Monday, February 6, 2012

What do we find Joy in?

Teemaree Capener has challenged us to find joy everyday in our life.  She handed out a "joy journal" for all the sisters in Relief Society to write a least one thing a day this year of things that bring us joy.  She ran out of journals, so I decided to use this format instead of a little book.  I'll just change my thanks into joy for the rest of this year.......

111. Michael playing Canon in D fills me with joy. Especially when he plays it just for me when he thinks I may be blue.
112. Walking the beach with Rachel and my friend Diane fills my heart with joy and happiness.
113. Matthew fulfilling his potential and finding happiness makes me very happy.
114. Having a husband who is considerate of others, gives me joy.
115. Rachel went to watch some children and little Sam came running up to her with a huge smile on his face with hands out-stretched -  made my heart leap.
116. Relief that a friend made it out of the hospital made me glad.
117. Watching the sunrises for the past week have been awesome.  It feels like God is giving a beautiful hello to those who have to get up so early.
118.  Having a good friend to shop every Monday with is awe-inspiring.
119. Rebekah wanted a German Chocolate cake for her birthday and stuffed manicotti.  I had no fear making the manicotti from scratch (old Italian recipe), but the cake..... from scratch?  Grandma Nausin said no problem, she would be happy too.  Ahh, good feelings in my heart.  Then Laura said she had some rolls that would go bad if we didn't eat them - yummy.  Rebekah comes home and sees the candles on the cake and the broccoli and manicotti just out of the oven and tells Rachel she should have asked for rolls to make it complete and Rachel flips up the cloth and she is happy too!

120. Rebekah is a really terrific daughter to have. Caring, thoughtful, creative and fun.  She gives lots of joy.
121. I just found out Jennie is coming to Utah to live!! She will be closer - we now have a chance of seeing her in the foreseeable future!  Jennie always makes me happy.  She is a joyful, friendly, fun person to be around.
122. Having fun with my IPad.  My thoughtful, loving husband gave me this terrific toy for Christmas, I'm having so much fun playing with it.
123. Dana Powell showed me how to play a form of scrabble on the Ipad with friends and now we are playing whenever someone puts in a word - very fun!  Of course Dana is beating me by a mile, but it is still loads of fun coming up with solutions.
124. I loved going to see the elephant seals!  They are so much bigger in person than on TV!  It sounds like a recess yard of children until you come around the sand dunes and see all the seals on the beach.
Babies and moms calling each other.  Males grunting,  groaning, barking, and fighting away other males.  It was great!
125.  Watching Michael play basketball is very fun.  He is good at what he does, enjoys it and can make some really neat plays!  His slam dunk is really nice! A friend put one on Youtube
It makes me laugh when I view it.
126. I love the signs of spring.  As I walk up the hill to Diane Chambers house, I watch the Daffodil shoots coming up, and now the buds are showing.  Pretty soon there will be an abundance of color!  Anticipation is a good thing.
The pink color is a dying rose (imagine roses in January!)

127. I'm glad we are going to have a little rain.  We need it.  On the other hand the weather has been absolutely perfect for walking and playing every day.
128. I love talking to my sister Susy.  She makes my day.
129. There is nothing like petting a cat to make your heart slow down and feel peaceful.
130. Sometimes a glass of cool water is the most enjoyable thing after walking for a long time. I love the fact that Ralph Magleby got us set up with a water dispenser and Alhambra water that is the perfect temperature every time.


