Well Fed – The Constitution of the United States of America

The Old Man Wept 

by Del Parson

A couple of weeks ago I read The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz. Tonight Grace, Calvin, and I attended a seminar on the Constitution given by Glen Kimber. This is the third lecture we’ve attended by Dr. Kimber. He advocates learning the Constitution and how and why it was created. Then in a kind but pointed way, he helps seminar participants to recognize how our apathy, distraction, and ignorance have contributed to its undermining and suggests ways to correct our behavior.

Until the 1950’s Americans were taught the Constitution in school classrooms and taught about our Four Founding Fathers. Can you match them?

Benjamin Franklin

George Washington

James Madison

Samuel Adams

         The Father of the Revolution                 

              The Father of our Country                       

             The Father of the Constitution                        

                      The Father of Morality                                  

 Luckily I had recently studied about them and could match them, but that was about all the farther my ignorance took me.

The Father of the Revolution: Samuel Adams

The Father of our Country: George Washington

The Father of the Constitution: James Madison

The Father of Morality: Benjamin Franklin






Mr. Kimber reports that by Congress’ calculation over a billion dollars have been spent defaming the Founding Fathers. By denigrating the creator, you can devalue the created. (I thought it telling that the most money was spent on vilifying Benjamin Franklin, The Father of Morality.) Sweeping curriculum changes fifty years ago stopped the teaching of the Constitution and of American History in our public classrooms, and I am certainly a product of those changes. I’m trying to correct that.  It's so easy to take for granted something that didn't cost me anything in time, talents, energy, or resources.

Calvin, Grace, and I went to Baskin Robbins afterwards and discussed what we can do to correct our ignorance. Improving our reading was one thing we decided to do, and taking this FREE BYU on-line class: An American Citizen’s Guide to Government and Politics was another. Things are much easier to commit to if you have a world-class-chocolate ice cream cone in hand.

Several years ago I went to Israel with my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and two cousins. Cleon Skousen was our tour guide. Not long ago, I discovered that Glen Kimber and his wife, Julianne, were also on that trip. (Julianne is Cleon Skousen’s daughter.) Small world. It’s not every day that you run into a fellow camel riding travel-mate. Mr. Kimber had just returned from the Middle-East two days ago (he’s made over fifty trips since our trip thirty years ago) and it was fun to hear some of his recent experiences in relation to the Constitution.  It reminded me of our trip so long ago.

Do you wish you knew the Constitution better?

Well Fed – Shortcuts

Deb and I divvy up assignments for the retreats. She’s the heart behind them; I’m the check book register. One of my jobs this year was to make sugar cookies. I’ve tried several sugar cookie recipes through the years, and like them, but none of them are very soft three days later. I was in a crunch and decided to buy cookies at the grocery bakery. I told Deb my plan and she said, “You can’t do that! They have to be homemade.” I gave her a resigned look and said, “Deb, you can’t even eat the cookies.” She laughed (Deb always laughs, it's one of the things I most appreciate about her) and said her vote still counted.

Time passed and duties mounted. Making 80+ sugar cookies seemed less and less feasible. I went the Safeway route and didn’t tell Deb.

I frosted them with homemade cream cheese frosting and decorated them with royal icing Raggedy Ann’s and Andy’s. They were really cute.

Especially after they were tied with gingham ribbon in a cellophane bag with a tag. 

After Alyson, Deb’s daughter, had eaten her cookies she came to my table and whispered, “Can I please get the recipe.” Tiffany echoed, “Me, too. Can I get it?”

I laughed and whispered back, “Tell your mom she’s very funny.”

They both looked a bit confused and Alyson said, “What?”

I said, “Tell your mom I get it. She got me.”

Alyson said, “Why would I say that?”

I said, “Didn’t she tell you to come and ask me for the recipe so I’d have to fess up that I bought the cookies after all?”

Alyson said, “Nooooo. All I know is those cookies are good and I want the recipe.”

Sugar cookies with homemade frosting and royal icing toppers – it’s my Safeway shortcut secret and Alyson promised she wouldn't tell. 

Though life could certainly go on without shortcuts, I do appreciate when something comes together easy.

(The royal icing Ann and Andy’s come from The Peppermint Place in Alpine, Utah. They sell seconds there and my sister buys them and gives them to me regularly as a surprise.  She gave me a box of 200 or so and said it cost her less than $5.)

(I took the picture of the Raggedy Ann that sits on my sister’s bed then added cartoon effects, text, and a frame at Photobucket.com, then printed them on cardstock to make the cookie tag.)

