Tuesday Book Review

While I was recovering my friend Jennifer Mello brought me over a bag with 20 books. I have never had such a good time in my life. She was rather surprised when I had returned them all in less than 2 1/2 weeks but there were some very thought provoking reading in that pile and I had read them all. It wasn't all light and fluff. Surprisingly of the 20 books I had only read 1 and that had been just prior to the surgery. It turns out that Jennifer and I have surprising similar tastes. I even read books that I would never have otherwise. Here are two of them.

The Covenant by Naomia Ragen: This is a book of present day Israel and Palestine and the turmoil that is going on there. It is about a kidnapping of a family. The twist is the 'covenant'. A group of women that had survived the concentration camp during WWII and how they resolved this issue. It ends realistically but not too tragically. It was beautifully written and as I stated before, something I would have never read had Jennifer not had it in her bag.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon and Lucia Graves. Jennifer and I think that Carlos wrote it in Spanish and Lucia translated it into English. This is a story of a boy whose family is one that is trusted to 'keep' the books of Spain. He becomes possessed with the book he has been given and tries to find other copies only to discover that his is the only one. It too ends in a realistic but not too tragic way - especially since it is during the Spanish War and uprising. This one was a surprising one. I give a book 40 pages and then if I am not enamored with it I will put it down. I had to give this one about 120 and then I couldn't put it down! The thing is - the whole time I was reading it I kept thinking, Andy and Chris would love this book. I never think things like that. I usually think that about our daughters. But I really think this is a book they might like to look into sometime. Maybe read it in the orginal Spanish. It might be more of a challenge but wouldn't it mean more? It probably has things in the Spanish that were lost in translation. That could very well be why I kept thinking that this would be a book they might like. Plus the boy was not a hero in the knight in shining armor sense. He was just a curious person who needed to know more and things happened because of this.

Monday's Hero

I have been thinking a lot about today's hero and once again I have two. The first once is my niece Julianna Dittmar. She is currently on a mission in Uruguay for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is an amazing young woman and always has been but as I have been reading her letters the last 9 months, I am astonished at how much she has grown. She is a dynamic and energetic missionary. She wants so badly to serve the Lord and do all the things that He wants her to do. On top of being a missionary, she is also the Young Women's leader for their little branch. She is truly spreading her wings and flying high.

My other hero is Lucille Mueller. She has been my friend since we very first moved to Kerrville. She has always been there for me as an individual and us as a family as has her husband, Harold. Life has not been very easy for her but for the most part Lucille has looked on it with optimism and joy. When others were too busy to care, Lucille was there and has always been there. She truly knows what a friend is and more than that what a Sister in Zion is all about.

A Swiss Memory

When I was growing up we lived in Germany for two of Dad's tours in the Army. The second time we were in Germany and our first summer back we decided to camp in the Black Forest of Germany. This was a region that we really hadn't ever been in before and we were really quite excited about going. Dad set the tent up in a light drizzle and then it rained and rained and rained. It rained so bad that even though Dad had trenched the tent properly, underneath the tent, it was so muddy it was like walking through several inches of mud but your feet stayed dry. Mom and Dad were concerned we might rupture the floor so we had to stay on the cots unless absolutely necessary. The final straw was Dad dropped a paring knife on the floor of the tent. Then every time someone walked there was a little fountain of water squirting up! Dad looked at us and said, "Does everyone have their passport?" We all did and he had his so we packed up our soaking wet tent and loaded up our white Ford Comet Station wagon (I think it was a 1961 and this was 1969 - we called it Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and we headed for Switzerland.

This is the summer we found the camping spot in Interlocken Switzerland that we would stay at every time we went back from then on. It was just at the base of the Jungfrau mountain and it was beautiful. The owners spoke broken English but it was the German part of Switzerland so we got along quite well. The owners took us into their family to the point that they even invited us into their home for home cooked cheese fondue (truly the best cheese fondue I have ever tasted and it was all from scratch - Marianne and I helped make it). They got us tickets to the "William Tell Pageant" an outdoor panorama of the retelling of how William Tell freed the Swiss and told us the sites to see. From then on - whenever we had any free time Switzerland was our choice to and this was the campsite we stayed at.