Thursday, September 1, 2011

Carter Camping and Yoga on the Mountain

 81. Thanks to the generous Carters, Rachel and I had a fantastic weekend - ATV buggy ride is a great way to see the back roads.
 82. I'm thankful I wasn't part of this avalanche.  It is awesome to see the force of nature.
 83. Thanks for the late Spring which allowed me to see meadows of carpeted flowers.
 84.  So thankful for inviting lakes which allow for a cool-off and fun!
 85. Sterling lake, a snow melt lake that is clear, cold, blue and beautiful.
 86.  Thanks for patient friends who let me meander and explore the beauty God makes.
 87.  Many thanks for good friends to have dinner with and enjoyable conversations.
 88. I love hearing of others travels and adventures.  Their kids and hilarious happenings.
 89. I loved coming onto an anomaly and wondering how a nest could come to be so close to where I could examine it.
 90.  The tight design and effort it took to make this.  Where are the baby birds?  Thanks for the view.
 91. Found out a grandpa found the nest and placed it out where his grandchildren would run into it.  Thanks for caring parents.
 92.  Thanks so much for the creation and beauty found in patterns from God.
 93.  Thanks for Bishop Carter taking the time to teach my daughter fishing.
 94.  Thanks for a great daughter who went along though she wasn't sure she wanted a new experience.
 95.  Thanks for a man who makes the effort and takes the time for his friends.
 96. Bishop Carter took the time to go out on a boat that he hauled through the woods and put on a electric motor, let us in, left his wife on the beach, and pushed us off into the water.
 97.  Thanks for the knowledge and foresight that allowed my daughter to have the joy of catching 4 fish!
 98. She is thankful for a man who will bait, net, and de-hook fish so she never had to touch them.
 99.  Thanks for special memories of my father that came from going with a man who is kind, patient, and funny.
 100.  Thanks for those who wait when I find something curious.
 101.  Thanks for the bonding with my daughter and friends.
 102.  Thanks for Rachel co-operation and sense of humor when I ask for things.
 103.  Thank-you to two special friends who made sure we had adventures every day and found ways to help us see their world.
 104.  Thanks to God for a beautiful World.  Donner Lake, we hiked up to the top of the World.
 105. Thanks to those who stop and wait for a photo buff's pleasure.
 106.  Thank you Lord for a beautiful morning!
 107.  Thanks for Bishop Carter showing Rachel how to ride an ATV and then allowing her to go by herself!
 108.  It is awesome to be around inventive, creative people who know how to have a comfortable home to sleep become a garage to store the toys in!
 109.  Thanks so pioneers of years past and their creativity and effort.
110.  Thank you God for those little places of beauty found at the end of the trail.

Monday, May 23, 2011

So thankful for blessings of family!



71. Many thanks to my Father in Heaven for the blessings of eternity.
72. Thanks to a son who chose a beautiful, nice, loving girl.
73. Thanks to both of them being responsible, caring people.
74. I appreciate the contining bonds of family.
75. I love the new family we are now part of.
76. Nate's in-laws are the best!  Many thanks for this family!
77. Thank you so much for all the many, many hands which made this day so great.
78. Thanks to God for such a lovely, sunny day with such a peaceful feeliing.
79. Thank you to the families who traveled so far to come!
80. Special thanks to friends who chose to travel a long way to meet with us!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Angels in my life

61. I'm so very thankful for Laura Nausin's advise and help with Nate's wedding celebration.
62. JoAnn Carey is an answer to prayer in my calling as a camp quilt leader. Her talent is extraordinary. And sharing her insights and knowledge is so wonderful.
63.  I'm thankful JoAnn decided to just sew up some beautiful quilts for the girls and leaders.
64. Grandma Nausin is always happy to share her talents (like German Chocolate Cake) and when she does it certainly blesses my life.  Her eagerness to serve and help is heartwarming.
65. Laura went shopping and found a dress so I would be comfortable - I think she wanted to make sure I didn't look like a Great Grandma - now that was nice!
66. My girls took me shopping for shoes so I wouldn't wear my old ones.
67.  Susy, traveling back from Phoenix, asked what she could do for me next week when she came.  I told her it was OK I'm fine I just want to see her.
68. Jeffrey took time out tonight to address wedding invitations while watching playoff basketball games.
69. Rebekah and Rachel cleaned up the kitchen just cause.
70. Michael dropped down next to me and shared some insights he had discovered.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Thank you God for a new daughter-in-law!!!!


