Jane Goodall and John Muir

In March, we had the opportunity to travel to CMU and hear the world-renowned chimpanzee researcher, Jane Goodall, give a speech.  We've listened to some of her books, watched documentaries and talked about her.  It was such a treat to sit as close as we did and see her speaking in "real life."  Wow!  If you ever get that opportunity, don't pass it up.  Jane spends 300 days of every year traveling to raise awareness about Chimpanzees, Africa, conservation, and the program for youth she piloted called "Roots and Shoots."  Oh, and Jane Goodall also speaks about hope, which is a message everyone needs to hear.  Jane's version of hope is especially good for those who feel depressed and despondent about what we humans have done to our only home, Earth.

I'd love to be able to say that I'd attended a lecture or hike with John Muir.  I was born in the wrong century for that.  I've also read his works, watched documentaries about him and talked about his philosophies with my kids.  John Muir, the great conservationist (said with reverence, as he is one of my true heroes).  You can see the spark in his eyes in photographs!  We were out walking one day earlier this spring and I was watching the tops of the budding Tamarack trees sway back and forth in the wind.  I suddenly understood why John Muir climbed a pine tree in a gale and rode out the storm in the top of the tree.  I spend a lot of time observing myself observing nature and not enough time just BEING part of it.  John Muir inspires the BEING part of myself.

So, what do John Muir and Jane Goodall have in common?  I'm sure that beyond their great conservation efforts, they have a lot in common, but I noticed a small commonality.  This is a connection I only realized lately and one I'd like to emulate.  John Muir used to pack some bread in his pack and head off into the mountains, sometimes for days.  Jane Goodall would get up the mornings, eat some bread and then head to the hills in Gombe to observe her Chimpanzees.  Why is it that we need all of the trappings of modern life carried in a pack with us whenever we go out, including energy bars, GORP, crackers, gourmet camp food etc.  I love the simplicity in their chosen meal.  It wasn't about the food, it was about being out in nature.  It was about BEING.

I continue to struggle in making good food choices.  I've got the exercise portion down, but not the food.  That's probably why the food choices of Jane Goodall and John Muir caught my attention recently.


Update:  Elijah turned 11 yesterday.  For his birthday, we went to Fenner Nature Center and pulled invasive species for two hours (his idea, I'm so proud!) and went on a bird walk.  We had a family dinner and then the older set of kids and myself went to U of M Dearborn for another short bird walk and then a Moth presentation by the co-author of a new book on Northeastern Moths.  The author brought black lights and a mercury light set up near a hanging sheet.  Those who attended the presentation were encouraged to bottle the moths for identification.

Saturday, we attended a Salamander Walk in Hudson Mills Metropark.  It was so exciting to see four species of salamanders.  We've been searching for them for over a year now and hadn't found any on our own.  With a big group, we were able to see many specimens and four species--Four-toed, Red-backed (and lead-backed), Spotted, and Blue-spotted.

Sophie Scholl: The Final Days

Valor. Dignity. Truth. A life's mission, fulfilled.

Click here to view trailer.

Note: German (subtitled)

Quotes for Political Inspiration (or not)

I am very tired of all of the rhetoric and sparring that is going on over the upcoming elections. I'm turning to some other inspirational thoughts.

I actually stole these quotes from another website. I liked them so much that I wanted to think about them some more, so I'll publish them here on my blog (I had to look some of these people up):


Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges...even when there are no rivers.

--Nikita Krushchev


If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

--Joseph Goebbels


Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper.

--Thomas Jefferson


When a people shall have become incapable of governing themselves, and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes.

--George Washington


You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

--Abraham Lincoln


Your security is not in the hands of Kerry, Bush, or Al-Qaida. Your security is in your own hands.

--Osama bin Laden


Power always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret, especially under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous.

--William>Proxmire


All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.

--Adolf Hitler


Those who stand for nothing, fall for everything.

--Alexander Hamilton


Guard against the impostors of pretended patriotism.

--George Washington


The more laws, the less justice.

--Cicero


Emergencies have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberties have eroded.

--Friedrich August von Hayek


Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people trying to be important.

--T. S. Eliot


The greatest menace to freedom is an inert people.

--Louis Brandeis


Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.

