Life is like a Quilt

Grama Bagley enjoyed her life.  She was a happy person.  She loved simple things. 

 Clean sheets hanging on the clothes line, freshly baked bread, flowers in her garden, raspberries from her raspberry patch. 

 She always had a big quilt on in the living room of her old house.  

Her neighbors would stop by for a visit and stitch for a bit. 

 Their creations were wonderful..not always perfect, but that was the charm of quilting in those days.  It was about getting together with friends, making something with your own hands, and then giving it to someone you loved.  

Grama was something of an artist.  

She didn't paint or anything.  But she baked with an artistic hand, as well as those quilts that came out of her living room. 

 And oh..her garden.  It looked like a painting.  

Grama loved having her family around her and was always ready for a song.

  Her love of music, good food, and nature are ingrained in me, as well as her love of the gospel. 

How I admire the way she met her challenges and lived her life.  

I would  have loved my grama Adelila to be able to sit down with my two beautiful daughters.  Wouldn't Grama love to sit down with Abby in her quilting room?  She would marvel at her two huge long arm quilting machines!  

She wouldn't believe all the quilts Abby does for others.  

They would chat about fabrics, colors and designs.  How thrilled Grama would be in Abby's talent and work ethic. 

 Abby also inherited a great business head.  She's full of drive and persistence.  

She works so hard, but always puts her family first, which is what Grama always did. 

 Abby fills her heart with what's important and is done with the rest.   

Whitney reminds me of Grama in an artistic way. 

 Her love of nature and the way she sees beauty in all things.  

She moves with grace and is a natural mother. 

 When she teaches yoga, she transforms into a different person. 

 So self assured and in control of the situation she is in. 

When grama was instructing a cooking class she knew exactly what she was talking about and was very much the expert. 

 Just as Whitney is.  

Yet they have those mothering qualities that are so much the same.  

It is so interesting to me how these two girls could have so many things that remind me of their great grandmother, and yet they didn't know her at all.  

Whitney has a sentimental side to her that reminds me of Grama. 

 Here is a quote from Grama's journal describing how she fell when she was losing her home.

"I have become attached to this place.  I love the flowers, trees and shrubs we have struggled to raise from a veritable rock pile."  

Whitney would feel just this way.  I know.  

I am so grateful for my two girls.  For the kind of women they have become.  

I know there are many that have had a hand in teaching and influencing them.  But they are very much their own person.  

Lovely, kind, unselfish, talented, hardworking, so many attributes. 

 I know their grandmother would love to know them and be so proud, as would many others would.  

How blessed I am to have all of them in my life.

Aging- A Glorious Secret

"There's this youth culture...it really discards people once they reach a certain age.  I actually think that people are so powerful and interesting - women, especially - when they are older.  We've got so much to say, but popular culture is so reductive that we just talk about whether we've got wrinkles, or whether we've put on weight or lost weight, or whether we've changed our hairstyle.  I just find that shallow."  ~Annie Lennox

Not so in this neighborhood where I live surrounded by so many incredibly elegant, talented women. They are so beautiful in so many different ways.  It is because of how they have lived and what they have lived through.  Their beauty radiates through their eyes and in their smiles.  They have accumulated wisdom that only life can give you.  I find great comfort being around these lovely women.  

I have been walking in the early mornings with a few of these 'girls'.  

January can be cold when you live so close to the mountains, but we get up early and get ourselves moving!  One of our group has had a stroke, two have pacemakers, one of those nearly died before she got hers, and I couldn't breathe for three years.  

We have always cared for each other during those times, and also during emotional upsets.  

And so we marvel that we are out walking at all! 

 We notice the blue sky, the sun when it comes out from behind the mountains. 

 We notice every beautiful thing as we walk, because we have lived and we are so grateful for each other, for our surroundings and for the fact that we are actually walking!  Oh, what a wonderful world.  How much better to be on this end of things. To know what we know. 

 It's almost like having a glorious secret. We'd like to share it with our younger sisters, friends, daughters... but we can't.  

For they must live it. 

 Then they will know.

  "Growing old is a mandatory process. For women, for a period of time, we might even resist aging as we try our hardest to fight off wrinkles and hang on to the physical beauty of our faces.  Yet, getting old is a natural process where things are slowing down, and you'll begin to see that the sparkle in your heart and the twinkle in your eyes make you beautiful in a way that's not achievable in youth. 'Age' is the acceptance of a term of years.  But maturity is the glory of years."

Thanksgiving Point, Pictures and grandkids

Had a lovely Friday with Abby, Jake and Sam at Thanksgiving Point.

