We are Fine

Several of you have called or emailed wondering if the flooding and severe weather has affected Clyde and me. We are fine - weary of the gray skies and water everywhere but other than that Okay. Others we know are not doing nearly as well. Because we live in Aquidneck Island and actually live in Middletown - the high ground of the island - we are not affected like their rest of the state or even others on Newport and Portsmouth. We have members in our stake that have their basements flooding but I have not heard if any of our stake members were among the evacuees. Schools are closed, universities and even the state offices were shut down today because sewage treatment plants are failing. It is wiser to keep people home rather than spread them over the state and thus put pressure on the the roads, sewage and electricity in areas that are struggling. This is worse than any hurricane that has ever hit. We are pretty well saturated. Our yard around the apartment is a swamp and there are places where the road and lawns are one - curb and all. Today is drying out a bit. It has been misting today but no heavy rain. Hopefully no more rain until we dry out completely. Please pray for those that are struggling. Our economy is tanked anyway and to have this happen on top of it - I cannot imagine what will happen to some of the people now. One woman they interviewed said she was trying to sell her house, doing everything she was supposed to do to move from Rhode Island and take a job in another state. Now her house is underwater and she felt like her prospects for a future were with her house. Pretty sad. You don't realize how blessed you are until see others so close struggling so hard.

Tuesday Book Review

For book group this month we can read any Joanne Fluke book or "Blood Brothers" by Elias Chacour. I have read all of Joanne Fluke's books (and loved every one) and so that only left me one thing to do - read the other choice. I didn't want to but I am glad I did.

"Blood Brothers" gave me a completely different perspective of what is happening in Israel. Elias Chacour was living there before the Zionist Jews came in and took over the country - basically making the Palestinians non-entities (and even some of the Jews that had been living there before the European Jews appeared). The thing about the book is that he is Christian and it is a very Christian outlook on what is happening. His family literally turned the other cheek and kept getting it slapped until they died. There is a newer copy of the book than the one I read and it has a postscript as to what happened after the 1980's when the books was written. But what the book taught me - and what I am learning more and more everyday is that the media and the government twists and turns things for their purposes. I am getting more and more cynical and realizing that especially when it comes to the media and governments - nothing is quite what they are saying.

Not only was "The Twelve Sacred Traditions of Magnificent Mothers-in Law" entertaining, it was educational and very informative. I thoroughly enjoyed the advice in this book and will take it to heart. Haywood Smith had a way of putting things that was logical and straightforward, yet very entertaining. If you know someone that has a child getting married in the near future or is even a long time mother-in-law - this is an excellent gift. It will certainly make newlyweds life easier if this is given as a shower gift to the mothers! I am going to start giving this to prospective newlyweds mothers. One of the quotes in the books is: "If you want a happy family, no grudges allowed." For in-laws (or out-laws - whatever you want to call them) this is wonderful advice. This was probably my favorite book of the week. I love free downloads on my Kindle! I probably would not have read it had it not been free - but I am delighted that I did.

"A Rush of Wings" was not as predictable as you thought when you first started. I thought for sure I had the ending figured out and though it ended somewhat like I thought (she did get her man) it was not the way I thought it would be. A great book. I will definitely read the other Kristen Heitzmann books in this series. This was a free download on my Kindle.

"A Passion Most Pure" by Julie Lessman was a free download in my Kindle. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will be reading the rest of the series. It was about two sisters that were somewhat rivals - both very jealous of what the other didn't have and how they finally resolved their issues. It also is about love and finding the person that is the best fit for you. A really good read. It takes place during WWI and the places are between Boston, Massachusetts and Ireland.

My Pregnancy with Heather

Heather's pregnancy was not my least stressful. In December, at about 5 months, my thyroid goitered. They ran as many tests as they could without harming Heather and realized I had cancer of the thyroid. All we could do was wait. In the meantime the business (Staffels) that Clyde worked for, did not have health insurance and we had to pay for Heather out of pocket. Whenever you do that it is always more expensive and always up front. By mid-January, we had to have the whole payment into the hospital or they would not let us deliver in May! Suddenly my sister comes to save the day. She sent us a check from money she had been saving on her mission. It covered exactly what we needed to pay for Heather. It was the greatest miracle and blessing I had ever witnessed up to that time. It turned out that 1979 was a year of miracles. Heather's birth was miraculous and uneventful when in hindsight we realized she was a preemie (but she weighed over 7 pounds). Because of my thyroid it had caused her to grow faster than normal. But her fingernails were only halfway into the nail beds and she had stubby eyelashes (whereas her sister's had gone above her eyebrows). She was a jaundiced and later as I was struggling with her in school and some other issues and I was studying the affects of pre-mature births on education - it suddenly hit me full force that technically Heather was pre-mature even if she hadn't fit when she was born. She was very early but the only people that seem alarmed by that were my father (a physician) and my OBGyn. My pediatrician didn't pick up on it. We were sent home 24 hours after her birth (which was the norm in those days - for about a year).