--Ronald Reagan


Fear is the foundation of most governments.

--John Adams


Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.

--Abraham Lincoln


I hope our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be.

--Thomas Jefferson


Politics is when you say you are going to do one thing while intending to do another. Then you do neither what you said, nor what you intended.

--Sadaam Hussein


I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended on to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.

--Abraham Lincoln


Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.

--John Adams


If we make peaceful revolution impossible, we make violent revolution inevitable.

--John F. Kennedy


We the people are the rightful masters of both the Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it.

--Abraham Lincoln

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither.

--Benjamin Franklin

The Cat Concerto

For my kids.

Lang Lang says that he saw this cartoon when he was two or three years old and that it provided him with inspiration throughout his childhood. He would often imagine Tom and Jerry with him as he played the piano. Here it is, Tom and Jerry in "The Cat Concerto":

Lang Lang: Playing with Flying Keys

A few weeks ago, I decided that I had been wasting a lot of time. In the morning, there was the time after I dropped all the kids off at school until I got home again. In the afternoon, there was the time before I got to the school. I decided to fill this time with a book on CD of my own. I can't believe how much I enjoyed having a book of my own in the van!

I had been trying to check out some music of the famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang and accidentally got his memoir instead. I'm not sorry. It was wonderful! The dedication of both Lang Lang and his parents to his success is amazing. But, it also includes information about how difficult this was and how he suffered under the sometimes dictator-like style of his father. I cheered at his successes and felt sad when things didn't go well for him.

It was interesting to hear his perspectives on America and also his ideas about how East and West can meet. It left me wanting to see him play in person. Thank goodness for YouTube!



Now, I need to find something new to inspire me in my free, driving time!

I'm working on it!

The other day when we were in the restaurant, the waitress brought our drinks and then went away pretty quickly. May said, "Oh, darn, she left too soon!" I wondered what she was talking about. May proceeded to tell me that she is working on being less shy and more polite to people and had been hoping to try it out with the waitress. She did not get the idea to work on this from me. My best guess is that she has observed someone she admires using these skills and is trying to emulate it! Wow! What a good example my children are to me.

Landlocked!

Nathan looking into a tide pool in Monterey, CA (December '05)

Note: This post is kind-of long, but if you hang in there 'til the end, I'd love to hear your ideas and insights!

Last night I was somehow able to replicate the thin crust, cheesy pizza that I ate on the waterfront in Plymouth. I had to look up the name of the restaurant which is a fixture of downtown Plymouth and serves wonderful food: Mamma Mia's.

I went to high school in Plymouth, MA. Yep, that's right, the rock, the life-size model of the Mayflower, the Plymouth wax museum and Plimoth Plantation (truly, you should visit this place if you ever have the chance!). The waterfront in Plymouth is a lively place in the summer with all of the tourists. I have some wonderful memories of that place.

Thinking about that made me think of coastlines in general. I'll get back to that part in a minute.

I suffer from claustrophobia. I think it might come from when my sisters and I would just about suffocate each other with our orange vinyl bean bags. My case of claustrophobia isn't too bad. For instance, I can fly in an airplane. But, I'm sure my family can relate to me pushing people away. I need space around me at certain times.

Two years ago, when Brigham was born by emergency c-section, they got me on the table and then weighted down my legs. Next a blue curtain was put up in front of my face (too bad, I'd really like to have watched the surgery!), so close that it was almost touching my face. To top it all off I was stressed to the hilt. It was all I could do to use my brain power not to totally freak out and start screaming.

Lately, I've been thinking that way about my house, which is small (I've mentioned it a few times). A few months ago I tried to get rid of things and rearrange things to give us more space. There's only so much you can do and with all the kids running around; it's hard to keep it orderly etc.

But, even more than my house situation, I've been thinking about my landlocked-ness. I'll get back to that in a minute. You'll see how this all ties together.

Yesterday, I watched the last lecture of Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who recently died of pancreatic cancer. The lecture was titled "Acheiving your childhood dreams." If you have a spare 76 minutes, watch it. It's good (if you are sensitive to language, beware, he does use some).

I got to thinking about what my childhood dreams were. To tell you the truth, I'm not totally sure. I wanted to be a medical doctor from as early as I knew that my favorite color was green (age 3 or 4). I went to BYU and took the Pre-medical Seminar and high tailed it outta there. I DO NOT want to be a medical doctor. Nothing against it in general, but it's not for me.

