Out of Here

Monday.
A day of mixed emotion.
Its great he is doing what he should. Its a bit sorrowful as he transitions away.
Life is full of growing pains.
Our prayers, our thoughts, our love
Go with our Elder Parker

Farewell

Sunday was just as Sunday's should be a full of friends, family, and The Spirit. We went early to church to listen to Parker perform a song he had been rehearsing with Sisters Halling and Hatch. That was followed by Sacrament meeting where Parker was the concluding speaker - his subject the Plan of Salvation. He speaks with conviction, in a genuine tone and vocabulary and owns the moment. He is prepared to serve. He goes under the power of his own light but with the reserves of so many who have contributed to him being the man he is today. To those many who have taught, nurtured, guided, supported and helped along the way Rindy and i say thank you. We are very mindful and thankful for the contribution of so many in the development of our children.

(the boy cousins aren't the only ones who like to stand on tiptoe)


Church was followed by a rib dinner and gaming until the visitors arrived. We had a small gathering of friends from our Ward to share truffle (it didn't seem right to not make P3 his own) and wish Parker well on his mission. We are truly blessed to belong to a wonderful and supportive Ward full of many dear friends. After the last had left came the pinnacle of the evening and the weekend. President R. Peterson set Parker apart as a full-time missionary in The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-Day Saints during which and after came a pouring of the Spirit.

I don't remember when the tradition started but after the blessing we sat in the living room and spoke words of sharing with Parker concerning his mission. Nearly all the cousins and all the aunts and uncles shared an insight. Some were physically present in the room and spoke their own words, while I read from others who had emailed their comments, or some just were there like Dad. Was their a favorite or a best? I was deeply moved by Julie's, and Dale's, and Mackey's, and Jen's, and Eric's and >>> they all were great. What a great tradition, what a powerful way to send someone out in the mission field knowing there were / are many who go with him. Again it makes one very grateful for the many in a family who contribute to the raising of a child. The day ended earlier than other's as Parker now had to retire at 10:30 pm and did. What a glowious day. Thanks. Keep Parker in your prayers

Count Down

Saturday was a great day as we gathered, and gamed , and ate We held a scone Sunday on Saturday and feasted roaylly

Favorite Visitors

The ocassion was Parker's speaking at church prior to his departure to paraguay. It was a brief but gloroious weekend. The trail is cloudy and oft times difficult but the vistas are incredible and glorious. This weekend was one of the vista views.

Along with Dean & Eden came their parents.

Also visiting my sister Sally and Dale.

and the as good as family, yes we are even kinda related Henstrom's

Family Fun

A few of my favorite folks as we hung out together for a bit today

Dance Dance Dance

As we say we all need to dance a little more

skeuomorphs

The Greeks had a word -- skeuomorphs -- for designs that evoke outdated technologies, reports Joshua Brustein in the New York Times (2/14/11). That's why digital cameras feature "a reassuringly retro but artificial shutter snap when you push the button to take a photograph; cellphones have keyboards with layouts originally meant to keep typewriters from jamming; and blue jeans have pockets that are a throwback to a time when watches dangled from chains." It's why some cars still have spokes on the wheels, even though they don't serve any function.

Sometimes innovators may be too quick to drop such familiar features, though. Amazon, with its Kindle, originally had "location numbers" since e-books don't really have pages -- where you are in the book depends on the size font you're using. However, as Adam Greenfield, author of Everyware, points out: "The location numbers on a Kindle are rational, and they make sense for the medium -- but they don't correspond to the emotional expectations of what a book is." Even more important, page numbers are still meaningful to book-club readers so that everybody knows they are on the same page. Amazon has now restored the page numbers.

However, Bill Moggridge of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, thinks that too much skeuomorphia "dampens the imaginations of designers working on disruptive products. "The tendency is to use a form of conservatism," he says. Craig Mod of Flipboard thinks that Apple is "too skeuomorphically heavy," but says the Kindle has done a great job of creating "a fresh take on the idea of a paperback book." And yet, notes Joshua, shopping for books in the Kindle store "feels more akin to searching a database than browsing in a bookstore" -- although at least its customers "are less likely to judge e-books by their covers." ~ Tim Manners, editor.

Full House

Isn't that when you have a pair and three of a kind
So Parker had his hand's full before reinforcments arrived.
His three of a kind: Anne, Peter, & Kate
His pair: Eden & Dean
He played the hand he was dealt deftly and all was well

As we staged it

 As it was

A Prophet's Daughter

Saturday began innocently enough with a 7am Worldwide Wide Leadership broadcast. I must admit to being jealous  just a bit of Brigham's stake who chose to watch the broadcast significantly later in the morning than we. The conference was focused on following up to the launch of the new Church Handbook of Instructions. Underscore by the introduction by  President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency “The handbook will become a treasure to you as you use it to help lead others to choose the way to eternal life. That is its purpose.”I enjoy how they blend these sessions with a mix of speakers, panel discussions; live talks and video feeds. It was a nice start of the day.

