Two Pure Joy Moments

After a month of hurt with my arm, I have experienced a hectic but fun Thanksgiving, several weeks of  ball games for grandson's Brad, Morgan, and Logan, and last but not least, ornament- making family home evening last night with unexpected attendance of Jessi, Cody, and Emma from Provo.   All wonderful, but I was exhausted this morning.   I took time for a short thank- you -prayer and asked to feel joy today.   After cleaning the house and gathering lost and founds, I decided to return Nati's jacket on my way to run errands.  No one was home and she asked me to just go in and leave it.  After placing it on her sofa, her beautiful tree caught my attention so I went over to see if the ornaments from last night were on her tree yet.  I soon found myself studying many ornaments from years past, most made at my home.  Brad and Morgan's name and year carefully recorded on the back.  Then I noticed older handmade ornaments Nati had made when she was a child.  She had carefully placed them at the top of the tree, some made of clay, some of wood, some of fabric.  In my minds eye, I was once again sitting with my little ones around the kitchen table, no care for perfection, but just simply guiding them as they did their best to make an ornament they would display with pride.  Little did I know back then I was starting a tradition that would stretch into the next generation.    Then it came, an unexpected saturating indescribable feeling of pure joy.  Then on my way to a fabric store, a lady caught my eye.  She was limping, but with a good arm carrying a small bag of groceries.  As I got closer, I saw she was holding the other arm in front of her, the fingers curled, her wrinkle-free face pulled lower on one side.  She was a young stroke victim obviously on her way to the low-income apartments that are behind the grocery store.  I immediately thought of my sister Robin, she having experienced a stroke only in her forties.  I was suddenly struck with the contrast.  My sister lives in a beautiful one level home that she can navigate well even since her stroke.  Even with limited use of an arm and leg, she has taught herself to drive her car again.   I thought about how blessed she has been to have a daughter living right next door, the rest of her family within close proximity, and a son and son-in-laws to help if she needs it.  Then  it came, the saturation of pure joy in my whole being for the blessings my sister has been given.  My simple heavenly request to feel joy today had been granted not once but twice.

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!

Pumpkins Hanging on the Apricot Tree

Ever since  our children were old enough to hold a spoon, we have carved pumpkins for  home evening activity on Monday before Halloween.  What started as Walt, myself, and toddler Cori Ann has now grown to 25 people weilding spoons and carving knives.  My sister came for a visit a few years ago and spent our memorable Halloween evening with our family.  She laughed and teased us in that she had "never attended a halloween gathering where the lights went out, scarey pumpkins were lit, and then singing primary songs ."  This year we added our own Cluff rendition of Pumpkins Hanging on the Apricot Tree. 

"I looked out my window and what did I see?  Pumpkins hanging on the apricot tree. 

Fall had brought me such a nice surpirse, pumpkins hanging right before my eyes. 

I can take an arm full and make a treat.  A pumpkin pie that would smell so sweet.  It wasn't really so, but it seemed to be.  Pumpkins hanging  on  the apricot tree."  At least at the Walt & Penny Cluff house.