The Picture Grinch

We were ready for a Christmas party and I asked Walt to pose for a pic before we left.  He agreed to ONE.  I asked for a second, he said no, and tried to leave.  Our son-in-law snapped a pic during our "compromise discussion".  I would like to share at this point, I have been called to be the Family Relations teacher on Sundays.  Need I say more?

Walt's Christmas 09 a Family Affair

Children,some Grandchildren, and myself worked hard to give Walt the office of his dreams for Christmas.  After I was no longer going to the Health Department, I noticed he was meeting clients and suppliers at our home office.  When I asked why he did not meet them at his shop office, he said, "because our home office is nicer."  Of all my Walt's many talents, decorating and organizing is not one of them...at all.  Thus, the seed was planted to give him the office of his dreams, but keeping it a secret was the hard part.  Well, that and getting him out of the way to accomplish the task.  This is where the oldest grandsons came in.  They bugged, bugged, and bugged until they got a comitment to take them hunting a couple of days before Christmas.  He had bishopric Tuesday evening, then the boys took him hunting the next day, and we were able to get to work on our plans.  Considering all he previously had was a desk, an old office chair, one antalope head and four empty walls, I think we pulled it off.  Every thing we used as decor was of a personal significance to him.  We went through old pictures and found photos of four of his rigs.  We found some great photos a client had taken of him drilling their well several years ago.  These went by his desk.  We enlarged some of his favorite photos he had taken with his camera while on the mountain.  A bow his father made for him was hung below a statement we had done in vinyl lettering over his window.  Old snow shoes he has used in snow, the first bow he made, and arrows he made and got a buck with.  I very seldom see him get tears in his eyes, but when he saw it, he was touched.  At our big Christmas Eve home evening, he stood and thanked everyone and said it was the best gift he has ever received in his entire life!

Personalized Christmas Ornaments

This Christmas season I had a first for many years.  My contracts with the SW Utah Public HealthDepartment were not renewed due to cut backs, I was released from my Stake calling, and my new ward calling does not begin until mid January.  Walt and I decided to give our families assorted food storage.  I dry packed 2 /#10 cans of sugar, oatmeal, macaroni, and refried beans.  BORING.   However, I had time to play with Christmas.  I took on the task of painting a personalized glass Christmas ornament for those who are through having children, namely Cori, Brandon, Sheena, and Natalie.  I ended up doing small one for Katy, even though they only have little Ivy.  I set up my work area upstairs with the big tv.   I watched movies, mostly holiday, and some chick flicks.  First, I decided on the theme and most certainly it had to be snowmen representing their family members.  I am good at whimsical snowmen and good at trees, so that set the theme.    After the making my key design, I hand- painted them with a speciality glass paint.  I was surprised at how much time these simple little ornaments took to finish.   I baked them in the oven,  let them cure, and then found the perfect gift box.  A hard card board box that can protect them through the years.