The meeting was followed by setting up the Relief Society room for a dinner that the Stake YM presidency and wives would prepare and serve to the Stake Presidents and YW presidents of the 7 Chicagoland area stakes later in the day. Finished setting up and watched our Ward's girl basketball team play basketball. Then off to home for house cleaning chores and losing to Parker in ping pong. The latter being a particularly painful point for me.

The back to the Stake center to decorate for the 7- stake dance and set up chairs for an Ann M Dibb fireside that proceeded the dance. We anticipated some 700 youth to attend the fireside - we got around 1,000 +. The fireside was well done.

 She spoke of standards and For Strength of Youth, then of prophet's speaking on standards and youth, the she gave a brief history of her father, a video clip of his biography, bore his testimony of his prophetness, did a lengthy question and answer about the prophet fielded questions from the kids, and than shared a video clip of President Monson bearing his testimony.

A few  items of interest: one was speaking of an experience of his youth that "the lesson was not lost on my father" - he learned changed and grew from experience; he has always been about doing good; and lastly his favorite scripture

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.Proverbs 3: 5-6

I enjoyed her as a speaker. Her remininces brought to mind Dad's favorite intereactions with President Monson before he was prophet. He had visited the home and gone swimming with Dadd in the backyard after meeting; and then in SLC at the church offices when Dad was set apart as the Chicago temple president. Dad felt a very personnel connection with Monson.

Her presentation was followed by a dance and needless to say it was well attended. They had a better dance mix then usual, though I'm still amazed how those doing the music can kill all activity by picking the wrong song - literally stopping all dancing. It eventually ended and then we cleaned up the building with the "no trace left behind motto".  With the dance ending at 10:15 I pulled in at home at 11:20pm A long but enjoyable day. My pictures of the day didn't turn out well.

Snow Structures

Robert ranks among the better snow architects / builders in the upper midwest. One of the delights for our kids of having Robert and Laura so close is their small chldren

justify going out and building a snow structure. And Robert is sooo good at it. With the latest dumping of snow over they went to dig, shovel, pack and create the latest version. Unfortunately this was last week and nothing has melted and all things snow are still around.

HSM

When is a theme more than a theme?
Tonight was our Ward's New Beginnings program and I thought they delivered a theme, a program, a thought that tied the young women together in a good way.. They did the traditional elements of: class purposes of each class; introduction of the new Beehives; an Overview of the Personal Progress Program. From there it took on an aire of its own.

Four vignettes of girls dealing with the challenges of every day life and how they are better, or more easily dealt with when: We are in all in this together. They were kind of cheesy, kinda of cute, and on target. We have frequently and consistently encouraged our boys to participate, attend, support, go and do a particular activity that might not have been the top of their list of interest but one which we felt they needed to be involved in because of Quorum. That the sense of Quorum provides strength and courage and support and ability to cope with the world that surrounds us. Tonight's presentation was the best non-quorum quorum presentation I can recall.

The YW president reviewed the YW's theme:
We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will "stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things,
and in all places" (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live
the Young Women values, which are:
Faith
Divine Nature
Individual Worth
Knowledge
Choice and Accountability
Good Works
Integrity and
Virtue.
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,
we will be prepared to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants,
receive the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

The theme could be written in the first person but it isn't.
It could be focused on the me but it isn't it is the we.
The theme is built around the unity of the Young Women
The discussion was further strengthen by looking at the Mutual Theme for the year:


"We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. Indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul: we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."(Article of Faith 13)

Count the "WE" that appear in these two statements. We succeed, we believe, we thrive together not as silos not as individuals but collectively. Now that is all well and good but it has to be done with a level of fun. So that was added into the evening with the YW advisers doing a dance number from High School Musical.They turned on the music, got up front of the group and 'cut the rung'. It was funny, it was entertaining, it helped connect to the girls.


Even the words of the song relate to the theme of the night
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Everyone is special in their own way
We make each other strong (we make each other strong)
Were not the same
Were different in a good way
Together's where we belong

We're all in this together
Once we know
That we are
We're all stars
And we see that
We're all in this together
And it shows
When we stand
Hand in hand
Make our dreams come true

Together, together, together everyone
Together, together, come on lets have some fun
Together, were there for each other every time
Together together come on lets do this right


Ok, maybe using a song from a Disney Movie is a stretch for you but it worked for me.I appreciated the evening.