 They went down for some pictures and I decided to take a few of my own.  

The flowers are beautiful down there right now!

So were the kids!!!

I couldn't get enough of their cute smiles. 

 They cooperated for just about an hour.

  And when they were finished there was....

GREAT JOY!!!!

"Grandchildren, Sunshine to my Soul"

I was blessed with a heritage that continues to guide even as I grow older. 

 I am a grandmother now, and each day I think of my grandparents and the influence they had on me.  I loved being around them. 

 They taught me by their example.  

They were hard workers, they were funny, they were gardeners, they loved their families.  

They loved the gospel and taught me to love it too.

Nothing made my grandparents happier than when their grandchildren were around. 

We played in the orchard and among their flowers. 

 We sang and we were loved.  

We were taught values and what was right and wrong and why our pioneer ancestors came across the plains.

  We knew were we came from.

My parents continued that tradition. 

Showering great amounts of love onto their grandchildren. 

 They loved being with them.

 Showed them how to work how to play and enjoy life. 

 They too had strong testimonies that carried them through happy and sad times. 

 They would be proud of their posterity.

These are my darlings. 

 I try to be the grandmother like those who preceded me.  

It's a different world.  

Things happen so quickly. 

 I love these grandchildren so much and am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of their lives. 

 I hope I can influence them for good as my grandparents did. 

 The most important thing is to love them.  

That part I have down!!

"Grandchildren..Sunshine to my soul"

A Visit With Some Fine Ladies

When I need a bit of uplifting or feel a little tired, I sometimes feel the need to talk to my mother or one of my grandmothers.  

They were so comforting.  They also had a lot of wisdom.  

They lived through a lot, but somehow always managed to stay upbeat, kind, and loving. 

 What a great example the were to me. 

 Fortunately for me I have bits and pieces of them. 

 Not just my memories, but tangible things that remind me of them.  

Some of those things are fairly valuable, but the most priceless things are their handwriting.  

I feel their thoughts bring me closer to them than any "thing" they left behind. 

 Grandma Bagley's journal is full of inspiring stories of how she lived through the depression, the loss of her beloved oldest son, and then the war when she sent her two remaining sons.  

What strength she had.  Her testimony of the gospel is a constant in her life and something I will always respect and love her for, because of the way she lived her life. 

 Grandma Lundgren was just as strong and had such a cute sense of humor which is evident in her little notes stuck into books.  I love her remarks on life!!

 And of course there is my mom, who's love of her family, respect for her heritage and her testimony guided me gently throughout my life.  

I love to see her thoughts written down in her distinct handwriting.  

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me today!! 

Relaxing in the Garden- Glorious Summer

Can't believe we're almost halfway through glorious summer. 

 I love warm summer nights. 

 My upper garden has been a mess of vines for the last few years.  

This year we cleaned it out and added quite a bit more space. 

 So nice to go up my steps and hideout while reading a book or just star gazing.

  Perfect spot to relax in the evening.

I've always enjoyed the concept of "rooms" in my garden.  

Another lovely place to enjoy warm evenings is my back patio.  

Sometimes I just sit and listen to those wonderful summer sounds.

Something fun going on in the gardens around my neighborhood is our weekly lemonade gathering.

  Once a week we gather and enjoy a cool glass of lemonade, visit and just enjoy each others flowers. 

 It's nice to stop once in awhile and relax with good friends.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on

 a summer's day,

 listening to the murmur of the water,

 or watching the clouds float across the sky,

 is by no means a waste of time."

~John Lubbock

Flag Day, Mom's Birthday and a Shout out to all the Fathers!!!

It's a beautiful June 14th.  Flag Day.. also my mother's birthday. 

Missing her and wishing her a Happy day. 

 I am so grateful for her loving ways.  She was thoughtful, unselfish and kind

Always putting others before herself.  What a great example for all of us.

She lived a full and happy life.

 I am so blessed to have her for my mom.

I am also blessed to have Jim as the father and grandfather to my children and grandkids. 

 I couldn't find anyone more dedicated or loving to his family. 

 He loves them and wants nothing more than to spend time with them. 

 He has and continues to work hard to serve us.  

He's also the most handsome grampa around!!!

I am amazed at the dads in our family.  

They are totally involved in the raising of their kids.  

are such great fathers.  So grateful for their commitment to their families. 

 They love them and are raising a bunch of great kids!

I was also blessed to have the world's best dad. 

He was so much fun. 

 He taught me so much about enjoying life, overcoming obstacles, and staying positive.

  I think of him everyday.  

Happy Father's Day to all these incredible men!!!