Side note: As I was thinking about it last night, I think I came to a realization that I have made it a habit in my life (at least in some things) to choose the pathway of least resistance. I don't usually go after things that I don't absolutely know I can get. I'm wondering now, how many ways I've cheated myself.

At any rate, another goal of mine was to study and participate in the field of Marine Biology. I remember being a junior in high school (still had the goal of medical doctor at that point), I got interested and my mom drove me down to Woods Hole, MA to talk to a professor/researcher there about possibilities in the field. I don't remember much of the conversation, but I thought it was really great to be there, bought a t-shirt, the whole bit.

That was a dream that I lived out to the extent it was possible. I studied Marine Biology at BYU (a landlocked university) through a very unique program run by a talented professor. I studied in heaven: Monterey Bay, California.

I don't feel finished with that dream and recently I've been wondering what to do about it. Joseph and I have discussed it and it's a hard decision. There are many factors to consider. Where would we like to live (lots of coast here in the grand ole U.S.A.)? What are Joseph's childhood dreams that he'd like to live out? What is best for our kids? Given that it's been 14 years since I received my B.S. and 11 years since I quit my Masters program, what can I even do? Will I really be happier with trying to live out that dream, or should I try to make do with what I have, having recently learned a lot about synthesized happiness? Can I be just as happy focusing on helping other people develop childhood dreams and live them out?

(I always knew I'd be a mother, but I'm living out an unimagined dream of a house full of five kiddos. How about the pieces of life that I'm living or have lived that weren't part of my dreams? That's sort-of a separate category since life always throws us twists and turns. It's part of the nature of being human.)

I don't expect anyone else to answer these questions for me, but I'm really interested in discussion about childhood dreams and what you've seen of nice stretches of coastline.

Yard Sale

I will clear the suspense, first off, by saying that I DID make enough money to buy the wheat grinder. My neighbor can't even fathom that I would spend my money that way. "You're buying a WHAT?" I have also located a generous sponsor who is willing to support me in the purchase of a mixer so I don't have to knead my bread by hand any more. I can hardly believe it! And having recently cleared a bunch of counter space, it only makes sense to fill it again, doesn't it? Thanks, J!

This year I had a yard sale, not a garage sale. I don't know how it works for most people, but for me, it's a garage sale if I park myself in the garage and a yard sale if I sit in the yard to help the customers. It was such a beautiful day, how could I not sit in the yard and have a Yard Sale? For some of the day, I sat in the shade of this tree:


And worked on my current afghan project which I'm making for our living/family room.

The publicity department did an excellent job this year. Signs were posted on busy intersections and just forget about the lousy newspaper ad which not only costs too much, but doesn't bring around any more customers than the signs do.

My brother wanted to know just how often we do garage sales and are they popular in our neck of the woods. Well, yes, they are pretty popular. There are people around here who have an annual yard sale. My first sale was about 3-4 years ago. The next one was last August coinciding with my basement flooding. And finally, the current sale which started and ended on Saturday. I'm kind-of hoping it will be my last, but I forgot how interesting it can be to talk to lots of people of all walks of life. I have promised myself that I will go through all of my possessions again in 6-12 months to make sure that I'm really done getting rid of things. It's easier to let go of things with each sweep through the house, but it takes a lot of self-discipline for me to carry out this grand scale de-cluttering project. Ideally, I would do it this November though so that I can really accomplish my one New Year's Resolution which was to declutter, organize and start living a simpler life.

Here's a run down on some of the interesting folks I met yesterday:

--one guy told me that he can do five yard sales in thirty minutes, but has to wait for his wife to go through each object. He talked politics to me in a very quick fashion speaking of oil prices and presidential assassination.

--one lady asked me if she could use my bathroom. Ummmm, I'm not very comfortable with that!

--one little boy drove a hard bargain and bought a little car set that had been marked fifty cents, for five cents.