Well Fed – Retreats

“I think this was the best year yet.” We’ve heard it before and even said it ourselves, but this time we really mean it. We had a great scrapbooking retreat last weekend.

image from www.suncadia.com

These were our rooms. They truly are this beautiful. Each bathtub has shutters around it and each shower has real leaves encased in the tile. Fancy.

We were served

grilled chicken breast
steamed vegetables
garlic mashed potatoes
a very, very rare sirloin steak (but no one even complained)
chocolate mousse
cheesecake
fresh fruit tarts
chicken teriyaki
hot rolls
pretty little butter balls with a twig of herb
and lots and lots and lots and lots of candy and homemade treats as well

with cloth napkins.

We’re missing a few who ran to the scrapbook store

There were forty of us,

and a ton of stuff.

Two of the forty were Debbie and Janet.  Debbie worked on wedding albums and came with her daughter-in-law.  Janet worked on her son’s football album (he plays for Penn State) and came with her two twin daughters.

Susan finally won a prize.  She’s come to over a dozen retreats, but this was her first time ever to win. 

Haley, Rachel, Ande, me, Grace, Jamie, Cali

The swimming team. The fitness center had hot tubs, a sauna, two water slides, and a warm water pool. It was wonderful and the slides were fun. After we’d played and swam, the seven of us sat outside in the hot tub amongst the pine trees, evening star, and a ¾ moon. It was as perfect an evening as could be.

Cali cutting a quilt top, Rachel sewing paper banners

Our group total was 824 pages, 485 cards, 61 projects, 1 king-sized quilt top, and a few blogs . . . plus Deb and I felt like we’d accomplished the portion of our mission statement which states, “provide women with a safe, amiable atmosphere where they can use their creative talents to preserve family legacies, and an experience where women can laugh, create, visit, and form unique camaraderie with women of similar interests."

Jane and Deb –D.J.’s Scrapbooking Retreats

These retreats have been a juicy apple under my tree.  I have appreciated getting my family history in order, building friendships, and working with Deb.  I especially enjoyed having Ande, Cali, Grace, my niece Haley, and my sister Rachel at this last retreat.

Well Fed – Footprints

Sometimes I think I took my children’s literature teacher too seriously.  She said, “A good mother has one blind eye and one deaf ear.”

This past weekend while we were gone to the scrapbooking retreat, Calvin added a storage room onto the house.  Just. like. that.  Everyone in the family knew it was coming; everyone that is but the one with the blind eye and the deaf ear.  When we pulled into the dark yard Saturday night, I saw a set of lights on the grass and thought with a Grandpa Hoops’ humph, “Huh.  I didn’t think Calvin was going to grill supper tonight so that’s why he suggested I bring pizzas home.  He must have changed his mind.”  It took a few moments for me to see that those lights were shining on a whole new addition to the house.  When I got out of the car everyone called, “Did Dad keep the surprise?!  Did you see it coming?!”

Trevor and Calvin

Oh indeed.  Calvin did surprise me.  He had Trevor come and help him build the food storage room while we were away.  Trevor came the day before we left for the retreat, but I didn’t notice the extra dog in the pen or the car behind the house.  Calvin stockpiled supplies and money for the project, but I hadn’t noticed that either.  Ray even slipped once, but since it was in code I missed that too.  All I know is that this was one grand surprise.  Calvin and Trevor are meticulous builders and now we will have a cool, dark place that will store our food much better.  Calvin is a great one and I appreciate the way he provides for us.   

Last night as I was crawling into bed, Calvin came back into the bedroom in this paint suit.  The goggles over his glasses especially made me laugh and I said, “I’ve gotta show you to Rachel and Grace.”  Even though they were already in bed I turned on their light.  They laughed and Rachel pegged it: “You look like an Oompa-Loompa in Willy Wonka’s factory.” 

I hope his giant oompa-loompa, white footprints that are all over the sidewalk don't wash away for a little while.  The storage room will always remind me of him, but the footprints remind me of his funny personality.

Well Fed -- Veterans

Now where would I be without veterans?  Certainly not well fed, that's for certain.  Without veterans I'd be in some spot that nobody else wanted or thought worth defending.  Somewhere without water, sun, or soil.

Somewhere with thorns.  Somewhere with no freedom.

Above our piano we have a matted picture frame with six openings in it.  In the first spot is a picture of Calvin's grandfather in his World War I uniform.  In the second spot is a picture of Calvin's dad in his World War II uniform.  In the third opening is a picture of Calvin in his Viet Nam uniform.  In the fourth opening is a picture of Abe in his Army uniform, and in the fifth opening a picture of Ty in his Air Force uniform.  In the final spot is a quote about preserving freedom for the next generation.  During the Viet Nam war, Calvin's dad sat Calvin down one day and told him he had a responsibility to protect our freedoms.  He explained he had done it, his father before him had done it, and it didn't matter that the cause the country was in at the time wasn't popular, Calvin had a responsibility to serve. Calvin served.   

