Making A List

Recently I read a blog where the writer listed her accomplishments in the last 20 years. Needless to say, I felt like a loser. So... I got to thinking about my accomplishments ...

* never marched in a protest during the 60's or 70's, but during that "free love" and drug era I made probably the most important decision of my life: I joined the Church. I can't imagine who I would be without my membership.



* never traveled abroad, but I moved from coast to coast with my husband and 3 kids while he was in the Navy. For 16 years I spent a good part of my time raising those 3 kids alone while Rich was on deployment (He went to Japan, the Azores, Iceland, Israel, Italy, England, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Spain, Panama, Puerto Rico, Africa, Thailand, Phillippines, Tahiti, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Bermuda.)

* went back to school and got an AA. I know it's not much, but I worked hard on what I loved: Art and found a new love: Theater. I won 2nd place in a writing competition, had a showing of watercolors in the lobby of the theater, aced Algebra, designed costumes for several plays (Aesop's Falables, Crimes of the Heart, Little Shop of Horrors to name a few), did horrible as a sculptor, sold a mixed media painting to a guy in New York who I've never met. And although my education only went that far I'll never forget what Dan Peterson (my art adviser) told me: "No matter where you get your degree, it's your portfolio that counts".

So although I never got the teaching degree I'd planned, I taught art through a county program and loved it. I still teach the occasional class for my grandkids in school or church groups.



* had Harry when I was 40--Now that is an accomplishment! He has been the joy of my life. Not that the other 3 weren't joys; Harry just helped to make Rich and me realize it. We call him our "Do Over".

* worked for more than 10 years as a scenic artist and painted walls and trees and furniture and murals and I only retired when they gutted the theater scene shop so they could remodel it. I decided it was time.



* have been a teacher in every Church auxillary except Priesthood. I've been in several presidencies, but my favorite was when I was the Home Management teacher in Relief Society-15 minutes, once a month (they don't have that position anymore).

*never been "published" but I do have a website where you can see some of the tons of drawings in my portfolio: www.jansfriends.com



* became a GRANDMOTHER. Not just the kind that sends birthday cards either, but the kind that babysits and has a "toy closet". The kind that picks grandkids up from school when they're sick, let's them stay over night and then has to listen to them cry because they don't want to go home.

No matter what you do in life as long as you're not sitting on the couch all day, everyday, you're going to have accomplishments.

Make a list.
It'll be great!

Swimming Time Again

Ah...swimming time again!

Warm days laying by the pool.

Dragonflies lazily skimming by.

Floating along on a blow up raft.
Listening to the waterfall.

The splashing of little feet and hands.

Cannon balls and water gun fights.

Ah...swimming time again!
Pool toys scattered all over the yard.
At least 10 loads of wet towels to wash.
Popsicle wrappers on the patio and in the water.
Wet foot prints and puddles on the floor.
"Don't run!" shouted 100 times a day.
Screaming and dunking and choking and crying.

Ah...swimming time again!

Hold to the Iron Rod!

This week I've been thinking about choices and the consequences of those choices. How do we know we're making the right ones?

When you're young you don't realize that even the smallest choice you make can have a huge impact on your life when you're older.

Who to be friends with? Whether or not to do your homework? Alcohol & drugs or soda & Doritos? What cute outfit should I wear today?

Once you've made your choices how do you live with the consequences?

I remember sitting in my Stake President's office (he'd been a friend of the family for years) and crying over the bad choices my kids had made, the consequences they were suffering and thinking I would never have them back.

He told me to stay faithful, be a good member, and a good example and they would come back. How far away that seemed at the time.

But I stayed faithful (not always easy) and tried to be a good example, and a good member. And most of all I kept loving my children. I would share what I learned in Sunday School or Relief Society. I kept inviting (sometimes demanding, sometimes guilting) them to come to church with me. I suffered their consequences with them and kept moving forward. Then one day it started to happen. They began to return.

So, how do we make choices that yield good consequences? And how do you make it through the consequences that aren't so great? HOLD TO THE IRON ROD. I held on until my knuckles were white.

I'm still holding on.