An Invitation

We invite you to attend:

Annual Crèche Exhibit

A Gift of Love

Hundreds of Nativity Displays and Musical Presentations by Community Groups

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Friday, Dec. 5, 2008: 5 - 9 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

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Hosted by: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mountain Home Idaho Stake

12^th North & 7^th East, Mountain Home

(Parking and Entrance at Rear of Building)

Free of Charge Handicap Accessible

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New this year: Handel’s “Christmas Messiah”

Presented: Friday, 5 Dec., 7:00 p.m.

I am singing in the community Choir performing Handel’s “Christmas Messiah”

Introductions

Today Boyd met a new friend. I was in Boise for a service project. Since I was there I asked my sister to take mee to Costco for some things I needed. This adventure included myself, my sister, and my youngest niece. While we were in the car I realized that my Wild Rose hadn't met Boyd so I introduced them.

I didn't take my camera in the store so I took the picture when we returned home.

Just a baseball bat

It was during my senior year of college. I was in a social theory class. We never knew what our teacher was going to do to make a point. One day she walks in with a bat, a baseball bat. The bat looked like it was made from wood. Other than it being a little odd we didn't think to much of her hitting objects with it in the classroom. She then asked us if our feelings would remain the same if she told us it was the same bat Babe Ruth used to hit his last home run.

In our discussion that followed, comparing just a regular baseball bat to Babe Ruth's baseball bat, I gained a greater sense of what it means for something to be sacred. Baseball bats are used everyday, kept in a closet, under a bed, in the trunk, dropped to the ground, kicked, and used over and over again. I hope every red blooded American would agree with mee that a bat used by Babe Ruth belongs in a glass case in a museum somewhere. Maybe it is already there.

In this particular Sociology class, if I remember right, we discussed how different things are sacred or taboo in different cultures. Taboo items being things you don't talked about or words you don't say or things you don't do. Sacred being things are so important they are treated with extra care and consideration when discussed or done and only in properly prepared situations.

A remark I have heard concerning our precious flag is that it is just a piece of cloth. I don't think that was the thought of Francis Scott Key when he saw it waving from a prison ship early one morning, or the people who have earned having one draped over their casket. Even those who choose to burn it out of protest know it is more than a piece of fabric.

As a sociologist I have worked to veiw things objectively (I am human, it doesn't always work). With this in mind, and my current job selection, I am exposed to a lot of information that I try to distance myself from maintaining only an intellectual curiosity. I have seen and heard some things that are gross, horrifying, sickening, and perverse.

The first time I remember feeling violated was while recently watching a show. I don't even want to mention the name or date because I don't want you to go looking for it. Something that is considered to be very sacred to members of the LDS faith was displayed on national television. I felt sick.

I am not naïve. I know that there are those who don't understand, or out of hatred have put a lot of things on-line for anyone to find. And I will say the show attempted to respect the information with as much respect as one can have for a culture they know little or nothing about.

This experience has helped mee realize there are things I can do to treat sacred things with better care. That may start with watching less television.

Sir Toby Alan

So, I have a dog. I decided he needed a middle name. That is were Alan came in, it seemed to fit. I just started calling him sir the other day...so know he is "Sir Toby Alan".

This is Toby saying "May we go on a walk?" He paces back and forth, scratching at the door, when he is say..."come on, lets walk".

Toby has an interesting habit of dumping out his food and then eating it off of the floor.

It has been interesting getting use to having another live body in the house. He is good at keeping mee going. We walk each morning, and usually again in the afternoon. It is also hard to be sad when you have a puppy around.

Home at last...

Although it is often nice to get away there is nothing like coming home. A friend recently commented on how much he enjoyed the spirit in my home, and being here. During the year I have lived here I have done a number of things to make it mine.

The first thing I did was replace the back windows of the house. That was an investment I am sure will pay off, especially this winter. The next thing I did was a paint a couple of walls.

I painted this wall as much for utility and entertainment as looks. This is a magnetic chalkboard wall. It isn't much wider than it shows. I wanted a central place to keep notes of all kinds, and something to be entertaining for guests. My nieces and nephews like drawing on it as well as my friends. A friend commented that if she had a wall like that she would never erase it. That has proven to be true for some of the things on the wall.