Visiting the PA DeSpain Gang

 We've had a great time here in Philadelphia.

Becky and I hit the pavement, doing some serious shopping,
while the guys went golfing.

 We've been able to watch number 10 (Hogan) play some baseball.

 We've seen beautiful gardens

We've strolled through history.

The best is spending time with these guys.  Watching them as they go through their everyday lives.  It's so much fun seeing them come and go.  Love being with the eastern despain gang.  Sorry that our time with them is coming to an end.

I Love being a Mom

I love being a Mom. 

 How could a mother be so blessed to be given the opportunity to have such great kids. 

 Having children can be a difficult, exhausting job, but it is also the most noble and grand adventure that a woman can ask for.

  I chose to have five children. 

 I have been blessed over and over again with the birth and life of each child.  

What I have done for them is nothing  compared to what they have given me.  

I always felt it was important to give my kids a feeling of security and warmth as they moved forward in their lives. 

 I had that growing up and I wanted them to have that same sort of childhood.  

My thoughts wander to summer time.  

(The best time to make memories)  

We spent many longs days at the racquet club.  Oh, those lazy fun days when we'd pack up a lunch and a few snacks and be gone for hours.  

Swimming, getting their little bodies warm by laying on the hot cement, that creamy frozen yogart. 

 Packing up to go home just in time for little league or a game of kick the can.  

I've never done anything that noteworthy, I've never been in the limelight.  

But I have rocked and sung to my children. 

 I have taken them swimming, played with them and watched them grow in to adulthood, 

cheered and encouraged them.

  I have loved them.  

I have been a mom. 

 I would rather sing and tell stories to my kids and grandkids than to any audience in the world. 

 When I feel my little grandson's arms wrap around my neck, 

when they cuddle in my lap and entertwine their little fingers in mine and say "hold me grama polly", I think my decision all those years ago.

 That of being a mother.

 It  may have been the hardest, most exhausting, most heartbreaking, ..most rewarding experience. 

 I chose wisely.

I Went from Sunbeams to Choir Director!! OH NO!!!

When I was a little girl, my grandmother was in our ward.  I remember sitting by her in church.  As she sung the hymns she would point to the alto line and have me sing along with her.  It is my first memory of singing.

I've always loved to sing.  I sang while my dad played the piano.  I loved to belt out "Won't you come Home Bill Bailey," or "Show Me the Way to Go Home."  I sang in the church choir from the time I was twelve and always in school choirs.  When I was fifteen I was the youngest member of the Mormon Youth Choir.  

.  As I've said,  I've always loved singing.  

When we moved to this ward 36 years ago I immediately joined the choir. 

 It has been a blessing in my life.  This ward has the best ward choir around!  So many talented musicians living so close to one another.  

What a blessing.

I love to sing, but am not a great musician.  I never was good at timing.  I've always had to sit next to my neighbor, Betty, so I could follow her and get my notes right.  

And I hate to be in front of people.  I like to be in the back. 

 (I'm short, so it's easy to get lost among the taller choir members.)

Singing in the choir is my joy.

Not standing in FRONT!!!!

After teaching five little boys in my Sunbeam class I didn't think I would find 

a calling more challenging ..

But my new calling is much more challenging, terrifying, headache giving than any five boys in any Sunbeam class could ever be!!!  

I am now the Choir Director in our Ward. 

Nothing prepared me for this!  

I felt that I could do most callings in the church with my eyes closed.  

Well, I certainly can't close my eyes in this calling..except when I'm praying, which will be all the time now.  

The one thing I am sure of.  Heavenly Father is there for us when we are serving Him.  

(I'm counting on it!)

Easter Egg Hunt, Darling Grandchildren..Family..I am a Blessed Woman

What a wonderful Easter!  And so fun to celebrate Jim's birthday on this special day.  Nothing better than to have these cute kids over for the annual Easter Egg hunt.  Just wish we could have the other half..Well later on in the summer.

We watched the kids hunt for eggs, play and have fun.  We can't get enough of our new little addition.  We are so grateful for all of these precious grandchildren.

And of course it wouldn't be a summer gathering without a little baseball.  Hey, PA Gang, we need a little coaching here.  

What a lovely Day.

A Letter to my Parents

A letter to my parents,

Well, Mom and Dad..It's been quite a while since you've been with us.  Lots has happened.  You taught us so well by the way you lived.  You were loving, funny and unselfish.  You were devoted to the gospel and to your family.  You made a mark on so many lives.  Mom, you in your quiet, graceful, loving way.  And dad, you as the leader, our funny, positive, full of fun dad.  How were we so blessed to be born to you guys?  Since you've been gone, the children have grown, making lives for themselves.  You saw two of Jamey's boys, but since then he and Becky added two more and convinced them all that baseball and golf were the best ways to occupy their time.  