--one man came and started cleaning out my videos and books and was talking about cutting a deal, even though my videos were only 25 cents and my books 10 cents. I felt I should go and ask him why he wanted so many. It was a great lesson on why humans need to communicate. I had felt a little annoyed with him at first, but then I found out that he owns a book/collectibles store and does free book day once a year. He told me that he always runs out of children's books. Of course, I cut him a huge deal after that so that he can give books to kids. What a great cause! And in some small way, I'm now part of it!

--a lady showed up near the very end and we started talking a lot as she was the last customer and wanted to go through all the clothes. We got talking about religion. How I love it when people will talk about religion with me! I learned that she was a Baptist and I had a long held fear of mine dispelled...that all Baptists are anti-Mormon (too bad I was so stereotypical, eh?). By the end of talking with her, I felt that we should see each other again and she mentioned that maybe she'd stop by. I hope she will.

--one neighbor from down the way talked to me about when things were better for him. He's got a major disability and I marveled at how he keeps his spirits lifted and keeps moving forward.

--one woman was so genuinely thankful for the deals we gave her and asked her grand-kids to say thank-you as well. I like that feeling. Even though my prices were already very low, I tried to be even more generous with people and like to think about them taking things home and using them.

--a lady bought May's puppet theater (which she and I were sad to let go of) to donate to her church. I thought that was so nice of her and told her so.

--our neighbor friend (age 8) came and bought our toy kitchen and play food to give to his little nephew with his mom's money. With his own money, he bought a car racing speedway for that same little nephew. How thoughtful and sweet!

Here's a funny story. Sometimes I put things out in my sales that I don't really think will be purchased. Such was the case with the cloth diapers I put out. Nathan used cloth diapers briefly and I had kept them as part of our storage, just in case we needed them again. Brigham will potty train in the next year or so, so I decided to let them go. I figured that just the right person would need to come along. I offered them for 25 cents per dozen. I was shocked when an older man asked about them. It made more sense when he told me that he was buying them for rags in his garage! Not at all what I had pictured when I set them out!

I price things so that no bargaining is needed (dirt cheap), but still people want to bargain and so I let them. I held on to the price of $15 for our futon, though. Sometimes people don't know when to stop!

I was so tired by the end of the day that I hardly wanted to clean up. I was sad at how full the garage still is with stuff. But thankful that my Sunday is a day of rest!

Ordinary Miracles

This post is right on the money! Make sure to watch the video, it's very touching. You might also enjoy following his "ABC 11" link to a news story that recently aired. It's beautifully done.

Healthy Heros

This post goes out to Julie, a friend to me in a crucial and difficult time of my life and marriage. I'll never forget how you listened to me go on and on about my problems. I called you almost every day and you listened to me complain, cry. You listened to my desolation. You didn't let me give up. You told me I could do this. You loved me. I'll never forget!

So, I'm approaching parenting (finally!) in a new way. It's not that I haven't done this in the past, I just haven't done it consistently or with as much anticipation and excitement for the results as this time. I'm working with a new awareness and it's pretty exciting. The whole deal is that every interaction is meant to create RELATIONSHIP. Rather than me barking out orders of things that have to be done NOW, I'm trying to take the time to explain how things work and why they need to be done. When a child misbehaves, rather than dishing out an immediate consequence, I'm trying to look eye to eye and lovingly explain why it's a problem and how I'd rather they don't repeat that action. I guess I'm willing to do this several times over if need be. This is still in the works. I don't have it all figured out. It's a good thing I believe in a God who works in my life every day, every hour, every minute, if need be.

I look for extra opportunities to build relationship as well. We listen to CDs in the van each morning, but we turn it off when we drop May and Elijah off at their school, so they don't miss anything. That means I have a few minutes with Nathan before I drop him off at his school. We have a deal that he gets to sit in the front seat to and from school because otherwise he'd have to be cramped between two car seats in the back. Sometimes we just flip on NPR but the last few days I'm talking to him more.

Last night I sat Nathan down to answer some questions about himself. My sister, Jodi, has started doing this with her kids (she also writes in their journals on their birthdays each year about the preceding year) . She sent me her questions and so I've begun to record the answers from my kids. One of the questions was, "Who is your hero?" Nathan answered, "Well, it used to be President [Gordon B.] Hinckley, but now it's President [Thomas S.] Monson." I thought he made an excellent choice.

