From Melanie to Myrna (A Reply to Help)

So...remember when I was a teenager and we would occasionally find ourselves watching television together? You would cry when certain commercials came on. Every time we watched the Kleenex commercial, you cried...I mean EVERY time. I said something to you one time and you got up, angry with me because I told you that you had seen the commercial about fifty times, and you didn't need to cry over it anymore. I think I said something like, "Oh, my, gosh...get over it all ready." You cried more. Before you stormed off you said something along the lines of, "I can't wait until you have children, and the doctors hook your tear ducts up." I think you prayed for that...because it happened. :)

What you are telling me sounds like the Mom I remember from my youth. Not someone who is weak, just someone who is connected. I would rather you cry, than not feel connected. As for the worry part...I think Grandma Smith told you that you were a ninety year old woman who worried too much, and you were a young mother at the time. Old dogs continue to perform their old tricks? You can dress a monkey in pearls and a skirt and it's still a monkey? Even when you took Zoloft you worried....

As to the Elderly. We are supposed to feel for them. President Monson still tears up when he talks of his visits with his 85 widows. He talks tenderly of them and about them. We don't need to worry for them though. I believe the Lord has them here to teach us lessons, like he does of the mentally handicapped. We know they are precious in the sight of God. They are being reserved here on earth to earn their bodies. Maybe their spirits need more time for refinement...we will know all things soon enough. For now, enjoy them. 

One time when I was holding Dorothy H.'s hand, I was talking with her and telling her about my busy morning. She hasn't been able to talk for ten years. While I was explaining to her why I not as happy as usually, she looked in to my eyes, gave my hand the biggest squeeze that she had been able to ever give, and smiled. I looked in to her beautiful blue eyes, and the spirit bore testimony to me that God knew her. I then had the impression that I was supposed to tell her that. I said, "Dorothy, I know God loves you. He is mindful of you and He hasn't forgotten you." She started to cry. I started to cry. Whenever I walked in the room after that, she would find me and hold my hand. I still cry when I think of that moment. Whenever I was with those people, I treasured my time. I would be so sad when I would go in one day, and find out that one of my best friends had died. At first it affected me greatly, then I realized how happy they were to be rid of that infirm body and to once again be reunited with spouses and children who had passed on before. 

In the research that I have done, the music that we have loved for years and sung for years: hymns, Primary songs, patriotic songs, etc. are keys to unlocking the mind. There were many patients that I worked with that were content to sit and observe, not being able to speak or communicate in any way, but as soon as I started singing songs from the 40s or 50s, hymns or play songs, there would be a spark in their eyes, and they would start moving their hands and singing along. When I was singing to a woman named Rita, she started singing with me. Her daughter, who visited multiple times a week, walked in, stopped and listened to us (I couldn't see her, she was behind me). Rita looked up to her and sang her a song. The daughter commenced to sob. It was the first time in years that she had heard anything other than babbles coming from her mom. The daughter continues to sing to her mom daily as part of their morning routine, and they share many smiles and hugs afterward. 

I have been studying about hope. There is so little of it in our world anymore...and because their is so little, people despair. 

Elder Uchtdor spoke in the April 2013 General Conference about Hope. 
"There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.

"This is 'the Spirit of Jesus Christ,' which gives 'light to every man that cometh into the world.' Nevertheless, spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the Light of Christ. Spiritual light cannot be discerned by carnal eyes. Jesus Christ Himself taught, 'I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.' For 'the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'

"...The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, in that moment, the hope of His light will begin to awaken, enliven, and ennoble your soul. The darkness may not dissipate all at once, but as surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come....Lift up your soul in prayer and explain to your Heavenly Father what you are feeling. Acknowledge your shortcomings. Pour out your heart and express your gratitude. Let Him know of the trials you are facing. Plead with Him in Christ’s name for strength and support. Ask that your ears may be opened, that you may hear His voice. Ask that your eyes may be opened, that you may see His light" ("The Hope of God's Light," Ensign, May 2013, 75). 

"Hope is a thing with feathers, that perches in the heart." ~ Emily Dickinson

Allow yourself to feel hope. Mom...worry about the things you can change. AnnMarie will tell you that. I know she worries, but she knows that she is one person who can only do so much, and where she falls short, she asks for God's help. Wherever you don't feel like you have hope, it is the adversary working on you. Where faith and hope are, fear and doubt can not reside. Instead of gardening a weed bed of fear and doubt, plant flowers of hope and faith. Hope on. 