My front room actually felt too big and lopsided, so I painted another wall to balance it out.  For the most part the wall was actually painted by my visiting teacher Charmaine. The brown wall helps to create the "dining" room. From the look of the table it is a good thing it is usually only mee who eats there.

Note the new window. While Charmaine was painting the wall I put finishing coats on my new window trims. Charmaine also helped me hang the binds and floaters on the walls at the other end of the room.

I have been wanting to do more to personalize my room. My mind hasn't been able to settle on what it wants it to look like.  I have been contemplating getting a full or queens size bed. Haven't decided on either yet.

I did purchase a Sette at the AtHome America party I had back in May. My purpose for it is to be at the foot of my new bed when ever I do get around to purchasing it.

 

Having more rooms that I really need I wanted to get one set up as a guest room. That is where my sette is currently

I was given this painting for my birthday. It was completed by a friend prior to her leaving for college. It is hard to tell from the picture that the walls are a light pink.  And yes, I picked the color to go with the picture.

I struggled getting a really good picture of the room. The shelves were actually given to me by a friend last year as a house warming gift.

Rocky Bar

In the mountains near Featherville is a small ghost town called "Rocky Bar". Connie's boss took us there during our driving around on Saturday.

We got to walk through a couple of houses.

Inside this on was a small kitchen and dining area.

with stairs heading to ...

what almost looks like my sister's master suite, I don't think there was a bathroom though.

I think this one must have been a store or saloon.

It has the long bars on each side and a

fire place in the middle.

A page for the History books...

Here it is, another election day. Today, if I wanted to, I could vote for a Black man to be president and a female to be vice president...or not...I often go back and forth on whether or not I am going to take the time to vote...seeing there really aren't any great and obvious choices. As I studied the Book of Mormon this year I gained a greater sense of patriotism. Not only for the blessing of living in a free land...one where I can vote, I can express my opinion without fear of government restrictions. or regulations. I also gained an understanding of my responsibilities to act in defense of the rights that I have.

I am not going to take the time to expound or explore all Scriptures relating to these topics. I will give you tidbits from Alma 46:

12 ...—^aIn memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

13 And he fastened on his head-plate, and his ^abreastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the ^btitle of liberty) and he ^cbowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of ^dChristians remain to possess the land—

16 And therefore, at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the ^afreedom of the land might be favored.

18 And he said: Surely God shall not ^asuffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own ^btransgressions.

20 Behold, whosoever will maintain this title upon the land, let them come forth in the strength of the Lord, and ^aenter into a covenant that they will ^bmaintain their rights, and their religion, that the Lord God may bless them.

Those of you who are familiar with the scriptures know this is only the beginning, and that there is yet quite a story to unfold. Today I pray American voters will once again show their colors as Christians, and God fearing people, who value family, freedom of religion, and to safety of our most precious asset...the children.

All Saints Day

Alright, I didn't really do anything to observe "All Saints Day", but I did take the they day off. Cousin Connie invited mee to join her at a work related retreat in Pine, ID. I had previously been to Pine, and was glad to have a chance to get away.

Our Hostess decided to take us to see the sights, my cousin is much better with a camera than I am, but I'll show you some of what I got.

I have recently come to realize that I love central Idaho...

and that there is so much more for mee to learn about my home state...

"Gothic Prom"

I had the chance to spend Halloween with some friends in Nampa I hadn't seen in a while. Some of you may know that I am, or have become some one who doesn't do a lot of decorating for holidays. 

It seems to mee we do a lot of things out of tradition, without knowing any of the meaning, or purpose behind the tradition. Halloween is only the beginning of the Holiday season. Some seem to have forgotten holidays are "holy days". My friend Tammy taught mee how important Halloween is to her as "All Hallows Eve" and the accompanying "All Saints Day." For that reason I am willing to celebrate Halloween with her, her family, and friends.

The theme for the evening was "Gothic Prom" Here are the women ...at least at picture time.