Not Justified

I really like Dallin Oaks a lot. He was president of BYU when I went there. He lived on campus and once I was walking past their home with its spacious front yard and many trees and out bounds this Great Dane dog... His head was  on the same level as mine and we looked at each other eye to eye. He was a gentle giant, harmless. He looked at me and turned and loped off. BYU President no longer live on campus but the house is still there now as a museum/visitor center.

Anyway..here is one of his quotes that I like:


"It is wrong to make statements of fact out of an evil motive,
even if the statements are true...One who focuses on faults, though they be true,
tears down a brother or sister...
Even though something is true,
 we are not justified in communicating it
to any and all persons at any and all times."

~Dallin H. Oaks (Ensign, Feb. 1987, p.69)

Paper, Pens and Pencils

Paper People

My sister Sandy and I used to say we were "Paper People"...we love paper.
I like to write on paper and I have many journals and commonplace books to prove it.
It showed in Sandy's life...she picked out the very best birthday and holiday cards to send. Her Christmas wrapping paper also was thoughtfully chosen and always very very nice. Her letters were always on cute stationery and neatly penned.

Speaking of pens....

The search for the best pen is always with me. For Christmas, I gave a set of LePens (my all time favorite writing instrument)to David and Amber and then, lo, I got a set as a gift also...from Amy and Fox.
I was thrilled when visiting Molly, that she loved the same kind of ball point pens I do..they have to have a very thin line and be a click pen...not one with a cap. Yes!
John, on the other hand, does not believe in click pens, but uses pens with a cap.

Now lets discuss pencils...
I like wooden ones, not the plastic automatic ones.
Just this morning, I found a 4B Kumon pencil on our dining room table. I wrote with it and loved the feel, the look. It was triangularly carved for ease in holding. Amy said Larissa gave them a Kumon pencil as a going away gift before they left for Japan. And when they came back,they brought some back with them. "I think we have 4 Kumon pencils floating around here", Amy said.

Amy started to tell me about stationery stores in Japan. Every little tiny town has lots of stationery stores. The Japanese love paper and pens. They had 3 stationery stores on one block in their small town!
By the way, the Japanese make LePens (I thought it was the French...ha ha)


Here is an excerpt of an article by another paper and pen lover.I can only say...ME, TOO!


The right pen and the right paper brought into conjunction, runs the unspoken thought, cannot help but result in a sudden influx of bold, brilliant and original ideas, the germ of a bestselling novel that will in its turn be inscribed in another, perhaps larger notebook more worthy of the task, in sentences as creamy and beautiful as the pages on which they are written. I am always on the hunt for the perfect notebook. Muji (the brown paperbacked ones), Field Notes (the three-packs), the ubiquitous Moleskine and, in more whimsical moments, Cavallini & Co have all come close. Which is to say, close to being the one that will become the perfect commonplace book, in which I will continue that proud Renaissance tradition of recording useful quotations, inspiring stories and intriguing snippets

from....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/29/why-i-love-stationery-pens

 Le Pens last along time. If you leave a regular marker in a drawer for years, it usually dries up. Not LePen! Its ink goes on and on and on...

 Here is our Kumon pencil. Love it!

How We Speak

This quote should guide all our communications...

"It is wrong to make statements of fact out of an evil motive, even if the statements are true...One who focuses on faults, though they be true, tears down a brother or sister...Even though something is true, we are not justified in communicating it to any and all persons at any and all times."
~Dallin Oaks  (Ensign, Feb. 1987, p.69

Example of A Disappointed British Parent

When you read this letter, you feel glad that a father spoke up but you cannot help but wonder if he had noticed this trend toward irresponsibility back when the kids were entering their teens. And if he did notice, what did he do about it? Is he partly to blame...in some small way?

I once heard a short maxim:

It's your parent's fault: the way you are. 
But it is YOUR fault if you stay that way.


 I hope the kids rally and do all they can to make their lives commendable.

I would love to follow this story...see what happens in the future...

http://www.glennbeck.com/2012/11/30/epic-letter-from-%E2%80%9Cbitterly-disappointed%E2%80%9D-brit-dad-to-kids/

My Best Xmas Presents to Give

I love flax pillows...and I love making them to give to others...here is the note I usually attach...