Nate and Kelsi have decided to get married and this is one blessing I can't thank the Lord enough for.  I want so much for my children to experience and know the goodness, growth, fun, and sweetness of having a companion.
And here she is Kelsi Bettridge from Alaska.  She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah but has lived in Alaska for 11 years (I think).  She has the most delightful mom whom I can't wait to meet.  Kelsi is smack in the middle of her family having two older brothers and two younger sisters.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Some of My Favorite Things~Bonnie

Our gifts can be big and small. I have been periodically been working on this list of my favorite things for a few years now and today I am updating it again, these update for 2011 will be in Red. Orange 2010, Green 2009 I must have updated the list twice in one year as I also see Blue??

This is such a fun list to make...I hope you have one for the days when you are feeling down, or sad, or bored with a ho-hum life, it is a great pick me up! There is so much to be thankful for and so much to enjoy in this life. You may even find things on here twice! The original one was done around Thanksgiving 2008. I thought I would add it in to my list of 1000 Gifts as well. But I am not assigning each thing a number, holy cow!


Thanksgiving *

I know we are all thinking about Thanksgiving and the things we should be grateful for each day. I also know that for many of us, every day is Thanksgiving Day as we bow our heads and thank the Lord for his abundant blessings in our lives. I originally posted the list below in July but wanted to do it again today. As I think of new things I'll add them in color. I think we should all have a list like this and add to it regularly.

I'd like to challenge you all to write one to share with us
on your blog sometime between now and Thanksgiving.
It may surprise you what the Lord has done for us all!

Finding Joy in the Big and Little Things of life

My Philanthropist Jim, being mom to three and then six, being the Gramma to 10 fabulous kids, Baby Hazel's much improved health, beautiful interiors, answers to prayers, nicknames, licorice, Will Smith, flower gardens, Netflix, memories of good days gone by, Hazie's New Scooter, computers (iMac in particular), Lowell, the iMac guru, red, uplifting and fun movies, great books, San Francisco, days alone with Jim-Bob, rings, funny things the kids say, wonderful friends, Just A Little Lowder came on the scene, linen spray, Laura's big hair obsession, North & South the mini-series, temple times, my iPod and the sweet brother that gave it to me, Camillia Tea Room in Benicia, blogs and bloggers, scrapbooks of old, thinking about our kids and how much we love them and their families, green; the way God makes it, Hazie's wheelchair all purple and sparkly, dimples, Europe, 7 cents a minute international calls, the families of our children's spouses, Diane Keaton, having fancy dinner parties, girl time, Hilary Swank, Miss Vanessa's Fab Blog, bracelets, quiet restaurants, thinking about retirement and the freedoms of it, Farmer's Market, Billy Joel, Blogging, blogging and more blogging, ethnic foods, Tom & Jean, photography, a great sense of humor, fabulous books, truffles, education, art, home accessories, movie tickets, fabulous jewelry, revisiting places with nostalgic past memories, WC III Ward, Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia), seeing friends from the past, Palm Springs in January, Scottish accents, Jeffery Holland, God's mercy, love & grace, Thrift Store finds, memories of Mississippi before Katrina, no more math classes, salt and vinegar chips, normal body temperatures~no fevers for Hazel in two months now, Washington D.C., eucalyptus trees, pansies, fish; alive and in the pan, digital photos, Curiel lotion, Ann Voskamp's blog, the guys in the white hats, Hazie in the pots and pans, creme soda, fried scallops and calamari, birds singing in the morning, frogs croaking at night, Facebook reunions, crickets chirping or whatever they do WHILE they are totally out of sight because they scare me, Room with A Past, shade, phone calls just to say hi, passionate causes, voting, laughing 'til tears roll down your face, a good cry, a gift for no particular reason~just because, Richard Gere, smiling when its hard 'til your heart believes it, waxing lyrical (per Jen's request), hilarious comedians, Blogging Friends, Johnny Mathias, Uncle Buffalo, K.D. Lang, Nora Jones, Diana Krall, Thai Food. Studying the history of WW2.