Love you much!

Mel

I escaped the Grim Reaper again! (Knock on wood.)‏

I am OK. The radiologist was at the hospital this morning. Therefore, she was there to give a review of the mammogram the technician made of the left breast. I just have dense tissue and she did not even have me take the sonogram, even though one had been ordered.

I called to make an appointment at the hospital Friday, after I received a letter that there was a problem and I needed to have further tests done. I couldn't get in until the 14th. I did find out, from Julie, that there is a woman's clinic at Utah Valley. However, you have to have a doctor's referral if you got a letter telling you that you needed follow up attention. 

I called Dr. Jones and requested one. Dad and I both wanted to know what was happening sooner than the 14th. Shawna, his nurse, said she thought that I was going to be just fine and I would not need to go north. However, she talked to Dr. Jones. He said the baseline and all of my information were in Nephi and he thought I should stay. However, he knew the radiologist was at the hospital that morning. He came on the line and talked to me. He pulled strings so I could be seen at 11:30 a.m. and get the results right away. I saw him rushing down the hallway right after I had finished and I was able to thank him.

Apparently I have "dense" tissue. This was the same area that, in 2007, caused concern. I do need to make certain that I go in every year and not in 18-months the way I have been doing. Although the radiologist said that she recommends "every year or so" for postmenopausal women. In the hallway, Dr. Jones said that I should be on the every year schedule and he would see that I was sent a card annually to remind me. I used to go every December, my birth month, but decided, this year, to change to May for Mother's Day. It is less hectic.

I feel blessed. I may have to suffer from some problem in the future but, for now, I am spared.

Melanie wrote: Just as I thought. Thank you for gifting to me that fibrous, dense tissue.

Myrna wrote to Melanie: Who would have thought you would get that from me? I told Dad that I barely have any tissue so I don't understand why what I do have is fibrous and dense.

David Childs wrote: Good news!  Every hurdle cleared is always good news.

Take care - I love you! :)

Myrna wrote to David: You are right. Thanks for the cheery outlook. I need you in my life. I love you!

Amy Jacobs Trauntvein wrote: Yes, you should be going every year!!!  I'm glad that things worked out. If you do ever decide to come up north I could do yours for you and get the Dr. to look at it right then also.  Let me know.

Amy

Myrna wrote: Amy:  It sounds like a good idea to me!

Well, so now I get to worry.

Mom, 
I went through the same thing last year. I did go to a women's center, and they always read the scans twice, and called me back. Some women's breast tissue is dense (like mine) and fibrous (which I think you told me yours was), which leads them to want to look more in depth. Some insurance companies haggle over the follow up reading, which is dumb. Yes, it is now your responsibility to call your insurance company and check on the coverage and what claims you have the right to. Good thing with Obama care, this should be covered. 

I actually found your choice of words quite funny, "soonest they can squeeze me in..." 

I will pray for you. I know first hand how un-nerving these tests are. 

Mel

Myrna wrote: And, unlike your mom, you just handled it. I could have worried and prayed with you if I had known. You are so brave. This is the second time that this has happened to me.

"Squeeze." Some unintended puns are better than planned ones. Hehe.

As the doctor told me, nothing is certain in this world, but some good things in our lives make our chances of any form of cancer smaller:

Myrna wrote: 

1. We have never smoked.
2. We don't consume alcohol.
3. We eat healthy foods, and have stayed within healthy weight ranges for most of our lives.
4. We had multiple pregnancies and nursed for many years.
5. We take preventive action, which will increase our mortality.
6. We exercise which reduces our chances of breast cancer by nearly 45%. 

All of those factors give us more hope than fear. Even at the risk of having breast cancer, it has a 90% survival rate, if detected early. Howard's sister is a cancer survivor of 22 years. I have friends in Massachusetts who are survivors of breast cancer, and have happy, productive lives...still serving at the temple and helping with grandchildren. 

Glad you found your word choice humorous as well. 

Mel

Myrna wrote: Thanks for the information and encouraging words. Dr. Jones called a few minutes ago and told me that he was trying to "squeeze" me into today's lineup so that the procedure could be done more quickly. He did not want me to go north because they have all my baseline information here. I laughed at his word choice, as well. He then giggled and said he would "fit" me in. Then he said, "There are no good word choices here."

Melanie wrote: Humor is a panacea. :)

Now I Get to Worry!