This morning as we were driving away from the Elementary School, we saw Nathan's fourth grade teacher, Mr. Ulrich. Mr. Ulrich was just who Nathan needed last year. He thought Nathan was spectacular at a time when Nathan was really down on himself. I said to Nathan, "Maybe Mr. Ulrich is a good hero?" Nathan agreed, but obviously thought his previous choice worked better. Now here comes the part that Julie taught me. She teaches her kids something that she first learned herself called "Healthy Heroes." I can relate to this also. There isn't any one person who is perfect. I can choose a hero, but there may be a way in which they disappoint me. Then, my tendency is to trash the idea of hero. Why have a hero that will ultimately just let me down. The idea of "Healthy Heroes" is to find many, many people, all with different characteristics that we admire, while also realizing that they will have their shortcomings as all people do.

I taught Nathan about this today and told him to look for heroes all around him. I enjoyed it and I think he was listening. After all, it's about relationships, right?

Baby Gwyneth

I have had such a positive experience seeing my children remember and pray for Gwyneth, Tricia, and Nathan Lawrenson. These are people my kids haven't met and never will, I imagine. Yet, I know that my kids' faith gathers strength from above for this little family who are tackling great hurdles in their lives. And as my children pray, I know that they are also being blessed for their faith and diligence. I'm happy to hear Nathan report that "Of course. I've prayed for them every night!"

Some great things have happened this week for the Lawrensons as Tricia has been placed on the list and activated for a double lung transplant. Gwyneth continues to be granted health an improvement. Have you sent up a prayer recently?

Here are some moving videos that tell a little more of their story, what they've been through, and the miracles that they witness every day!

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham; Illustrated by John O'Hara Cosgrave II. Winner of the 1956 Newbery Medal!

My friend, Megan, read this book too and here's her review. It was indeed the Book Club book for the month of February. I never make it to book club, but I do read (or start) the books sometimes. This time, seeing that the book was a Newbery winner, I decided to read it to Nathan, May and Elijah.

This book tells the story of Nat Bowditch from the time he was six years old until his mid-life. At age 12 he was indentured because times were hard and it would be one less mouth to feed for his father. He dreamed of Harvard, but it would never be due to his being "becalmed" in his indentureship. What never ceased to amaze us was his constant pursuit of knowledge and excellence, spending his free time studying mathematics, Latin, French, and astronomy.

When Nat was finally free, he went to sea. During that time he practiced what he had learned by taking latitude and longitude for the captain. At that time, in order to take the longitude, it was necessary to be able to see the moon. In his frustration (moon behind a cloud), he created a new way to "take a lunar." It was at that point that Nathan became amazed and wondered if we were reading about a fictional character or a real historical character. We looked him up on the internet and found that he was a historical character and that "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" is a historical fiction novel. Constantly learning and teaching others throughout the book, Nat Bowditch is an inspirational character. And the book was a hit with my kids!

It was interesting to be exposed to a lot of terms we hadn't come upon before due to the many voyages by ship in the book. Some of these terms we looked up and others we didn't. But, I think we all expanded our vocabularies!

Next stops: Elmer and the Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett , Fablehaven by Brandon Mull and Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

A Drawing on the Glass

Yesterday, as we were getting ready to go to our friends' house in Ypsilanti, I saw this drawing on the side storm door:

Sariah's self portrait on the glass

It reminded me of something I read a few years back about Marjorie Pay Hinckley. She said that she loved the sound of the screen door slamming in the summertime. When I read that, it made me wonder. That sound has been a particular pet peeve of mine. Why is that so? How could she love the sound and I dislike it so much? I wondered if she had somehow conditioned herself to love that sound, linking it to her children that she loved. That, like me, at some point she had gritted her teeth to keep herself from scolding (I haven't always gritted my teeth, by the way!). I really don't know. But as for myself, the drawing made yesterday by Sariah signified something for me.

I remember, years ago, before I had children of my own, sitting in my car with Joseph's sister and her little daughter. As the car windows became covered with humidity from our breath, the baby was drawing pictures on the glass. Immature as I was, it bothered me. As I look back now, it's hard to imagine that I felt that way. But I did. The picture on the glass represents growth for me. My first impression, rather than thinking about yet another thing to wash, was "How cute!"

I joined this "blog carnival" called Talk About Tuesday. Check it out if you have time!