Thinking about parents and grandparents, my great brothers and their families, plans to move nearer the kids, New Orleans (pre-Katrina) in the winter, new friends, leather furniture, deer in the yard if they are not eating our plants, electronic technology, the smell of steak on the barbie, Gordon B. Hinckley, tax deductions, summer evenings when it cools off, cyber friends, Blissfully Domestic, summer mornings, Queen Latifah, fire in the fireplace, Letters From Juliet, Autumn, teaching, the holidays, oddly enough...flying, our DVD collection, Lee, Barb, my Monday morning group of inspiring friends..past and present, courteous and friendly strangers, watching all the grandkids grow older and mature and develop their characters, pictures of Cohen Romney, Robert hugs, designer paint, white picket fences, beautiful kitchens and bathrooms, good health, magazines, family history, Google, shopping with my favorite females, snuggling with the babies, fabulous memories of all European travel, Val Wilcox, Connor's concertos, thinking about our mission for the church, laughing a lot, Mother's Day, cherry pie, Tom Hanks, North and South, appreciation, Louis Armstrong, garlic; on everything that doesn't have sugar, Perkins Cove~ Maine, memories of Chris & Laura in Pops Concerts, the Ensign, Old Glory, rainbows, houses, waterfalls, GPS, cracked crab, Jen's new paper flowers, great singers, New Hampshire foliage, Kevin James in Hitch, porch swings, Norma Bowerbank's pizazz,

sunrise, sunset the events and the movies, Michael Ball, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rankin, Kenny Rogers, Kenny G, Michael Buble, The National Science Foundation, Big Band music and other oldies from my parents' era, our cousins, Silpada Jewelry, Bob & Beth, Scott's Restaurant's fried calamari, Christmas in Italy,memories of our good friends gone before us, Chinese Food, Elder Holland, Presidents Uchdorf and Eyring, Rossie's billion kisses, our cottage, clean sheets, Golden Girls Christmas Luncheon, disappearing into the matinée alone and not telling anyone where I am for a couple of hours, bleu cheese, car trips with Jim, babies' toes, online shopping, driving right past the place I use to work, that four of our grandkids have blogs, The Gilmore Girls, enjoying the wonders of nature and the beautiful world we live in, shopping in Italy, a full moon in October, Jim's cooking, James Franco movies, hot chocolate on a winter's morn, Jeff Adams' knowledge of the Gospel, iPhone, ice, texting, Steve Martin, photo editing, air-conditioning, Real Simple, the excitement of falling in love and staying in love, Date Night, reliable cars, mad money, cell phones, e-mail, abc.go.com, the heartfelt "I love yous" from the little ones, pancakes at Cracker Barrel, Olympics, Denzel Washington, the crow of a rooster in the early morning, The Kindle, Sausalito, gift cards to the movies, Itty Bitty Soap Company, the smell of pine trees and baking bread and the sea, Good Ole Days, Billy Crystal, baby's skin, popcorn popping in the pan and on the apricot trees, no shower curtain or door, being alone, being together, Italian marble, Cabot Cheese,

turkey baking, a clean house, Matt Damon, anything Christmas, the forest, our newly remodeled and spruced up house, driving through canopied streets, patio umbrellas, homemade ice cream, my Daddy's gentle ways, Patrick Swayze, good haircuts, Newport, Rhode Island, manicure and pedicures and a great massage, family photos, long time friends, giving gifts and service to my favorite people, Judi Dench, our never failing Kim, mom's potato salad, apple pie and her nut bread, iPhone, getting to know Caroline and Faye so much better, Missy's great cooking, Moonlight & Roses, my Dad's garden and his ability to win every game he ever played, Oprah, Paris, memories of my brother, Brighton, Steve, when Alesha & Raul got married and of Sebastian watching them dance and knowing he belonged to them, War and Remembrance the mini-series, sleeping with our granddaughter Julia Mae, our new bathroom, concert memories, Muir Woods, black current and licorice sweet treats from Scotland, Concord II Ward, James Taylor, Jen's cupcake obsession, drive-in movies, Newport mansions, one on one with our kids, Connor's piano playing, Lowell's Lost and his Mr. Bass Man, the way Tony Damiano teaches Sunday School, Yosemite, the sound of a push mower, the smell of freshly cut grass, Creme Brulee, faux grass, real grass, Restoration Hardware, Rick Steves, The Nut Cracker Ballet in SF, my Mom's unconditional love for me, days with nothing pressing to do, Marie and her Kitchen, chocolate, Silpada, Brenden Frazier, a good storm, bedazzlement, fun collections, flash drives, theater, concerts, Yale University campus, musicals, Christmas tree lights, Piper; our Scottish princess, Christmas in Scotland, croutons, cheese fondue, Rouclette,