You would love watching them as they excel in their activities.  They are such good boys.  Tyler finally found his true love.  He and Melanie have two beautiful boys, as beautiful as their mother. Tyler treats her just as you treated mom.  (He was trained well).  Abby and Mike are busy with their two boys..(can you see a pattern here?)  They are a busy happy family.  Abby reminds me so much of both of you.  She is talented like mom, and has the drive of you dad.  What a combination.  Nothing stands in her way.  I am able to be around Dylan, Jake and Sam a lot of the time and love getting to know their personalities, and what makes them happy or sad.  They are amazing children.  Nick is our professor, touching the lives of many young cadets at the air force academy.  Whitney and Jason are the greatest, as they presented us with our only granddaughter, Wren.  How we love and cherish our little beauty.   

Everyone is busy with careers, raising children, and good works.  They are all successful and happy.  Jim, James and his boys have been back to the Masters once.  We go out once a year to watch the boys play baseball and there's nothing better than watching them for two weeks.  We've travelled, we've enjoyed concerts with music that always makes me wish you were there with me, loving the music as I do.  We've made improvements on our home, always grateful for the talent mom past on as I make something out of nothing.  Jim is serving in the Bishopbric right now.  He is so patient and kind with the issues that come before him. We are most happy when surrounded by our kids and grandkids.

Our lives have not always gone as we would want them to.  We've had health issues, retirement before we expected..other problems that get in our way.  But because of the things you taught us we move forward with faith and a knowledge that all will be well.  We are blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren and a knowledge that the gospel is true.  Thank you for leading the way.  I love and miss you every day.  Thank you for being my mom and dad.  love, polly

Lessons From My Mother

I've been thinking a lot about my mom this week. 

 I had a decision to make and really wanted to talk to her. 

 I would have loved to hear her voice telling me what she thought I should do. 

 As I thought about her I imagined what she would say to me.  

Her most important priority was her family.  I think my mom had a bit of an adventurous streak in her.  

She was the one who killed the spiders, caught the mice, birthed the puppies,

rode on the rides at lagoon and disneyland. 

As the picture above shows she got up on that camel. 

 I'm sure dad was watching, as he did as she took care of the spiders, mice and rode the rides. 

 But she chose to stay at home and take care of us. 

 She was the quiet one, standing back so dad could shine.  

Some people may call that old fashioned in this day and age. 

 I call it unselfish.  

She loved us so much. 

 She was graceful, kind and good. I have tried so hard to be like her and come up short, 

but using her as an example keeps me always striving to be better.  

Thank you mom for leaving little bits of yourself behind.  

Your handwritten letters, your kind acts, your traditions, your love of the gospel and your family.

  When I am troubled or trying to make hard decisions,

 all I have to do is think of you and your life and I usually get my answer.  

You've been gone for a long time..but because of the way you lived your life,

 you will always be with me.   

Stitching Through Time..Abby and Adelila

My grandmother, Ad's house always had a quilt set up in the living room.

 Often when I would go over she would be sitting around the quilt with her friends stitching and visiting. 

Sometimes we would sit underneath the quilt and listen to their laughter, their stories,  their voices. 

The stitching on those old quilts spoke of great talent, and also said a lot about the women who worked on them.  

 Sometimes my grandpa would even sit and stitch a little.   

I loved to wrap up in the warmth of those soft folds my grandma made for us with such loving hands.

I spend many of my days at my daughter, Abby's home.

  She has inherited this great talent.  The quilting bees are a thing of the past for her. 

 She has a giant computerized quilting machine in her basement, with stacks of fabric ready to be stitched together to form yet another beautiful quilt. 

 She has quilts sent to her from all over the country from people who want her to quilt them together. 

Her husband also helps with her quilting endeavors. 

 (whenever a computer is involved, he's there!)

Her boys play downstairs around her while she does her work.

(nothing changes)

Abby has even been in McCalls Quilting Magazine. 

 (Quilt on the bottom left..designed by Sarah Maxwell & Dolores Smith, Machine Quilted by Abby Latimer of Latimer Lane Quilting.)

As I wrap up in one of her exquisite creations, I am reminded of my dear Grandma Bagley. 

 How the two of them would have loved to sit around a quilt together and share ideas and their love of fabric and patterns.  

The thought warms my heart.

Valentines Day

Happy Valentines to the people who make my world a happy place to be in. 

 I love you all!  