Let Me Refer You...

Political topic below:

Whatever your position on the war in Iraq, it's o.k. with me. I don't mind if you and I don't think alike, but here's my experience. You can consider it if you wish.

Some months back my support for the war, which was not even totally defined, went south. It was like I awoke suddenly and realized how many people were dying and that was it for me. I was against the war. I was against Bush for suggesting that we stay there without a pull-out date.

Then, listening to NPR, I heard a story from several Iraqis' points of view. It opened my eyes a little bit to their struggles, their hopes. I realized that I had only been hearing one side to the story. Soon after that I heard an interview with a high-ranking military officer who talked about the details of what pulling out of the war suddenly, or even soon, would mean from a military perspective. I can't remember the details of either of those stories, but my views were definitely impacted by both. Then, I followed a blog trail to this blog by a military officer named Jeffrey Denning. I have been following his story almost every day since then. I've been so grateful that he is sharing his viewpoint. Very personal and very real. Hard to read? Yes. It's worth it to me for the greater understanding I now enjoy.

As I've been reading and listening more to political and ethical debate, I'm realizing just how complex these issues are. More often than not, I can't even imagine what it would be like to be in somebody else's shoes, much less make decisions that affect their lives (Joseph deals with this issue on a daily basis!) I'm reminding myself here to hear the story from different angles before I take a stance, pass a judgment, or say something I will regret.

P.S. I'm referring you to Jeffrey Denning's blog. He draws you, the reader, in and makes you think! If you don't have time to read through many blog posts, here are two of his recent posts that caught my attention:

Military Appreciation
A Tribute to my Brothers-in-Arms, the Marines

A New Challenge

I got an e-mail in my box today from my friend Kristen. She sent me some information about "The Hinckley Challenge." It is to read the Book of Mormon, starting yesterday, in 97 days to honor Gordon B. Hinckley. One day for every year of President Hinckley's life.

I've been a little lazy in my scripture study lately and so I just decided to join this challenge. You can check it out and join for yourself at:

www.hinckleychallenge.com

I'm putting a graph in my sidebar that will show where I'm at (if I remember to log into the site and record it each day! --tying string to finger--)

Wonderful Life!

My friend Steph posted this slideshow video on her blog and I so enjoyed it I wanted to share it with my friends and family and most importantly, my husband and children.

President Bush's Tribute

President Bush had some things to say about Gordon B. Hinckley as well. It's here.

Glenn Beck's Tribute

My brother, Mark, gave me this link today for CNN commentator Glenn Beck's tribute to President Hinckley. It is touching. Go give it a listen here. You won't be sorry you did!

Incidentally, my brother also shared with me some of his photos and they are incredible. He hopes to put a book together! Anyway, I feel privileged to see them. Thanks Mark!

I Love It!

Last night, Joseph's mom called us at about 11pm to tell us about President Hinckley's passing. After I got into bed, I had an afterthought and went to the living room to search out the November 2007 Ensign. I set it out on my glider rocker so that I would remember to talk to the kids about his death and also so that I would be reminded to find the last talk he gave in General Conference and read it.

I am amazed to see that what he left us with was his testimony of the restoration of the Gospel. He said, with his usual humor and wit, "Now, my brothers and sisters, we live with an interesting phenomenon. A soloist sings the same song again and again. An orchestra repeats the same music. But a speaker is expected to come up with something new every time he speaks. I am going to break that tradition this morning and repeat in a measure what I have said on another occasion." Go read the rest here. His message and testimony from April's conference is here, where he speaks a great deal of the life of Jesus Christ.

I was wondering what we would do for Family Night tonight and now I know!

Sad Day

I can't let this day go by without saying how sad I am that President Gordon B. Hinckley has passed away yesterday evening (for those who are not members of my church, this is akin to the Pope passing away).

This is what he said at the end of the last General Conference, "Now this conference is adjourned for six months. We look forward to seeing you again next April. I'm 97, but I hope I'm going to be there."

Amazing. 97 years old. What a contribution he has made in my life and in the church! I will really miss him. How sweet and sad it has been in some of our previous Conferences where President Hinckley has spoken of his wife, Marjorie, who passed away a few years ago, and how he missed her. What a reunion they will have had!