The next summer Bob had gone back to the States to work on our uncles farm. Marianne and I read in the tent and shopped at the little store for fresh brotchen and grape juice (or whatever fresh juice she had that day) and fresh cheese for our lunch. She also had some fresh goodies for our dessert. That was the summer I read REBECCA by Daphen DuMaurier and was so caught up in that book. It was a fun summer. Mom and Dad were able to go the temple several times because the Temple in Bern wasn't that far away. I am not sure what Marianne read but in the afternoons when Mom and Dad came back, we would go hiking and wandering around the area. That was also the year that Dad took us up the the Jungfrau. I laid on the side of mountain for over and hour and watched avalanches falling from this side of the Jungfrau. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

One of our other favorite destinations was Trummelbach Falls. This is truly indescribable. They are so fast and furious that they have cut deep into the side of the mountain. A tree that gets caught up in the falls at the top is ground to nothing by the time it hits the bottom. You would think there would be debris and twigs at the bottom of the falls where it meets the river - there is nothing - just a fast moving river. It is an amazing and truly breathtaking site.

What brought back this memory. I watched a PBS special on the trains of Switzerland. The one the other day was the one of the Jungfrau. I envy my sister, Marianne, because she and her husband were able to go back this last year and see some of our favorite sites. Switzerland will always have a soft spot in our hearts. Maybe it is because our 'Brugger' ancestors came from Switzerland.

Turesday Book Review

When I was in the first grade I was so far ahead of the rest of the class I was driving my teacher crazy. Finally one day out of desperation she handed me "The Bobbsey Twins". I loved it! I loved it so much I finished it in just a few days. So my dad took me to the bookstore on post and let me choose another. It was 50 cents. By the time I kind of grew out the Bobbsey Twins I had quite a collection. I then moved on to the Cherry Ames, Student Nurse - and read that series. When I was between second and third grade I found Anne of Green Gables. It was years before I found the whole series but I found the first 3 books that summer and devoured them. I couldn't believe anything could be so beautifully written. I guess because that was written by someone at the turn of the century, suddenly people thought I was ready for things by Dickens and Jane Austen. I wasn't. In fact because my teachers tried to force them on me too young I was turned off of them for many years. I am a person that has to find things on my own terms. When I do I embrace it wholeheartedly. If I am forced to do something - I will do it but only as far as I have to in order to squeak by. I have tried hard to overcome this quirk but it is there.

The current book that I have read I really recommend is "East" by Edith Pattou. It is a fantasy and fairy tale that both Clyde and I thoroughly enjoyed. Clyde is not a reader but even he found time to read this book. It was a book you just could not put down. It is written in different voices - which is not all that uncommon - but the way she did was really well done. Each person told their story beautifully. Apparently it is quite a popular book. As I have spoken with people about it, I am finding it is on reading lists for Middle Schools and the reading lists for libraries as well.

Monday's Heroes

This weekend was conference. I could pick a handful of heroes from the speakers because I have many favorites but I am going to pick a new hero. I know very little about her but I am always impressed. Her name is Silvia H. Allred, first counselor in the General Relief Society Presidency. Last year when she spoke at the Women's Conference she took me by surprise. I did not expect a sister from Central America and was blown away by her talk. This year I was ready for her -I thought. Once again I was blown away by her talk and then she spoke in General Conference. It was amazing. She is very unassuming in the typical Hispanic way but such a spiritual dynamo. She is utterly amazing in my book. I just had to mention her.

My real hero this week probably should have been the first hero I started with. It is my husband and sweetheart, Clyde Bailey. We have been married for almost 36 years but have been in each others lives for almost 37 years. From the moment I set eyes on him, the Spirit whispered to me that he was the one for me. That is why when things were rough and some were actually counseling me to bail on our marriage - I knew I shouldn't. The Lord had been in on our decision from the very beginning and if He wanted us together that bad then we needed to work things out so we could stay together. One of the things the Elder Russell M. Nelson said in his talk yesterday is that marriage is made up of two imperfect people. That is the case of This marriage in spades. But we have found our stride and we are happier than we have ever been.