The Tree and Me

    I was asked to give a talk by my husband Walt who is 1st councilor in the Bishopric.  When he  asked me to speak and I told him NO.  On Christmas Eve, he asked if I remembered I was speaking and I asked him if he remembered I had said NO.   He is persuasive when he thinks he's right, so I spoke.  I was given the topic of the Restoration, and I narrowed it to testimony of the restoration.  A conversation I had with my sister- in -law Sharon Arnold, a few years ago, was brought to recall as I put my talk together.  She and I had been discussing challenges many have in staying committed to the Gospel.  She had explained that she thought they must have a "tradition- testimony and not a conversion- testimony".  I had never heard that term before, so I asked her to share more.  She explained that a traditional testimony would be one based on family traditions. A testimony of the importance of  activities that revolve around family such as baby blessings, baptism, attending church,  blessing on the food, family prayers, even accepting a calling because they have seen their mother and father serve.  She said the traditions are important, but a conversion- testimony is one based on personal knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith is a Prophet, and that the Priesthood was restored.    I was going to use Sharon's insight, and I had the talk somewhat together, when I woke up Sunday morning remembering a tree that had blown down in our neighbors front yard a few years ago.  I liked that tree and had tried to plant one similar in our front yard.  The next image was of me struggling to remove a misplaced cactus last year.  What was this all about?  It finally dawned on me I was being given a personal parable to share with my talk.  This morning I awoke with the impression to record it here.
    When our neighbors built a new house, they planted one tree in their front yard.  It was beautiful, shaded their windows from the harsh west sun in the summer, and dutifully dropped its' leaves allowing the sun to warm their home in the winter.  The first to put leaves on in Spring displayed almost a fluorescent green color and seemed to glitter.  It grew quickly and majestically within the next few years. One day a violent wind storm came and blew it down.  The next day I went over to see for myself.  I was amazed at how shallow and weak the roots had been.  They seemed so small in comparison to the attached strong tree trunk and limbs that had put on such a show for the last few years.
    I had wanted a tree like theirs, so I searched for the perfect specimen.  I did not want to spend a lot of money for huge one, so I found a tall one that had a good size trunk.  I placed it in the middle of some evergreens that I thought would not only add support, but would look terrific with the hedge surrounding it.  I thought about staking it well, but someone told me that it weakened them that the evergreen hedge would be enough.  It grew for several years.  I would watch it sway occasionally, and from time to time, I would have a little voice in my head tell me to stake it.  The experts must have been right, I reasoned.  Look how well it grows, straight and strong.  The tree's beauty could not be beat with the trimmed evergreens encircling it.  I don't know if the sudden storm was forecast, I only know it came blasted in as the sun was setting.  I still remember looking out the front window watching its that seemed to come so quickly out of nowhere.  I saw my tree swaying from side to side.  An alarm went off in my head that I must hurry and stake that tree.  I ran out in the sideways rain, thunder, and a wind so strong that I could hardly stand up. Defeated I ran back in the house.  I had not been at the window long when above the storm I heard the crack and saw the tree trunk shattering just a foot or so above the ground.  Why had I listened to the "experts"?  Why had not given this beautiful tree the support that it needed?   Sometimes I think of that tree when I have taught my own children, grandchildren, or been involved with youth in the church.  Do I depend too much on others to provide the support until a firm testimony is secured? 
    Last year I realized a cactus, in our zero scape front lawn, was getting too big.  It was supposed to be a little accent, but it now blocked the view of a large clay pot that we put in front of our window.  I typically am not a cactus lover, but when I saw this variety I changed my mind.  It was purple with streaks of green, beautiful in it's own right, but it needed to go.  Due to it not being that large, I thought I would save it, find another spot or give it to someone who valued it.  I planned my removal early during the cool morning long before the sun hit the front of the house,  After much digging, and many shovels full of dirt, I realized I had not loosened much of the root, let alone got it to the point of transplanting.  When the shade disappeared, I soon abandoned my goal of gently transplanting and went into attack mode.  The root system was dense and deep, and the outer root layer thick and protective.  My shovel was a tough one, but was bending at the base.  I was afraid it would break, so I went in search of the perfect tool.   I emerged with a sharp bar, a sledge hammer, and leather gloves to my elbow.    I was now armed for battle.   As the roots began to give way, I was amazed at how heavy they were.  I had to chunk them into smaller pieces, so I could toss them into a large wheeled industrial trash bin that quickly filled to over flowing.  After the murder was over, I tried to wheel the bin to the curb and could hardly move it.  I looked into this now massive hole and could still see little roots that dripped water.  It was as if they were tears and the cactus was of saying it could have endured for countless years, if only I had left it alone.
     Traditional testimony is good, but it cannot endure on its' own.  Just like the tree, it looks good, feels good, and can even bring limited joy, but when winds of adversity come it cannot stand on it's own.  A testimony built on personal conversion is like my purple cactus.  A testimony that protects itself from the harsh erosion of the world, one whose roots are deep, keeping a reservoir of living water for the rough times.  One of my favorite scriptures I memorized years ago is Helaman 5:12. "...it is upon the rock of our Redeemer...  ye must build your sure foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you...."  May I, as well as my family, strengthen our testimony- roots and add to our reservoir of living water.

If You Dream It Will Come

I dreamed of a white Christmas and it happened!  This southern area I live in is great.  People come here to hike, bike, and get out of the snow.  Many a year, I have picked flowers in November and early December, but not this year.  IT SNOWED, not a lot, but it snowed.  Here is a picture of a rose in our back yard.  I asked Walt to take a picture before the sun melted it.  Here is the proof.

