Sunrise found me sitting on the couch, still typing on my lap top. I had never retired. I had been up since 8 am Monday morning. I continued to type until 2:15 in the afternoon. I went with the children down to the American Freedom Festival in Provo. It was almost double its old size. Inflation seems to bring the crafters and innovators out. We started by walking through a used bookstore, then realizing we can do that any day.

The one new food thing that my children watched was the spiral cut potatoes. The guy fixed up a innovative machine where he attached a power hand drill, handle up, top of drill down and duck taped to a roller skate. Then he had the drill bit go through a bit sized hole in a rectangular piece of metal. They would attach a potato to the end of the drill bit and then press the potato against a second vertical piece of rectangular metal that had a vertical blade on it, the two vertical rectangular pieces of metal were spaced about 8 inches apart and had a third part that was horizontal between them that rested on the table. They were probably, all one long piece of metal that had been bent in a U shape, that had corners at the bottom rather than curves. They would place the potato on the end of the drill and press it against the blade. then press the trigger, this would produce a very even, very long, very thin continuous ribbon of potato chip thickness potato. They would throw the whole pile of potato into the hot oil and deep fry it. This produced an enormous mound of fresh potato chip, which you could then top with any of their seasonings from vinegar to seasoned salt, to Cajun, to peppery seasonings. They also did funnel cakes. They had the longest line. At $3 a potato and $4 a funnel cake, they were hauling it in.

There was also a booth selling crafts to fund raise for the Project Chad, to build a school and a hospital there. We contributed. Then there was a guy that built wall fountains. A lady asked “What if my pump dies? He said you can get a pump at Home depot for $18. He only had wall fountains, and they were all the same. Then I pondered, could I build my own fountain that reflects who we are? There was an innovated ride. They had climbing body harnesses that were attached to stretch tubing on either side. They had a large tractor inner tube, with trampoline rubber stretched over it. The child would climb up on the tractor inner tube, put on the harness and start to jump. They would spring about 20 feet or more in the air. All quite safe and the vender did not have to worry about energy costs, just his back, as he would have to grab the tubing and help the kid stop and get down off the ride. All in all, we were there about one and a half hours.

When we got home we had rosemary chicken, which I had placed in the oven before we had left to the fair. I placed the ingredients for double chocolate almond ice cream in the ice cream maker and headed back to typing and typed and finished my paper around 9:00 in the evening. Then I walked down and joined my family for fireworks at Steve and Jennifer’s house.

After the fireworks, we came home and had homemade ice-cream. This time I remembered to cool the mixture first and it actually turned in to delicious ice cream. I rested my eyes and fell asleep on the sofa, about 10 minutes before family devotional. They had devotional around me then my husband walked me to bed. It was about 11, when I hit the hay. AH, when you come to the end of a very long day! What was it, almost 40 hours…yikes.

I woke tired this morning. It took a while for my eyes to adjust. I must have awoken at the wrong part of my sleep cycle. I added much to yesterday’s entry. I studied Alma 56, I hope my children and state they they too do not doubt that their mother knew it!

I worked all day typing my paper.  I did go to the bank with Roger this morning.  We had counted all of our change and spare cash and slit it 60/40 on Sunday.  Today, we found an extra $100 bill that was not there the day before:)  So, we 60/40ed it and went to the bank to deposit it.  OK, we had short term savings and investments, but zero retirement, so we started a savings account to build up our retirement.  See, you can teach an old dog new tricks:)  We had also been up after midnight last evening, talking with Julia.  After midnight, we taught her the 60/49 principle.  She was grateful to learn it now, while she was young and out of debt.

I stopped typing, for dinner and time with the family, Roger did a BBQ. I had devotional with the family.