Sarah's Key

Book Blurb:  Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family’s apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France’s past.  Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah.  Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl’s ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d’Hiv’, to the camps, and beyond.  As she probes into Sarah’s past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

oft times I find a good book first and am the leader in discovering a good read, My dad filled that function for me for years and led me to many a worthy discovery. Of late Blair and Brigham share their finds and the end result is a good read. This time I follow the reading by Mackie and Rindy. Sarah's Key is as stirring of a holocaust memoir as is to be found.I spend less time reading  novels, but my favorite works of fiction are those that also incorporate some history  ( think the name of the rose by umberto eco)- be it cultural, social or military - leaving me with both a sense of satisfaction with the story as well as the sense of having learned something in the process of reading. This book does that for me.

It is gut wrenching to read, as you know she will, the discovering of her brother in the closet. Those sobering experiences remind me of visiting concentration camps in Europe, or listening to Dad in a rare moment sharing horrific war memories with Parker. We must "never forget"; but as attested in the recently read "the blue sweater" we as a collective civilization do forget and repeat the wrongs. And so we must read and try to always remember (an interesting opposite of the words never forget; but i save that for a church talk).

Personally, I enjoyed the hearkening to living near Luxembourg garden and my living for a time in Paris. Not having the depth of the main character's experience of living in France for years; but having lived there long enough to relate.To appreciate the context, the French, their view of American's, the city.I furthered enjoyed the lessons in listening, truly listening that were to be learned by multiple layers and and multiple interactions where people did not listen.They missed things, they hurt people, they were scarred because they did not listen intently. And the secrets families do not share even with each other, where disclosure and the sunshine would clearly clear the air and breath life into relationships. More risk needs to be taken in communicating.

Sarah's Key , is haunting and unforgettable. A moving story and one which hopefully we don't forget

Despicable Me

The trailers to some movies just plain make them seem dumb, inane and unworthy of the time to sit and watch, Such was my perception of Despicable Me. I know their little characters became all the rage -

-but I must admit I didn't quite cotton to them. They left me unmoved. Mac and I sat down to watch the movie and I struggled to stay awake; ok I nodded off a couple of times. And then I had a Phineas and Ferb transitional moment. For you see, I truly did not enjoy Phineas and Ferb until one day I got it. And from that time forward I enjoyed it. Coming to that point in Despicable Me made the movie a good chuckle and fun to watch with Mackie

A trio of orphan girls cause the normally deplorable Gru to rethink his plan to steal the moon. He becomes a loving father to the three girls. What better movie to watch with my favorite daughter

Like all good movies it has good quotes including:

Aww man.. My caterpillar never turned into a butterfly
That's a cheeto..

Trying to explain to the kids why they can't find their book
Gru: That book was accidentally destroyed maliciously..

Gru: Do you speak Spanish?
Miss Hattie: Do I look like someone who speaks Spanish?
Gru: It's just that your face is so... Como un burro.
Miss Hattie: Oh! Why, thank you!


And a short clip

A Night on the Town

Chicago a cappella is a nine person classical vocal ensemble that creates a strong and moving sound that appeared downtown at Wentz Concert Hall. Its great having a quality concert hall within walking distance of the house (given the limited shoveling of sidewalks still and snowy conditions we drove). While Mackey had volleyball practice, Parker, Rindy and I attended the concert. They presented a range of composers and it made for a delightful listening experience. They were experimenting with performing two songs from each composer - one with and without piano, exciting "pairings". And though their pianist was splendid the majority of their a cappella material far exceeded the experience with a piano.


My favorite of the evening came early in the performance and was a piece by Randall Thompson. Though not their performance, I found a clip of the song to share; there are various renderings and this was one of my favorites. Its a calming song to listen to .






(and for those is the listening audience who prefer an Anime type version follow the link instead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dd53KCKWdYQ&feature=related)

SNOWDACIOUS

It's not Boston with its 6' of snow

It's not Minnesota with its feet of snow and bitter cold

But it is a unique blend that we call Chicago.

Snow Days - what glorious words when spoken in moderation. Tuesday afternoon they started shutting the world of Chicagoland down in anticipation of the storm. I found that odd to close in advance of anything happening but so be it. It made the roads empty for doing chores and encountered few people along the way. Wednesday was a snow day. School closed. Work closed. Sleeping in late and hanging out at home. Remote access kept it from being entirely work free but its all good.

What made Mackey eagerly anticipate the call from North cancelling school for Wednesday, maybe even Thursday. The hero the uber-intoxicating combination of routine being broken and freedom from the expected? Let's call it freedom from routine for short. Aren't the greatest parties the spontaneous ones? Think of the best movies you've seen. They exceeded your expectations, right? What extraordinary concert still sticks out in your mind? The one that was just like the album or the concert that was an event?

An unexpected rest from the world is wonderful. Perhaps that is what they need to Egypt right now - a snow day to cleanse the world, calm everyone down, and give them pause. Something Snowdacious

The Showdown 1993

I was reading an article about the best superbowl ads of all time and it had a posting of one of my all time favorites.  Enjoy