I have stated this before but I am amazed (well not that amazed) at what a kind and compassionate bishop Clyde is. It has taken him a long time to get to this point in his life. We have several high maintenance people in our ward. They would drive me nuts but Clyde and our Relief Society President, Jennifer Mello have untold patience with them. They are the right people in the right places at the right time. Isn't it amazing how the Lord knows what he is doing?

The last month - up until just a few days ago - Clyde has been responsible for being bishop, his daily job and taking care of me. He has done a wonderful job. I have been extremely impressed with his meals and the sweet way he has taken care of me. It is time for me to take over again but I pushed to hard on Saturday and have been paying for it with bad pain in my leg ever since. I keep thinking I am further along in my recovery than I am. They said 6 weeks and I would be 75% I want it to be a month and 100%!

I am grateful for my husband. I am grateful for following the prompting of the Spirit and marrying him in the temple. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ because that has kept us together. We are not perfect but we have it pretty great. Hopefully soon things will completely be back to normal and I won't be sound asleep before he comes to bed and still asleep when he leaves in the morning. I need to start being a better wife and getting up for him at least.

Popi

My dad was named Popi by Carianne (our oldest child) when she was a baby. Her first words were Hi, Mama, Da and then suddenly Popi and it was meant for her grandfather. It stuck. The spelling came about because of my parents' maid, Leola. She addressed a gift for Christmas with the spelling and it stuck. In Spanish and Portuguese 'Papi' is and endearing term for Daddy or grandpa. I didn't know that until years later but I always thought it was interesting how our Hispanic friends in San Antonio never thought it was an unusual name while our Anglo friends did. Well, Duh! It is part of their culture.

All of our daughters' friends have called Dad, Popi. The funniest story I have ever heard was one my sister, Marianne told me. Juli Anna and Elise, I hope I have it somewhat right. Anna Osmond had been one of our daughters' really good friends in Ephraim (and like another daughter to me). Elise had been one of the family growing up in San Antonio as a child. Apparently they knew each other at BYU-Hawaii. When Elise was getting ready to go on her mission she mentioned that Popi was coming to her farewell. Anna said, "You know Popi?!" And so they did. One from her early childhood and other from her teens. The funny thing about this story is that they were so sure it was the right Popi and it was.

One of the lessons that my father - Popi - has taught me from a little girl is that we are always setting an example. Whether it is a good example or a bad example - someone is always watching us even when we are not aware. So what is wrong with always trying to set a good example - it isn't that hard? So many times I have had people come and tell me a story as simple as the one above - about my own life - where we simply crossed paths with mutual friends. What kind of example was I setting? I don't sit and worry about it but I do hope I have never hurt 'Popi's' good name.

Memory - My Parents

This isn't a specific memory. When I was growing up I knew I had the best parents in the world. I felt sorry for other people for not having my parents - especially my dad. Even my cousins I felt sorry for because they didn't luck out and get the better sibling. Then I got older and thought other people thought that way about their parents. I was really astonished to find out that very few do. I know of no one that felt their parents were superior to anyone else's at any point in their lives. It wasn't something my parents told me. It wasn't something my parent even instilled in me - this was an observation I came to all on my own. So finally when I was a young mother I realized for me I did have the best parents in the world - for me. There wasn't anything cocky about it but just a plain fact. I have always been grateful that I have had the parents that I have had. There were times I have had a hard time with my mother but then when I was able to start to read the symptoms of her illness I would realize that when she became snippy she was coming out of remission and we were in for a battle again. Unfortunately it took me a long time to read that sign and there were many years of hurt feelings because of that. I know now that if she had some control over it those words would have never happened. After Mom's death I found out my dad and I tried to protect each other. We would see the flare-ups start and so we would try and sheild each other so the other wouldn't be hurt. I love Dad more for protecting me.

I know that I was not nearly as good a mother to our daughters' as my mother was to my siblings and me. I am hoping that I can measure up and be as good a grandmother as my Omi Tuttle was to me and my mother was to our daughters' on her healthy days. If I can do half as well then I will know I am a success in this life. My whole life I have wanted to be 3 things, a wife, mother and a grandmother. I have accomplished these goals - the last one with the help of our daughters' and their husbands! I am lucky that in these life desires I can keep growing - they are not the end-all of all desires once they are attained.