My Sister Robin's Visit

Don, my sister Robin Hollingsworth's husband, came home from Iraq.  Since her massive stroke almost a year ago, his returning home is such a blessing.  They decided to travel from Caldwell Idaho to Pheonix, Arizona for Thanksgiving, then on for a cruise out of San Diego.  It was sweet to see them for their night stay at our home.  Robin is walking without assistance, talking much better, and hopefully, she will get more use from her arm as time passes.  Her words are much clearer and she tried hard to visit with all our family.  We had a Mexican Fiesta to commemorate her visit.  Most of our family had not seen her since her stroke.  Our grandson Jade even missed his football championship party to be at our family gathering.   My family all hugged Robin before they left to get the kids in bed for school the next day.  My children and grandchildren have always valued extended family visits, dinners, etc.  I pondered that fact after they all left.  I know other "grandparents", such as Walt and I, who complain that their children do not support them in family functions such as we had for Robin and Don.  As I have thought about it, the reason is Walt and I have always valued our relationship with our siblings.  We hold them as most precious.  We speak well of them, we enjoy being with them, and we have supported them in as many of their special or non- special times as we can, even when it is not convenient or costly.  Because of that, our children value with each other and their aunts and uncles.  As I have observed seemingly snubs, or judging, or most common apathy displayed by adults to their brothers and sisters, I wonder if they realize the way they treat and value their siblings is exactly how their own children are going to treat each other when they are all out of the nest.

Farm Chores

Funny how things don't dawn on you when you are young, at least not me. It never occured to me until after I blogged this week that there was such a clear demarkation in our home on women's work and men's. Even before my brother's comments on my Dreamin of a White Christmas blog, I woke up that morning thinking about how Dad never did ask me to help with barnyard daily chores. I must admit that it never crossed my mind either. My contribution was to wash the milkers, when our herd was small.  Of course, harvest was another story, every one was supposed to pitch in during harvest. Who could ever forget my help driving the stick shift on the hay truck turning those corners or pole vaulting over a bump sending the hay or straw load to the ground? I recall many gentle words of encouragement yelled from the back of the truck bed from my brothers.  Words that my brother Steve could not repeat when he went on a mission.   However, Dad must have thought my speciality was picking potatoes, sorting potatoes, or cutting seed potatoes for planting. Also, I earned my VSW.  I became a Very Special Weeder, pulling weeds that took two hands and all my body weight to get out. You know, the ones that got the most water at the end of the rows. I can't recall why some got so big, but my guess is that Dad started to tell me to get out there and get weeding those potatoes, but I had better things to do at the time. I do remember hoeing, but the memorable ones were the big pig weeds. I do not recall hearing the word allergy until I moved to this dry southern area, but do I remember having it during weeding assignments! I just did not know what to call it. I would be so red itchey eyed and spoltch swollen, I thought I could not take another minute and the row had seemed to grow to at least a mile long.   Of course, it did not help that I wore shorts and something sleeveless, so I could get a tan. A "Penny tan" where my freckles on my naturally pale skin would blend closer to one another.   There was dumb and then there was dumber.  Now I am an adult, I call it learning "line upon line, precept upon precept".  If I am allergic, I don't go out in the stuff.  If the sun is baking, it had better not be my cancer- prone skin.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

   The weather man said that it would snow in St. George Utah last night into today.  It rained.  I thought it would get cold enough to turn to snow during the night, so when I woke up at 4 a.m. I excitedly peeked outside to see the snow.  Nothing.  Don't get me wrong, I like where I ended up with this southern man I married, but December has to have some white stuff.  My favorite non-religious Christmas song has always been (since I moved here)  I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.  Walt has often reminded me that a warm and dry Christmas is better.  The kids can play outside with their presents, but most importantly, husbands can do "man things" in the afternoon like go shooting. 
   I was raised in snow country on a farm southeast of Rexburg Idaho. Every Christmas I experienced had a blanket of white.  I remember looking out a large window in our living room watching the snow fall soft and gentle or sometimes sideways and hard against the glass.  Some years the snowy roof of the barn dissappeared seamlessly into a huge drift at its side. The farm animals, mostly cows, seemed to breathe white frosty clouds as did my father and two brothers as they dutifully did the chores morning and evening in the cold dark winter.  I felt sorry for them, when even on Christmas, the cows had to be milked, calves and live stock fed.  Mother would always have a hot delicious meal waiting to serve just as soon as they peeled off the layer of winter gloves, boots, and coats. 
   I knew people who did fun winter sports like skiing. I could only think of one word to describe them back then...what was that word?  Oh yeah, rich.   We could never afford the skis let alone the lift charges.  Our winter sport was to dig  a snow fort into the drifts, or when we had a horse, hook a rope from a sleigh to the saddle horn and slide through the field.  The farm had belonged to Grandpa & Grandma Arnold, before Daddy bought it from them, so I have many very early memories of playing in the snow.   The snow clothing then were not superior as now.  My indicator of when it was time to go into the house was when I was totally wet.  I remember standing by Grandma's coal stove and seeing steam come off my clothing.  After such a snow adventure, hot cocoa was ladeled right out of the pan where it had been made from scratch with whole fresh milk and cream.  Hot Cocoa is the first recipe I was taught to make when I was about 8 years old.  No powdered mix in those days.  So today, perhaps I will make a cup of hot chocolate, watch the rain, and dream of a white Christmas.

