Hearts Full of Joy

cranford

dear elizabeth gaskell fans: we have discovered the most delightful movie version of her novel "cranford" (thank you netflix!). we have only watched the first 3 one hour installments (disc one), and are awaiting the arrival of the final 3 (disc two).... hopefully today. it is wonderfully quirky, unexpected, and entertaining.

this next clip isn't the most representative, but it is funny... there are many storylines tumbling around each other, with hilariously random incedents. and there is now way of being certain where the story is going. i love that! this one is definitely worth owning!

fitness, reading, summer thoughts, remembering japan

my enduring favorite workout for the last 11 years:

life is so much better when i do my yoga every day.

recently finished reading:

a good read - insightful, well written, based on newly discovered letters & manuscripts. a little sad, but not overpoweringly so. makes one wonder what it was like for abraham to be married to her.

currently reading:

picked this up in hannibal, MO when i was there with mom & traci. promises to be good.

speaking of lincoln, we were treated to a sunday sociable on "lincoln in hancock county" by a research historian at the lincoln library in springfield, IL (one of my favorite places, and an added benefit of living here). it was very good. tourist season is here, and we have gone from living in a near ghost town to a summer resort. the perks are back, like the ahuna family polynesian dancers last night for family home evening. a family of 6 children, their 4 spouses, and 7 grandchildren. the fire dance was very impressive. even more impressive was the number of missions served, two law degrees, and dental school (and they can stil dance). even more impressive was that the grandma sat with the 7 grandchildren, ages 6 weeks to 4, and they were perfectly behaved, not a peep, not a cry, no problems whatsoever. if only my 5 & 8 year olds could be so well behaved, and my 2 year old....*sigh*

humidity is back (and fireflies too), and i love it. it feels life-giving and nurturing to me. it floods me with memories of summers in japan, and makes me want to go here:

tokyo disney sea resort, walking distance from our home in maihama (along with tokyo disneyland), and where we spent every minute that we could during our last summer in japan. noah has stopped asking almost daily when we are going to disney sea, but my heart still yearns for it on warm humid days. do i sound spoiled & bratty? let me just add that life as a foreign family in japan was a daily challenge (all 12 years of it - we loved it, but it wasn't ever remotely easy), and disney sea was a soothing balm. i am not a huge disney fan. but i do love disney sea: the one disney theme park designed for adults, lots of ambiance, and plenty of fun for the kids too.

noah is a just two months older in these photos than gracie is now ~ *sigh* again - how have three years gone by in a blink?

no problems growing hair for him :)

today is the last full day of school. summer vacation keeps sneaking up on me here in the u.s. we're used to six weeks of summer vacation from july 20th to sept 1st.

another note on humidity: many friends from the western u.s. are of the opinion that nauvoo is the most humid place on earth - impossible for anywhere to be more humid....it's not. every june in tokyo when the serious humidity arrived, (we never had central air conditioning) i would  wonder if it were possible to drown or suffocate from humidity, because it felt like a serious possibility.

who am i?

if you are my friend on facebook, you may have had the time and interest to read this already, or not - which i completely understand. this is a "note" which is circulating on facebook, and i enjoyed the challenge of coming up with 25 items to post.

1. I have put off making this list for a very long time.

2. I LOVE living in Nauvoo.

3. My favorite thing in the world is being married to Brock, second favorite is being a mommy to my kids.

4. I have lived in Japan 3 different times, for a total of almost 12 years, but am still not fluent in Japanese. My two oldest caucasian daughters can speak, read & write Japanese almost natively. My Japanese children can't.

5. I LOVE babies, and want to have more....will I ever stop feeling that way? 14 years of infertility can do that to a person. But I have always loved babies. My favorite job ever was working as a nurses' aid in a newborn nursery.

6. I am emotional and very passionate...about almost everything.

7. I don't get very excited about food....so you would think that I would be thinner.

8. I have been to nine countries, one territory and one protectorate, but never to Hawaii, and I have been to thirty-nine states, but never to Florida, Alaska, (or Hawaii)

9. Two of my brothers married girls named Nancy.

10. I have an addiction to chocolate, and it's not a good thing (explains number 7)

11. I love yoga

12. I love to read, but am a very picky reader...it needs to be intelligently written, great plot, believable characters, uplifting, and clean.

13. I love history, antiques, and quilting...so antique quilts are a passion.

14. I have a degree from BYU in a department that no longer exists: clothing & textiles.

15. I don't really like ice cream. really.

16. I can be very competitive, but I don't enjoy participating in or watching competitive sports.

17. I have felt a connection/fascination with Japan since I was about 5 years old, and always wanted a Japanese baby. Now I have two.

18. I have over 40 cousins on each side of my family...for a total of over 80. Second cousins are innumerable, but I am in touch with many.

