"The fragrance always stays in the hand that give the Rose"

What a wonderful world. 

 That is a strange sentence to write down after reading the newspaper and listening to the news.  There are so many things going on that can bring a person down.
 I have had a particularly rough month.
 But even with all the heartache, physical illness and all kinds of other strange goings on..there is still so much of heaven everywhere.
 The contrast for me is so strong.
 When I get down or falter or go back a step or two,
 what keeps me going is the army that Heavenly Father chose to bless me with.
   I believe that Heavenly Father works through us.
 I am constantly amazed by the courage of people like Tyler Hallsey and his family and Burgen Jensen and her family.
 They give me strength.

 I live in an area that could only be called Heaven in the middle of a world in crisis.
  Here we have a bit of peace. 
A little bit of land with houses dotting the hill..and those homes are filled with people who all have problems,
 but who take care of each other
Such a pure love dwells here. 
The closeness that we feel is priceless.
 The love that ties us together is a rare thread, it doesn't break.
 All of the people give of themselves over and over again.  They never stop, they just keep on giving.  I have been the recipient of their generosity and love over and over.

 

"..have miracles ceased?  Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men."

 

Moroni 71: 29

 

Miracles have not ceased and angels do exist. 
They are all living in my neighborhood. 

 

"..charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever.."

 

Moroni 71:47

 

And these angels who live here have the charity that this scripture is talking about. 

My dear friends and neighbors have given out so many roses over the years. 
It smells like a rose garden as you walk down the street.

I am so grateful I live among these lovely people.

I am Grateful for....

These people are looking entirely too comforatable!!!

So, they came and worked for me on Saturday.  Jim has been working for the past several weeks, taking down some cupboards in the kitchen.  The result looks like this...

Above the counter used to be cupboards.  Jim took those down which opened up our kitchen/dining area.  This made everything seem bigger and much lighter.  He worked hard patching the ceiling and repainting.  We are painting the dining area and putting a cupboard up over the buffet, but that will have to wait until after Christmas. 

Next, the big furniture switch! 

Tyler, Melanie and Dylan gave up their Saturday to help Jim and I move furniture throughout the house.  The livingroom has a different look as well as the family room.

Funny what moving a few pieces around can do to a room

 (not to mention the cleaning that gets done). 

Jim and Tyler both had some decorating tips for me. 

 Jim's was, "furniture should be builtin in a room, where it can't be moved." 

Tyler's advice was "modular..many small pieces make things easier to move." 

 I can't say how grateful I am for their willingness to help when asked.  To spend their time working on a project for me. 

 Now my home is ready for the holidays.

  I am blessed to have a husband and family members who are willing to serve.

A Child's Prayer

"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."

 

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson

 

As I listened to Jake say the prayer over lunch yesterday I was touched by his words.  He prayed for his mom and dad, Sam, Dylan, Gramas and Grampas, friends, Marta, Dan, Benji and Seth.  He thanked Heavenly Father for the grass and the flowers and the blue sky and the nice day.  He blessed his house, he actually went on for so long that Dylan and Sam were eating and making quite a bit of noice before Jake finally said..Amen.  Even though as he prayed it got a lot more confusing in the room, I'm sure that Jake was heard. 

Jake takes turning five seriously.  He tries hard to share and help, because now, he is grown up.  He remembers when he was little and sometimes wishes for those simple days when he could just play. If he forgets to be good, he is truly sorry.  

He is an example to me in taking the simple things seriously.  He helps me to realize that it does matter how I speak to others, that listening is important, that all the little mundane things I do each day, I should do with a flare.  I should smile more, and hug those I love more.  I should serve more.  As I watch Jake and my other little charges, I learn that they are not perfect, they are little, they are learning.  I am old, yet still learning to improve and enjoy life.  I can always do better.  Phyllis McGinley says, "the wonderful thing about saints is that they were human...they lost their tempers, got hungry, scolded God, were egotistical, or testy or impatient in their turns, made mistakes and regretted them.  Still they went on doggedly blundering toward heaven." 

 

I'm grateful for the example of Saints who are imperfect, yet continue to try.  I am grateful for a little boy's prayer who reminds me to appreciate and be happy with the simple things that this life offers, and inspires me to be a better person.

"TRIBUTE TO FALL"

When I first feel that cool fall air in the morning and see the leaves change and pumpkins start showing up everywhere, I always think back to the fall when "Tribute" was born. It was many years ago, because my son Nick, who is now 33 was about 10. According to my journal, this is how it went.

"When I was a younger mom I decorated my home for each holiday

- even St. Patrick's day took a day of my time to make everything green.

 But Fall and Christmas took days.

Of course my friends were all engaged in these same activities,

 making their homes look festive for the season.

 One year when my son was about ten or eleven, I had just finished a masterpiece on my mantel for fall.

 I called my friend Pat right over to admire my handy work... and admire we did.

Nick, just in from school joked as Pat came in,

 " You have to see my moms Tribute to Fall".

Ever since any decoration for a season has become known as

"Tribute" to Christmas, Fall or whatever season we are in.

Well, a few years back I was in bed, sick. I just didn't have it in me to get "Tribute" out.

I had a phone call from Sue, the most concerned of neighbors.

Her first sentence was "I hear you might not get your Tribute up!"

It almost sounded like our country was being invaded or some such disaster.

She was that upset!

 I found out that if I was not well enough by the first week of October that Sue, Colleen and Pat would be over here making sure my tribute was up in all its glory,

because it just can not happen one year.

It seems a small and very unimportant thing when you look at the state of the world.

Wars, hurricanes, tornadoes that take peoples lives and homes.

 But what if all neighborhoods were like mine, where people were so concerned that they would come and put some fall leaves up just to see a smile?