I like living in America.  I'm grateful that so many have made it possible for me.    

Well Fed -- Together

me, Grace, Ande, Haley (my niece), Rachel (my sister), Cali

It's begun:  our annual scrapbooking retreat that Deb and I host.  This year it is at Suncadia Resort (resort as in a place that gives you a fireplace in your room, scented salts for your bath, and a golf course out your door).

Just now I couldn't remember how many years we've been doing retreats so I went and asked Cynthia Small, "Cynthia, how old is your little boy now?" because that is how I keep track.  I remember that first retreat when Cynthia's husband and little kids dropped her off and watching Cynthia kiss her baby good-bye for three days.  Her husband has taken care of them every year and even donates caramel popcorn for us.  (He bags them in cellophane bags with a little scrapbooking gadget in the bottom and labels them Scrapper Jacks.  Yes, they are cute.)

One of the things I like about the scrapbooking retreats is the energy which morphs into synergy.  Another thing is seeing the mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends laugh and share and get misty eyed.  This picture below makes me laugh.  Rachel is showing Deb, Alyson (Deb's daughter) and Cali a picture.  The look on Cali reveals it all.  It's a night picture that Rachel took of her kids at an old cemetery near their home.  There are eight kids in the picture.  Or are there?  There is a shadow of a little boy in overalls beside the eight kids . . . none of the eight are in overalls . . . and none of the eight are the size of the little boy in overalls either.  So I guess you could say there are nine kids in the picture.  Or are there?  I was taken in a cemetery after all.  

This is one great place to be for the next three days.

Well Fed— Things That Tickle My Fancy Today, Not Necessarily Tomorrow, nor Next Week, nor a Year Ago, nor a Year from Now

I’ve mentioned circle journals before – that project where we all start a scrapbook/journal and then pass it around until everyone in the group has added their page. Our fall scrapbook retreat is coming up in two days and those of us who did circle journals will swap them for the last time. I just finished, “Things That Tickle My Fancy.” I had to think about that theme for long while. Pink feathery boas and frittatas were the first two fancy things I thought of and neither one tickles mine. I found my list of things much more pragmatic:

children’s picture books
baskets
miniatures
audio books
farm stands
kids’ lemonade stands
rag dolls
old friends together
hot fudge milkshakes
fry sauce
fresh vegetables
full moons


What are five things that tickle your fancy today?

Well Fed – Everyday Life

Tonight we had chicken-broccoli-rice casserole for supper. Grace made chocolate cake for family night. Any guess what the common everyday ingredient (besides salt) was in both? I have a little surprise for the first one to guess it.

When Calvin saw me taking a picture of supper he said, “Don’t tell me you’d put a picture of a casserole on the blog before the jeep.” Ohhhhh . . . (here it comes, wait for it) jeepers, his jeep. Calvin’s hobbies have always been money-makers, but this jeep broke the mold; although it is as he says, “I just swapped one piece of junk for another piece of junk.” Someone on Craig’s list made a trade with him – an old four-wheeler for an old jeep – and they both seem pleased. I'm thinking this jeep, when it runs again, will be little more than a geriatric four wheeler, so I guess it was a fair trade.

I told Calvin, “But I don’t know what to say about the jeep.”

The jeep is part of everyday life so I guess that says it all. Behold the jeep:

We got Ty’s senior picture proofs in the mail today. It’s hard to believe that by next summer all of the kids will have graduated from college. I remember being on the other end of these years and wondering how many miracles it would take to make a good college education possible for each of them.  I'm here to say miracles happen . . . everyday even.

I never noticed until today that Ty has a crooked smile. He’s been smiling at me for 24 years and I don’t know how I missed it all that time, but every single picture has it and they all look just like him. Which reminds me of the first time Ty smiled at me, I even recorded it in my journal adding that some would argue it wasn’t real. He was barely 24 hours old. I was holding him against my heart when he lifted up his head and with those little gray eyes looked straight at me and smiled—strong and sure. Then his head bobbled and rested back against me. There was such a warm and special feeling that passed between us that I knew it was no accident. That smile said, “Thank you for getting me here,” and mine said, “Your welcome. Welcome to the family.”

Smiles, pictures, and Ty: a part of everyday life.

 

Last weekend my niece Rachel wrote a great post about a Norman Rockwell art exhibit she attended.  Immediately after reading it, Cali went and got her Norman Rockwell book and we looked at it together.  Nobody caught the essence of everyday life like Norman Rockwell.

Reading, especially with someone, is a wonderful part of everyday life.