Because of Heather's early birth and some other circumstances, I was able to have my surgery earlier than planned. Miracles and blessing occurred then that are for another blog. But today I wanted to say, I am grateful for a loving sister that saved the day. I am sure we would have scraped the money together somehow but Marianne made a stressful time, less stressful by her generous gift. I will always be grateful to her for her loving gift and for her sacrifices to make the gift possible.

Happy Birthday Heather!

This is a picture of Heather - just a couple of months after her birthday! I love you, Heather Lou! Happy Birthday!

Heather was so excited to get here - she showed up a little bit early. Her due date was the first part of May. Today is her birthday. We were glad she the only thing wrong with her was she was a little bit jaundice. From the first, Heather has done things on her own terms. She has been a delight and a blessing to our home. We have truly been blessed with each of our daughters. My only regret is that Heather and her family are so far away right now but I know that even that will end some day.

Have a wonderful Birthday, Heather!

Who Are You Really?

Carianne did this and so did the rest of our daughters. I thought I would follow suit. Anyone else that wants to join in - feel free.

Favorite Color: I tried to narrow this down to one color and I couldn't. I love the whole rainbow! I like to decorate with green. I like to wear pink and bright colors. I like it when Clyde wears blue (and Clyde would like to decorate everything with blue). I have always wanted a red and white kitchen and a living room done in a really pale color of sage - almost off white it is so light - but still has some green in it.

Earliest Memory: I was about 2 1/2 years old and we had just moved to San Antonio. Mom was pregnant with Marianne and laying down for a nap. Aunt Norma and I were so hot (it was July and there was no such thing as air conditioning in those days) we were laying on the bare floor and giggling with each other.

Favorite Christmas: All of them! I love Christmas and it would actually be easier to tell about the two that were the hardest on me. The Christmas before Carianne was born, we couldn't afford to go to San Antonio and it was first time that it was just Clyde and me. I dreaded Christmas but it ended up being a really fun one. This last Christmas Day was an interesting one. Christmas Morning was wonderful because I was able to watch the Pfiester's unwrap presents and see the joy on their faces. But I spent the rest of the day flying home to Rhode Island. Between flight delays and nothing being open in the airports - it was an interesting day. However on the first flight the flight attendants had decorated the plane and were wearing reindeer antlers or Santa hats - to make everyone feel more festive. It was quite the party plane. The next leg of the journey Christmas was not even mentioned. The attendants were sullen and even rude. The difference of Southern hospitality and Northern indifference.

Favorite Book: My hands down favorite book is "Mrs. Mike." I noticed with my daughters that their favorite books were from about the same time in their life too. I first read "Mrs. Mike" when I was in the 5th Grade. I have read it almost every year since. It is a biography of a woman from Boston married to a Canadian Mountie at the turn of the 20th century.

Favorite Movie: I have to two favorite movies: "The Bishop's Wife" and "Enchanted April."

What do I collect? Why or why not? I have collected Santa Claus in all forms for years. That collection is quite large is everything from salt shakers to dolls, books and porcelain figures. In the last few years between my daughters and my grandchildren I have acquired 2 more collections. One is very unusual for a grandparent and that is Webkinz animals. It is the gift that we can give to each other in person and send gifts via the Internet - so it truly is the gift that keeps on giving! My grandson Noah Pfiester was the first person to give me a Webkinz but he and his siblings plus Bella Nordell (his cousin and one of my other granddaughters) all had a hand in naming it.
My third collection is Willow Tree figures and boxes. This is mostly contributed to by my daughters but Carlye - my oldest granddaugther - actually gave me my largest figure. She said it was me hugging her.