good responsible people, Traci Hartman and her photography, a walk in Golden Gate Park, thinking about the blessing of having a husband that can do anything, answered prayers, old things, new things, Linda Ann, glitter, Connor's vocabulary, double paned vinyl windows, memories of travel to Italy, working with Laura on houses, also Jim, Maureen and Emily, Scotland, my brother Steve's Airport Taxi Service, candle light, Orchard Nursery, Agent Baigent, Zach's charging hugs when we visit, clean windows, good jazz, the gift of Chloe Jane and her spiciness, Golden Gate Park, Paris, Venice, Orvieto, Florence, birthdays, the delete button, my new Rebecca Stewart, buying new clothes, Disneyland, New England in the fall, getting paid for what I love, Robert Mitchum, salads, urns pots and outdoor statuary, road trips with the family, Muir Woods redwoods, the way Spencer could tell you all about the water systems of a city at 2 years old, salsa, all things feminine, possibilities, getting a real bargain, Kenny Rankin's music, Google Reader, gel nails, Max Raabe, Aynlsee's beautiful stripped golden and apricot hair and sweet smile, hydrangeas, Nellie, Maggie Smith, Day Trips with Jim, grandkids loving their cousins, vests for layering, Wrinkle Releaser for fabrics, Shaun, Root Beer Floats, Julia Roberts, going on Brokers' Tour to see houses others have staged, Tiberon harbor benches, punctuality, Filoli Gardens, writing, Manhatten, watermelon, Weight Watchers new program, the way Jen helped Laura after Katrina, Laura and Brandon's Life, the way Laura re-decorated the faculty lounge at Spencer's elementary school over a three day weekend to surprise the teachers, Verona, artichokes, sunshine on my shoulders, Owen's sweetness, maple trees, garden tomato sandwiches, pandora.com, clean cars, Chris' career accomplishments, hearing Laura and Ross speak Italian, adding to this list as things pop into my head, Retirement, Jeffery Dean Morgan, HomeGoods, box seats at an opera you have studied and understand before you go, Deanna's Christmas Blog and Old Radio Shows, reflexology, eTools, Christmas stockings, Presepes, garage sales, the love and lessons of Hazel, the Rockies, knowing when enough is enough...well, almost knowing it anyway....! Ah, on second thought, maybe not!

Way more than anyone really wanted to know but great notes for my obit!


*As seen in Country Living
and theinspiredroom.net
(2 more of my favorite things)

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

As I pass over the reins......

51.  Being part of Girls Camp was really a creative, bonding, and spiritually uplifting time.
52. I love the friendship I developed with Lanette Hopkins, what a wonderful woman.
53.  Wendy Vance is a great friend now who has the convictions to do right and a heart of pure gold.  Graceful, elegant, stately come to mind when I see her.
54. Stacey Frost is fun, creative, and bold in her testimony of Christ.
55. Marianne Gatchell went from being a school contact to a friendship with love,  fun, and lots of creativity.
56. It was so fun to get to know Emily Merrill who now lives in my ward, and Marci Jones who I met as a 2nd year leader and really got to know in her capacity as president, what a sweetheart!
57. I'll never forget the head massage I got from Jill Bragg and the fun and laughter we shared.
58.  Teemaree has so many sides to her personality and watching her wearing different hats of fun, spirituality, and leadership was fantastic.
59. There are many ladies I got to know for the very first time, like Ruth Assisly, Karma Christensen, Pat Nieman, Nancy Bullock, Marsha Alexander, Karen Anderson, Cathe Toland, Cindy Barisof,  etc........
60. I loved watching women I already knew interact in the camp setting - Joanne Magleby, Michelle March, Linette Perona, Sam Bowerbank, Lynette Woods and many,  many others.