Government Corruption

I want a record for my children's children, so they will know I stood for freedom, truth, and considered living in this land one of my greatest blessings. I decided to begin making a record of what is currently happening to America, during my lifetime, destroying the foundation of freedom our founding fathers sacrificed to build. What seemed as a trickle of corruption a few years ago is now as a tidal wave threatening to destroy and shred the constitution. The Obama administration does not even seem to try to hide the corruption anymore. It is as if they know those of us who care can not really do anything to stop them. The following is a list of just some advisors he has put in positions of power. They do not represent the values I and my husband hold to. They represent all that we abhore.

Richard Holbrooke
Afghanistan Czar Ultra liberal anti gun former Gov. of New Mexico. Pro Abortion and legal drug use.

Ed Montgomery
Auto recovery Czar Black radical anti business activist. Affirmative Action and Job Preference for blacks. Univ of Maryland Business School Dean teaches US business has caused world poverty. ACORN board member. Communist DuBois Club member.

Jeffrey Crowley
AIDS Czar Homosexual. A Gay Rights activist. Believes in Gay Marriage and Special Status, including free health care for gays.

Alan Bersin
Border Czar former failed superintendent of San Diego . Ultra Liberal friend of Hilary Clinton. Served as Border Czar under Janet Reno ? to keep borders open to illegal?s

David J. Hayes
California Water Czar Sr. Fellow of radical environmentalist group, ?Progress Policy?. No training or experience in water management.

Ron Bloom
Car Czar Auto Union worker. Anti business & anti nuclear. Has worked hard to force US auto makers out of business. Sits on the Board of Chrysler which is now Auto Union owned. How did this happen?

Dennis Ross
Central Region Czar Believes US policy has caused Mid East wars. Obama apologist to the world. Anti gun and pro abortion.

Lynn Rosenthal
Domestic Violence Czar Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Vicious anti male feminist. Supported male castration.

Gil Kerlikowske
Drug Czar devoted lobbyist for every restrictive gun law proposal, Former Chief of Police in Liberal Seattle. Believes no American should own a firearm. Supports legalization of drugs


Carol Brower Energy and Environment Czar
Political Radical Former head of EPA - known for anti-business activism. Strong anti-gun ownership. SOCIALIST on Commission for a Sustainable World Society, which calls for "global governance" and says rich countries must shrink their economies to address climate change.

Joshua DuBois
Faith Based Czar Political Black activist-Degree in Black Nationalism?seek a separate black nation.. Anti gun ownership lobbyist.

Cameron Davis
Great Lakes Czar Chicago radical anti business environmentalist. Blames George Bush for ?Poisoning the water that minorities have to drink.? No experience or training in w ater management. Former ACORN Board member

Van Jones
Green Jobs Czar
(since resigned). Black activist Member of American communist Party and San Francisco Communist Party who said Geo Bush caused the 911 attack and wanted Bush investigated by the World Court for war crimes. MARXIST, said whites are poisoning blacks, said transformation from ?suicidal gray capitalism to econ-capitalism to the complete redistribution of wealth.? Black activist with strong anti-white views.

Daniel Fried
Guantanamo Closure Czar
Rights activist for Foreign Terrorists. Believes America has caused the war on terrorism.

Nancy-Ann DeParle.
Health Czar
Former head of Medicare / Medicaid. Strong Health Care Rationing proponent. She is married to a reporter for The New York Times.

Vivek Kundra
Information Czar born in New Delhi, India. Controls all public information, including labels and news releases. Monitors all private Internet emails.

Todd Stern
International Climate Czar Anti business former White House chief of Staff- Strong supporter of the Kyoto Accord. Pushing hard for Cap and Trade. Blames US business for Global warming.

Dennis Blair
Intelligence Czar Ret Navy. Stopped US guided missile program as ?provocative?. Chair of ultra liberal ?Council on Foreign Relations? which blames American organizations for regional wars.

George Mitchell
Mideast Peace Czar Fmr. Sen from Maine Left wing radical. Has said Israel should be split up into ?2 or 3 ? smaller more manageable plots?. Anti-nuclear anti-gun & pro homosexual

Kenneth Feinberg
Pay Czar Chief of Staff to TED KENNEDY. Lawyer who got rich off the 911 victims payoffs.