Guilty Pleasure: Playing Webkinz and reading non-stop. While I was gone our ward's book group was held and they chose the books for the next year. Of the books on the list - I have already read over half of them for my own pleasure or out of curiosity.

The Way you Could Spend the Day if you Could: I would do something with all of my grandchildren - together. Probably go have a picnic in a park and just listen to them while they filled me in on their lives. Just being by them is the best thing in the world! I can't think of a better way to spend the day.

When (time period) would have lived if you could? I love that I am living now. I have lived all through the 50's and 60's. I do have to say that the early part of 70's were more exciting than the latter part. But all said and done - I am happy with my lifetime. My grandparents always told me too much of the 'horrors' of pioneer life - so I never fantasized about it. When I told my Omi that I envied her being a newly wed during the 'Roaring Twenties' one time - she went on to tell me about the high mortality rate of babies and ringer washers and the lack of indoor plumbing in many homes still. In other words my family pretty much killed my fantasies pretty quickly.

Something people would be surprised to know about you: I am extremely shy and very much an introvert. I have to psyche myself up to even leave the apartment and go out into the world. I would very happily stay holed up and never leave the confines of my apartment if I could get away with it. Unfortunately I cannot. Very often on Saturday nights I am awake most of the night psyching myself up so I can be up and outgoing for Church. It is very hard work for me.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Back to Switzerland and more specifically the Interlocken Valley. I would also like to go to Australia and New Zealand someday.

Tuesday Book Review

"A Bride Most Begrudging" by Deeanne Gist was a free download on my Kindle. I have to admit that I was not enamored with the plot and put off reading it for a couple of weeks. However on our trip, I was running out of things to read while I was waiting around - so I started reading this. It ended up being well written and quite fun. It is about a Lady Constance from Britain, who sneaks onto a prison ship setting sail for the America Colonies in the early 1700's - specifically Virginia to see her uncle off. Because she has no one with her, the captain 'claps her in irons' and throws her below decks, making her a prisoner and sells her as a bride. The plot is that Drew - her husband in name only - must look for her her father and send her back to England or after a year they will be truly married. Drew has his own issues and really doesn't want to be married either. It works out fairly predictably from there but is a great book. I am so glad I read it! I highly recommend it. Wow - that will make all the books I read this week highly recommended. That has to be a new record for me.

"Turning the Paige" by Laura Jensen Walke is one of the 'Getaway Girls' novels that she is writing. It is about a woman that is totally dominated by her mother. I like the way that Ms. Walker writes. This one was the least preachy of the three books I have read by her and I have picked up some other fun books in the process of reading her novels. I highly recommend this book but I suggest that you start with "Daring Chloe" then read this one and then move on to "Becca by the Book".

Several years ago I started reading the Miss Julia books by Ann B. Ross. I love them. They are about an older Southern woman, who is well respected in her North Carolina community and how she 'fixes' the lives of her family and friends. I have no other way of describing her. In "Miss Julia Paints the Town", Miss Julia tries to save the old Courthouse and make it a landmark but somehow it doesn't work out as she plans. It is wonderful light read. I highly recommend it.

"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell was a book we listened to on the way to Virginia this last weekend. We listened to the unabridged book and it even had an interview with the author on the last CD. Clyde and I thoroughly enjoyed "Blink' and "The Tipping Point" so we were fairly confident that we would enjoy this book also. We did. It was a book on why men like Bill Gates and others were successful but not a 'how to' book. It just explained how basically the stars were aligned just right so they became the people they became. I highly recommend the book. We are currently listening to a book on Einstein and as we listen to it we see how he fits into the pattern of being an 'outlier'. As I listened to this book I kept thinking that my son-in-laws, Chris and Andy would LOVE this book. I hope they read it.

An Evening wih Kat and Mitch

We are in Virginia. Clyde has an appointment this afternoon so I tagged along so I could see Katherine (my niece) and meet her husband Mitch and their son, Joseph. We took them to Joe's Crab Shack last night and had a great time. The wonderful thing about going to Joe's Crab Shack it the meal lasts a long time but there are enough diversions for children that it isn't boring for them. We had a wonderful time (but we were only there an 2 hours instead of the 3+ like we were in Vegas!). We had a wonderful time and a great visit. I didn't get very many pictures but I did get a few. I will download them as soon as figure out how! I sure hope it isn't another 6 years before I see Katherine again. We somehow have to remedy this problem of not seeing that side of the family more often.