Here is a Flaxseed pillow I made for for you!

Flax is a grain crop grown in northern USA. The periwinkle blue flowers mature to tiny pods filled with these brown seeds. When warmed or chilled, these little seeds hold HOT or COLD temperature. Flax seeds move in the pillows to conform to all contours of your body. These seeds provide a therapeutic weight that provides compression and acupressure over tender areas. The thermal effects and weight will help increase circulation and help improve lymphatic efficiency and provide pain management and comfort.

Always avoid getting Flax wet as the outer shell of the seed will create a 'sticky-goo' that will dry caked and hard. Flax Pillows can be warmed hundreds of times over the years, but eventually they will 'wear out'. Store in plastic bag when not in use.

Directions for a hot pillow: Heat in clean microwave oven on high for about 40 seconds. Open microwave and shake bag. Put back in microwave about 30 more seconds or so. You can microwave it a bit more to get it hotter. Whatever you choose. Do not overheat. Stay by microwave while pillow is being warmed in it.

For flax pillows that are 1 and 1/2 to 2 lbs. or more, go  ahead and set the microwave timer for 4 minutes and pause it after the half way point shake up the pillow and then continue microwaving.

Note: When warming your pillow, place in center of microwave so pillow never touches wall of microwave and the pillow rotates freely. Every microwave has ‘hot spots’ and if your pillow cannot move freely during warming, fabric or contents might easily become ‘scorched’ and you will damage your pillow. Also, microwave plate needs to be clean of food and grease. These act as hot spots and will create burn areas on pillow.

Please note that Microwaves vary in power from 500 to 1400 WATTS. Heating time will vary according to the power of Microwave used. Sometimes these pillows become scorched... a 'hot-spot' may occur in a microwave that has been used without problems. Pillows warmed according to directions, will last for a couple years or so, depending on how much you use it.

Store your pillow in a cool dry place. Never allow your pillow to get wet.

Follow the warming instructions very carefully as to not "over– warm".

Reduce time for Powerful Microwaves (800 watt and above).

~ When RE-Warming a pillow that is still warm, only do so for a fraction of the initial warming time.

~ When chilling your pillow in the freezer, protect from moisture by placing in a sealed plastic bag.

~ If mishandled or pulled, this pillow may rip. Monitor children during use to prevent rough treatment.

I like to just put this on my chest while I watch TV...or sometimes

I warm it up and take it to bed with me. It stays warm quite a while…most of the night.

Store in heavy plastic bag (freezer food bags like this one are great) when not in use. If you do not store it in a plastic

bag, the seeds will dry out and your pillow will lose the power to retain heat.

This bag has some chopped up eucalyptus leaves in it for fragrance.

~ Merry Christmas!

Ice Candles Day 10

I love to make ice candles. Just fill a balloon with water and set it in a bowl (the flat bottom of the bowl will make the ice globe flat on the bottom, too, so it will be stable on your table). Put in freezer. Then watch it in the freezer, checking on it...in a few hours, it will have a hard shell....with sloshy water inside. Take it out of the freezer, and peel the balloon off and put your globe under the faucet and run some water  on the top so it makes a howl. This is where you insert the votive candle. My ice candle below got almost all solid so I had to use warm running water to carve a middle space in it to place my votive candle in it. Make several ahead of time. Put in a plastic bag in the freezer. You can even reuse them if they do not melt completely during your meal (and they won't). Kids love to look at these and touch the cold ice and enjoy the flickering candle light.

Day 9 Christmas Smells

OK..here I am a year later...endeavoring to publish some posts, to carry on with the days I have started to number. Boy, did this year go by fast. I am thankful the blogspot company did not delete this blog after so very many months of inactivity!

Mmmmm...the smells of Christmas! I always have a Christmas Spice potpourri simmering on the stove in December. This is composed of tangerine peels, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, some allspice, a touch of ginger.
MMMmmm...also..the smell of sweet cookies baking, and fudge cooking on the stove top.
Warm fragrant smells from the kitchen lifts the spirit and delights the body.

Also...the smell of a Christmas tree....a real Christmas tree, whether it be fir or pine. That smells makes my heart leap!