19. Both of my grandmothers are on facebook.

20. I am very driven...to the point of being unhealthy (explains the need for number 11). I am learning not to be.

21. 4 of my 5 children are extremely intense.....must get it from Brock ;)
I am an oldest child, so is Brock. Alexa is obviously oldest, and after an 8 year space, Mia basically is too. Noah is an oldest boy. So, 5 people in our family have oldest personalities....yikes! It explains a lot. Gracie is just intense because she wants to be. Tashi has a big job balancing the rest of us out.

22. I prefer humid over dry climates and love a change in seasons. But I did love living in Phoenix. I have loved everywhere we have lived.

23. I am a runner, but no good at sports - I am completely pathetic at volleyball.

24. I play the piano, but can't sing.

25. My newest passion is studying and re-creating 1840s clothing.

happy birthday honest abe!

today is the 200th anniversary of his birth.

tonight lexi & i are going to a birthday party for him and a celebration of "quilting in the time of lincoln" at the carthage library.
today as i drove to do my weekly shopping, across the river into iowa, several road signs on the illinois side of the mississippi told me to "Love the Land of Lincoln". i do. i really do. i am currently reading this book, a christmas gift, and loving it:

"The Case of Abraham Lincoln" by Julie Fenster. it is an excellently researched and very interestingly told story of a murder case that lincoln becme involved in as a lawyeram and the 1856 elections. i highly recommend it, especially if you are a fan of history and abrah lincoln. the only thing better than being in nauvoo, illinois today, would be to be in springfield, illinois.

silly reading

gracie is a funny girl. a really funny girl. not in a baby-ish sort of way, but in a quirky, surprising, wise little adult-ish sort of way. she has been from day one, and friends and strangers comment on it constantly.
i took these photos on our lawn in october.

one of our family's favorite books is a favorite becasue the heroine, trixie, reminds us so much of gracie.

and not just because of the hairstyle, nose, and teeth....

this is gracie's favorite activity, except it is underpants on her head, and the bra goes around her neck.
she's been doing this since she was 10 months old.

gracie is also expert at this.

not to be outdone, noah is also a funny boy (as previous posts attest) this is noah's favorite book. if we only mention the title, he giggles.

for those unfamiliar with this book, the reason for the giggles are these favorite pages:

new-ness

i love january's fresh new feeling. i love change and new-ness. and i love bright sunny january days, which have been abounding. we've had amazingly mild weather after our snow and ice storms cleared away. the squirrels seem to be enjoying it too. (is it their mating season???) our yard is filled with silly, giddy squirrels chasing each other around the tree tops and across the lawn. yesterday we counted eight at one time. with no leaves on the trees it is easy to watch their antics, and they put on quite a show.

i am a picky reader...i want to read books that are:
interesting & thought provoking
well written
uplifting & edifying
captivating
and....
clean

i find it increasingly difficult to find books that meet these criteria. (couldn't jane austin have written more?) but it feels so good when i do. i just finished "the five people you meet in heaven", and loved it.

two new books that i am enjoying are:
"quilts & women of the mormon migrations"

i bought this at the daughters of the utah pioneers museum when i was in uath. i love all things to do with antique quilts and history...but still, i am impressed with this book beyond what i expected.

"fashions & costumes from godey's  lady's book" (the vogue magazine of the 1800s)

this is my newest passion....recreating 1800s fashions. i will be posting more on this soon.

and i am currently reading about eight other books....i like it that way.

here's a fun new thing that a great friend who is full of helpful provident living info taught me:

 

sprouting green onions! did you know that you can cut them down to the last 2 inches or so of the bulbs, put them in water, and grow them again? this is one week into our experiment. she says we can expect to get 3 or 4 cuttings from them.

i've exercised every day since i've been home from utah (starting dec 19th), except sundays, and christmas & new year's days. and i've done yoga on most of those days. it FEELS SO GOOD!!! when i'm in an exercising groove i can't imagine why i wouldn't want to exercise. when i'm out of the groove, i can't imagine getting back in. in june, i posted this, hoping that moving wouldn't throw off my fitness groove. well it did throw it off, and my new calling didn't help. time to get it together again.

emma

i was treated to an early preview of this book by my new friend kimberly, who is a 2nd great grandaughter of jospeh & emma smith. i have loved getting to know kim, and hearing her stories of her family, her conversion, and her feelings & impressions of joseph & emma.

this book will be available for purchase sometime soon, and I highly recommend it, especially if you love church history and emma smith, as i do. it has yummy looking recipes from emma, (i plan to try them soon) handed down through her family, and more importantly, recollections, memories, feelings, and experiences of her descendants. i haven't finished it yet, but am thoroughly enjoying it.

i have very deep & tender feelings for emma, and frequently weep when i think of her losses. living in nauvoo, being a relief society deep desire to learn more about her and understand her better.

currently reading & enjoying:

Nauvoo: a Place of Peace, a People of Promise
By Glen Leonard
a very detailed account of the church in nauvoo, reasearched for 20 years. thought provoking and deep.