Well Fed -- Country Life

this picture was taken across our driveway of our neighbor's combining corn

I lived in the city when I went to college, but other than that a grocery store has always been at least seven miles away.  I like living in the country.  In the country you don't have to worry about your roosters crowing too loud or your dog barking too much.  In the country you don't have to wear town-clothes all day long.  In the country you drink water from a well and pick your vegetables.  In the country you leave your house unlocked and the keys in your car.  In the country family are your playmates.  In the country you see the stars at night and the sun rise in the morning.  In the country . . .

This post is starting to sound a wee bit too John Denver-ish:   

Well I got me a fine wife I got me a fiddle

When the sun's comin' up I got cakes on the griddle

Life ain't nothin' but a funny funny riddle

Thank God I'm a country boy

(I do wish someone in our family could play the fiddle.  It's one of my favorite instrument sounds.  Until then Calvin will just have to be content with a fine wife and cakes on the griddle.)

Well Fed—City Life

Cali loves a project.

We’re visiting Cali and Ray this weekend.  Calvin is helping Ray build a mantel.  I’m moral support, which means I’m making cookies.

I measured the shortening into the mixing bowl and added the brown sugar and eggs.  Ray’s request was gingersnaps . . .

. . . but I couldn’t find any molasses in their well-stocked cupboards.  None.  (Funny to think molasses was a staple in pioneer homes while sugar was the luxury, now it’s ten times the price – molasses is 25 cents an ounce and sugar is 2.5 cents an ounce.)  I tried to think of other cookie recipes that might have the same ingredients, in the same proportions of those in the mixing bowl, when Cali mentioned something about running to the store.  Store!  What a novel idea.  I forget that when you live in the city, stores are an option.

And while I went to one store, I might as well go to another just because I could.  I browsed the clearance and found monster mash for $1.24.

It’s going to be pilgrim mix as soon as I cover the label with some fall-red leaf paper that I have at home, add a tag, a pilgrim or turkey embellishment, and a raffia bow.  I also found a bling snowflake.  Grace taught me the power of a just a little bling and this snowflake will provide it on a scrapbook page of Cali and Ray’s winter wedding.  Add a few baby and Christmas gifts that I picked up, and well . . . store's are handy.

I’m telling you, staying in the city has perks . . .

well-manicured lawns

pizza delivery

no flies        

no dust

and a bakery just down the street

Can’t get better fed than that. 

Well Fed—Betty Lou

I get to see Betty Lou once a week. Whereas she once traveled the world, her health has slipped some in the last year, so she spends much of her day reading in this chair. Because her eyesight is dimming, hand sewing and smocking are no longer options. Even reading is an effort. Sometimes Betty Lou and I read the same book and discuss it; other times we just visit. Sometimes I sit on a footstool at her feet; other times on the sofa settee. Always our time is enjoyable. Betty Lou has cultivated patience through the years, and consequently gained much wisdom. I benefit from both, her example of patience and wisdom. A few weeks ago she suggested, “Let go and let God.” It resonated and reminded me of the scripture written on the soffit above our kitchen sink: “Be still and know that I am God” (which certainly suggests I’d been too busy rooting around for more apples instead of looking up).

I marvel at Betty Lou’s remarkable ability to stay happy and cheerful in her chair. Once, last year while she spent several months in the rest home, I asked her how she stayed so positive after weaving my way through the halls of lonely and sad residents. She raised her eyebrows and said, “I pretend I’m in a spa. They prepare my food and turn down my bed. I have people who help me exercise and someone assigned to do programs. I don’t do any housework, or even make my bed. They even help me shower. I just read. Pretending I’m in a spa is the way I do it.” That is patience . . . and imagination.

I wish everyone had a Betty Lou.

Well Fed--Creativity

This afternoon and evening Grace, Cali, and I sat down to make Christmas banners.  We traced, cut, pasted, arranged, glued, pounded, made a mess, and visited to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and other Christmas music.  It felt so good to be creative while being blessed with the creative talents of others. 

Which reminds me of Monday's blessing of Mormon Messages.  I watch this video every now and then to regain perspective.  Amazing how gratitude builds on itself, isn't it? 

Well Fed--Mormon Messages

For family night tonight we turned the couch around to face the computer screen and watched Mormon messages.


First, we watched this one for good measure and encouragement:




Next, we watched this one and accepted the challenge to anonymously serve someone this week then report back on it next week.





Mormon messages are uplifting. Mormon messages are timely. Mormon messages are a blessing.

Well Fed

   

I recently read, “God help us to be grateful. Someone has said that an ungrateful man is like a hog under a tree eating apples and never looking up to see where they come from.” (Ezra Taft Benson)

This month will be daily blogs of looking up, for I’m certainly well fed.