Comings and Goings in February..Sunbeams, Grandkids, Birthdays, Arnold Friberg

It's almost the middle of February and the days never seem to slow down.  

I teach the Sunbeams in Primary. 

 Last year's class was a mix of two boys and three quiet little girls. 

 This year there are six little boys.  Such cute little boys, but full of it as all boys that age are!

I am constantly trying to think of new and creative ways to get their attention.

  Am so grateful for the internet and all the great ideas people are willing to share. 

I am also grateful for a team teacher who helps as we try to teach these little boys.

This last week the lesson was how Heavenly Father and Jesus love us. 

 What could be a more perfect lesson the week before valentines?  

I based a lot of the lesson on the song "My Heavenly Father loves Me." 

 They went on a hunt trying to find the pictures that went along and then they were able to put them in their heart envelope. 

 Hopefully they will remember they are loved.

Days are never dull when spent with Jake, Sam and Dylan. 

They keep me moving!

I love getting up to see Whitney and Wren for a little shopping at City Creek.  

We celebrated Melanie's birthday last week with Whitney's coming up!

Am missing this family, and hoping the snow stops back east soon.  

Otherwise we may not see them this summer as they will be in school til August with all the snow days they've taken. 

 Hopefully

 "The Sun will Come out Tomorrow!"

The perks of retirement!  At 3:00 pm today,

 Jim came downstairs and said "lets go see the Arnold Friberg exhibit!" 

 We jumped in the car and went to Gateway and totally enjoyed his beautiful paintings. 

 He painted in watercolor, oils, pencil sketches..everything.  There were paintings of his I had never seen before.  Loved to see the ones he did as young as seven!

  I loved reading the history behind his work.  

What a gifted artist.  

So there's our mid winter wrap up!  Have a Happy Week.

Pause..and be Happy

I wear a small necklace with the word "psala" engraved on it.

 In Hebrew it means "to pause."  I look at it often as I put it around my neck. 

 It reminds me as I go about my daily activities to stop and recognize what I am grateful for, to be more aware of the beauty  around me.  

In the summer, as I water my flowers it reminds me to stop and look at each one and be grateful for its different shape, color and height. 

 I think how each bloom adds to the beauty of my garden.  

The word reminds me to see the differences in my grandson's as I spend my days with them,

 or the little boys that I teach in my sunbeam class. 

 They all have unique personalities, with different things they want heard. 

 Everything these kids say makes me laugh,

and there might come a day when they will find their friends more interesting than their old grama.  

So I soak everything they have to say and do up.  

It is nice to "pause" and be grateful for these quieter, sweeter days.  

It's been cold and snowing quite a bit. 

 I so want to lay in the sun and feel its warmth on my skin,

yet the snow brings a greener garden and sweet smelling grass. 

 So when I spend my days in the pursuit of happiness it is good to just stop pursuing, 

to pause and just be happy.

Dear Old Friends..

Yesterday I called my friend, Pat, and asked if she would like to run around with me for the day. 

 I needed to find a clock for my family room and a few things to spiff up my home going into the new year.  Soon after ten in the morning we were off to see what we could find. 

Of course being with Pat, we found ourselves wandering through the after Christmas sales. 

 (Pat is the all time best shopper)  

which, although I love to be with her, is one of the other reasons it is good to take her along when you shop. 

 She has shopped for bargains for so long, that it is like they call her name.

  I knew if she was with me I'd find just what I needed, and for the right price.

Did I say we left at ten in the morning?  

Well close to three in the afternoon my son, Nick called me on my cell. 

 "Where are you? "he said. 

 I told him Pat and I had made our way at that point to Tai Pan.  

We had our carts full.

  His response was " I'm worried for the other shoppers, with Thelma and Louise on the loose!"  or something to that effect. 

 Thelma and Louise we aren't..but wonderful, good old friends we are.  

We left Tai Pan with almost nothing as we realized the full carts didn't have anything in them we really needed. 

 But, as I dropped Pat off at her home late in the afternoon, 

I had a full heart. 

 How grateful I am for this dear friend. 

 We have raised children together, gone through broken hearts together, planned and carried out parties together, served together, laughed together, gardened together, become grandmothers together, we were young together..

and now we are growing older together.  

We take care of each other and understand one another. 

 There is nothing better than a dear, dear, old friend.

DeSpain Family 2013 What a Wonderful World

To my family. Thanks for a wonderful year.  You have Blessed my life.
Love, your mom and grama

Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

One of my all time favorites!  So happy when I heard the choir sing this again this morning on the broadcast.  Beautiful when the bagpipes begin the song.