 Somehow, when I look at it that way it seems as big as world events.

 It seems more important. Friends loving friends, looking out for each other.

We are all so different yet because of love we are the same. "

We have put up "Tribute" for others when they didn't feel well. We take each other to the hospital,

we sit with each other, comfort each other, laugh and talk and have fun together.

 

Each fall as I put my leaves and pumpkins out,

I am ever grateful for the beautiful world I live in, for the friends I am surrounded by,

 for a son who still has a funny sense of humor, who makes me laugh,

 for traditions, for those who continue to care,

 no matter what comes our way.

Wandering the streets of Spring City

 

We spent a perfect day with our friends, Teri and Dale, wandering around the streets of Spring City, Utah.  Seeing the lovely old homes, visiting with the city's many artists, and of course, taking pictures of their gardens. 

We caught the beautiful blooms just as summer turns to fall.

 

The hollyhocks were everywhere.

 

 

"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere."

 

~Vincent Van Gogh

 

We certainly found it in Spring City.

The Best Days

"The best days are when you don't need anything extreme or special to happen to make
it great. 
 You just appreciate and enjoy what is and that's perfect enough."

~author unknown

I love you, anyway

My dad always came up with funny little ways of expressing himself. 

 He made a joke out of everything. 

Probably to hide his true emotions. 

One of his sayings was "I love you, anyway", which he said with a bit of humor, a touch of sarcasm, always with love, is something, that I think is quite profound and full of wisdom. 

When mom and dad had their 50th wedding anniversary we had the saying beautifully made for them.

 I think that those words probably helped make their marriage as happy as it was.

Yesterday, within the span of a half an hour I let escape out of my mouth some embarrassing words to some people I care about it. 

 Nothing earth shattering. 

Just enough to make me think I needed to be locked up in a room somewhere for timeout.  

 I thought to myself, wouldn't it be nice if I could call these people and say, "I made a silly comment and they would simply say "I love you, anyway.."

and it would be over. 

 Or I would write a note and they would send me a card like the one above,

and that would be it.  No further explanations needed. 

Because I hope I'm not the only one who says or does mindless things once in awhile. 

 I do think it is important to own up to things said or done in a moment of haste, yet also equally important to realize that everyone has a moment of weakness and needs to be loved regardless.


So, send a card to someone.
The words
I love you, anyway
are simple, kind, and tell us we are ok despite our faults.
it's called
unconditional love.

FIRECRACKER FUNDRAISER

My friends, the Winchesters are amazing.
They don't just sit around talking about an idea-
They make things happen!
When John and Lori's daughter, Lily was sticken
with an awful illness and had
to spend weeks at Primary Children's Hospital,
they saw a need and jumped into action.
Many other families needed help.
They are familiar with this type of work,
as they have organized the Kel Kemp Memorial Golf Tournament,
in honor of Grampa Kel~
giving the proceeds to the Huntsment Cancer Institute.

So on Friday they will be having a fun party, with an auction, raffle, games and dinner,

 to raise money for these little kids and families that need help.

Having been involved with this family for over 30 years, I know it will be fantastic.

They do everything first rate.

They know how to throw a party!!!

A picture of John and Lori's sweet Lily,

 just one of many children who will be helped. 

I just wanted to pay tribute to this amazing family.

I am so grateful they are my friends.

I love them, and wish them well Friday.

Can't wait to go, see everybody and have fun. 

I know it will a great success!!! 

Love,  Polly

BEING ELEGANT

 I have always wanted to be elegant.  Always wanted perfect hair, perfect skin, and I hate to admit it, but I love clothes -(for anyone reading that doesn't know this already).  And tell me, who doesn't fall for those ads about makeup~ you know the one's that say, when you rotate your hand just so with their product - you will look 10 years younger. That new haircut will make you look just like the girl in the picture and that new outfit will take pounds off - even if it is a size bigger than the last time you were out shopping.
I tend to get carried away sometimes with how I appear - wanting to be elegant and all.  When looking elegant is different than being elegant.  Coco Chanel said, "Elegance does not consist in putting on a new dress, rather, elegance in personal style requires only that a woman major in the classics:  comfort, color, shape, fabric, value, and appropriateness.  Elegance means that clothes never eclipse the woman within but permit her inner light to shine."  This statement gets me down to what I really want to write about. 
I am surrounded by elegant women.  Women who are comforatable with themselves, who value themselves and what they do, who don't care about color or shape.  Their inner light shines constantly. 
To me, this is true elegance.  I don't live in a big city, just a simple neighborhood.  These elegant women are my friends, neighbors, sisters, daughters, mothers, grandmothers.  Lovely women, every one.  They are kind and good and have talents and are creative.  They share and serve and above all, they love. 
I think most of them like a day at the salon and a new dress. Who doesn't?  But none of them need it to be elegant. They all ready are.

They are simple, graceful, well-bred, they never over-power, but always strike the right note.  They are self assured.  Beauty, grace and elegance cannot be bought.  It is attained by how a person lives.  It has nothing to do with makup, hair or clothes.  It is letting the inner light shine through. 
These women have it!

Merry Christmas

I'm sending some Christmas cards this years to a few people who amaze me with their unselfishness and kind acts. The man in this picture is my brother in law. He has been fortunate in his business life, but unlike many in this world, he seems to get more humble and more grateful. It seems to me that this man wants to give back and not just by writing out a check. You see, he has a village in Mexico, where he is as good as Santa. And, the best part is, he doesn't just come once a year. He goes and visits them several times a year. And, if he can't get there, I'll bet you anything he makes sure his elves make it to the village. He loves those people, he cares for them and others that he has helped along the way. I admire Kevin for his giving spirit which goes on regardless of the time of year, and want to wish him a Merry Christmas.