Cass Sunstein
Regulatory Czar Liberal activist judge believes free speech needs to be limited for the ?common good?. Rules against personal freedoms many times ?like private gun ownership. Says animals should be able to sue people. Anti-hunting..

John Holdren
Science Czar Fierce ideological environmentalist, Sierra Club, Anti business activist. Claims US business has caused world poverty. No Science training. OK to abort a child until the age of two. Thinks TREES should be able to sue humans.

Earl Devaney
Stimulus Accountability Czar spent career trying to take guns away from American citizens. Believes in Open Borders to Mexico . Author of statement blaming US gun stores for drug war in Mexico .

J. Scott Gration
Sudan Czar Native of Democratic Republic of Congo. Believes US does little to help Third World countries. Council of foreign relations, asking for higher US taxes to support United Nations

Herb Allison
TARP Czar Fannie May CEO responsible for the US recession by using real estate mortgages to back up the US stock market. Caused millions of people to lose their life savings.

John Brennan
Terrorism Czar Anti CIA activist. No training in diplomatic or gov. affairs. Believes Open Borders to Mexico and a dialog with terrorists and has suggested Obama disband US military

Aneesh Chopra
Technology Czar No Technology training. Worked for the Advisory Board Company, a health care think tank for hospitals. Anti doctor activist. Supports Obama Health care Rationing and salaried doctors working exclusively for the Gov. health care plan

Adolfo Carrion Jr.
Urban Affairs Czar Puerto Rican. Anti American activist and leftist group member in Latin America . Millionaire ?slum lord? of the Bronx , NY. Owns many lavish homes and condos which he got from ?sweetheart? deals with labor unions. Wants higher taxes to pay for minority housing and health care

Ashton Carter
Weapons Czar Leftist. Wants all private weapons in US destroyed. Supports UN ban on firearms ownership in America . No Other ?policy?

Gary Samore
WMD Policy Czar Former US Communist. Wants US to destroy all WMD unilaterally as a show of good faith. Has no other ?policy?.

Kevin Jennings SAFE SCHOOL CZARS As a teacher when a 15 year year said he was having sex with an older man, instead of turning in the man?the law for a teacher, he asked how it was going and suggested they use condoms. Held a conference with the MAXIMUM age of 18 to teach homosexual issues like ?fisting.? Wrote the intro to the book, ?Queering Elementary Education.? Has repeatedly praised and claims to be inspired by Harry Hay, early supporter of NAMBLA, (North American Man Boy Love Association).

Goodbye Washington Stake RS

I was released from serving as Stake RS President in stake conference and today was really my first Sunday back into my ward.  It felt so good.  I introduced myself to a young woman in relief society.  I asked if she was new and she said she had been in the ward for a long time.  I simply shook her hand and told her I hadn't.  Last year I attended our ward and new door greeters shook my hand.  They did not know me, and asked if I was new.  I told them who I was and thought they might pick up on the Cluff last name, as my hubby serves as first councilor in the Bishopric, laughingly telling them I don't make it very much.  They then told me all about how they used to be inactive TOO.
   I coud not leave this part of my life experience without acknowledging the wonderful councilors and secretary I was blessed to have before the Stake split and they went into the other stake.  Helen Lund was my capable and inspired 1st councilor and Cinda Peterson served as secretary.  I learned so much from them and treasure our experiences.  One of the most spiritual experiences I had in my life was regarding the names .to present for those to serve with me . when I was first called.  I look back on it and am still astounded at how powerful the spirit can be in such things.  When I was asked to come up with the names and present them for consideration, I had a major brain freeze.  I drew a blank, explaining that I knew many in my own ward, but few in the stake.  (After I came up with the names, I could think of many woman outside my ward who would have served very well.) The Stake President said he could take care of that problem and handed me the names of every woman in the Stake.  The Stake at that time was 15 wards, there were over 3,000 names.  I went to the temple with the list and came out with two names.  I wrote the President a note with the names and these words.  "Here are two names.  I do not know them, nor do I even know if they are active in the Church."  He let me know they were both "faithful and valient woman" and he would be immediately making the call.  I did not meet either of them until after they had accepted the call.  Helen Lund had been hit by a car a couple of years before, breaking everything below her waist.  She came to my home for our first presidency meeting on a cane and could hardly get out of her car.  She could not kneel for prayer for many months.  In her setting apart, she was promised healing due to her faithfulness to serve. She became the Stake RS President of the new stake when it was created  two years later.  She is a walking miracle and was a joy to serve with.