Emma's Nauvoo
By Ronald E. Romig
written by an RLDS (now Community of Christ) historian. it tells the story of emma smith after the exodus, through letters and recollections of others. interesting, although not extremely well put together.

The Five Love Languages
By Gary Chapman
a birthday gift from my mom, for HER birthday. she wants all of her children and their spouses to read it as a gift to her. i have long wanted to read it, and i am loving it. EXCELLENT marriage book. it is also helpful for parenting and other loving relationships. (the author has written more books focusing on children, teens, etc).

The Mother's Book
By Mrs. Child, author of "the Frugal Housewife," "Evenings in New England," etc.
1831
this was a find i made in Joseph smith's red brick store on monday. (it is a reprint, and not the original.) I am thoroughly enjoying reading the advice on mothering that was new and revolutionary in 1831. and i agree with much of it. what a treasure! i love history, especially this era, the early 1800s. and i love motherhood, so this is a delightful book for me to read.

The Workwoman's Guide:
By a Lady
1838
this was my ultimate find in the red brick store. (i was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful collection of items from the past that are for sale in the red brick store). i'm so excited! this book shows in highly detailed drawings and explanations how to make all types of clothing and household linens, baskets, bonnets, draperies, etc for a household in the early 1800s. i love it, i love it, i love it! oh, the section on baby's clothing and linens! i want to make them all - so precious. so beautiful. i want to photograph the illustrations for you, but alas, no camera lens as of yet *sigh*. i will post more about this book later. i won't be able to resist.

i suppose, or rather am quite sure, that i am odd. very few people would find many of these books, especially the last two, at all interesting, and they are my two favorite. i have always loved the past, and longed for it's simplicity. longed for a better understanding of those who lived before. i dislike the word "trendy" very much. to me it has very negative connotation. and i am continually surprised to find it used in ways that people perceive as positive. i strive to avoid trendiness. my first college major was history, my degree is in clothing and textiles, and those are two of my great loves. and hence my love of antique quilts, and most things antique. this last book is a blending of my favorite things, and makes me very happy. this week i also unpacked some beloved textile books from my university days that i haven't seen for 13 years or so (yes, we are still unpacking). they have been in storage, awaiting retrieval. one of my favorites is "history of costume". i love to turn through its pages. i would love to do some work in this area. and i'm living in a great place to do it. i just need to discover what it will be.

confession

i am somewhat hesitant to make this confession, because i don't want to offend, or strain any friendships, but i just can't keep it inside any longer. i don't love the stephanie meyer books. i don't hate them, but i don't truly enjoy them either. i read them out of a sense of duty, because my girls read them, and i thought i should see what they were reading. i don't relate to bella, at all. i don't get into edward either. and as another blogger brought up this week, they aren't really appropriate for the young teenage audience they are targeting.

ok, enough said, it is off my chest. and i am only expressing my opinion, not feeling at all critical or disapproving of anyone who feels differently. if you love it, enjoy it. i'll be happily enjoying other books.

good reading

i have felt inspired to read several books of late, both for my children's sake, and for my own. there are certain parenting problems that i know i have been mishandling, mistakes i know i am making, things i know i could improve on.... but i didn't have the tools to make the changes or fix the problems. i truly want to be the best mother i can be, the mother my children deserve, and these books have helped TREMENDOUSLY:

1-2-3 magic...effective discipline for ages 2-12       thank you nancy, for recommending this book. it reminded me of things i already knew, but had forgotten, and gave me new insight that has completely changed my parenting experience. i am enjoying my children more, and they are enjoying me more, and what could be better than that? this book has a very simple and straightforward, very kind and yet firm & consistent form of discipline that kids respect. and it frees up the energy that parents spend on disciplining, so they can spend it on having fun with their kids instead. it works. it has specific answers to problems like bedtime difficulties, night time waking, sibling rivalry, etc. and it works! i really can't say enough positive about this book.

the people code  brock and i were introduced to this book almost 15 years ago, when we had a baby and a one year old. we loved it and found it very helpful then. now that i have teenagers and all other age categories in my home, i am re-reading it (this is a new revised version, it was formerly the color code), and it is infinitely more helpful to me in stage of life. i am finding insight into how i am creating problems in my relationships with my children who have very different personalities than mine, and how to make positive changes. now i understand why my kids are reacting the way they do to the things i say and do. SO HELPFUL!

if my blog hasn't given me away already, i am blue. what color are you?

 

i don't have to make everything all better   i read this book over a year ago, and it had a powerful effect on me. i enjoyed it so much that i am now re-reading it.the authors teach how to empower people in your life to solve their own problems (rather than rushing around trying to solve their problems for them, which dis-empowers) by validating their feelings and developing the art of listening. it's exactly what a personality like mine needs. the title may seem to recommend that you quit helping people. but it actually endorses truly helping people by allowing them, and trusting them to help themselves. so good.