I just got the results of my mammography back printed on pretty pink paper and enclosed in a pretty pink envelope. I was told that I need to get a further mammography and an ultrasound of the left breast. So I called the hospital in Nephi. The soonest they can squeeze me in is on the 14th at 10 a.m. The scare that the letter puts into you to go right away must only mean that you stay scared for two weeks.

"This may require additional authorization from your insurance company." And just what does that mean? "It is your responsibility to inform any new health care provider of the date and location of this examination."

This is exactly what I went through once before. Julie suggested that I bypass my hospital here and go up to the Woman's Center at Utah Valley Hospital where they do on-site evaluations after the ultrasound and mammography are finished and then talk to you right away so that you do not have to wait on pins and needles for one more week, which is what I would have to do here.

I think I will call them in the a.m. and find out what I could do. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I already felt too mortal and that life was too short. So here I get to worry.

Because of Charlotte and my dad's oldest sister, who died with breast cancer, I am considered at "increased risk" over the general populace.

To Myrna from Melanie (A Reply to Help)

So...remember when I was a teenager and we would occasionally find ourselves watching television together? You would cry when certain commercials came on. Every time we watched the Kleenex commercial, you cried...I mean EVERY time. I said something to you one time and you got up, angry with me because I told you that you had seen the commercial about fifty times, and you didn't need to cry over it anymore. I think I said something like, "Oh, my, gosh...get over it all ready." You cried more. Before you stormed off you said something along the lines of, "I can't wait until you have children, and the doctors hook your tear ducts up." I think you prayed for that...because it happened. :)

What you are telling me sounds like the Mom I remember from my youth. Not someone who is weak, just someone who is connected. I would rather you cry, than not feel connected. As for the worry part...I think Grandma Smith told you that you were a ninety year old woman who worried too much, and you were a young mother at the time. Old dogs continue to perform their old tricks? You can dress a monkey in pearls and a skirt and it's still a monkey? Even when you took Zoloft you worried....

As to the Elderly. We are supposed to feel for them. President Monson still tears up when he talks of his visits with his 85 widows. He talks tenderly of them and about them. We don't need to worry for them though. I believe the Lord has them here to teach us lessons, like he does of the mentally handicapped. We know they are precious in the sight of God. They are being reserved here on earth to earn their bodies. Maybe their spirits need more time for refinement...we will know all things soon enough. For now, enjoy them. 

One time when I was holding Dorothy H.'s hand, I was talking with her and telling her about my busy morning. She hasn't been able to talk for ten years. While I was explaining to her why I not as happy as usually, she looked in to my eyes, gave my hand the biggest squeeze that she had been able to ever give, and smiled. I looked in to her beautiful blue eyes, and the spirit bore testimony to me that God knew her. I then had the impression that I was supposed to tell her that. I said, "Dorothy, I know God loves you. He is mindful of you and He hasn't forgotten you." She started to cry. I started to cry. Whenever I walked in the room after that, she would find me and hold my hand. I still cry when I think of that moment. Whenever I was with those people, I treasured my time. I would be so sad when I would go in one day, and find out that one of my best friends had died. At first it affected me greatly, then I realized how happy they were to be rid of that infirm body and to once again be reunited with spouses and children who had passed on before. 

In the research that I have done, the music that we have loved for years and sung for years: hymns, Primary songs, patriotic songs, etc. are keys to unlocking the mind. There were many patients that I worked with that were content to sit and observe, not being able to speak or communicate in any way, but as soon as I started singing songs from the 40s or 50s, hymns or play songs, there would be a spark in their eyes, and they would start moving their hands and singing along. When I was singing to a woman named Rita, she started singing with me. Her daughter, who visited multiple times a week, walked in, stopped and listened to us (I couldn't see her, she was behind me). Rita looked up to her and sang her a song. The daughter commenced to sob. It was the first time in years that she had heard anything other than babbles coming from her mom. The daughter continues to sing to her mom daily as part of their morning routine, and they share many smiles and hugs afterward. 

I have been studying about hope. There is so little of it in our world anymore...and because their is so little, people despair. 

Elder Uchtdorf spoke in the April 2013 General Conference about Hope. 

"There may be some among you who feel darkness encroaching upon you. You may feel burdened by worry, fear, or doubt. To you and to all of us, I repeat a wonderful and certain truth: God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn. "This is 'the Spirit of Jesus Christ,' which gives 'light to every man that cometh into the world.' Nevertheless, spiritual light rarely comes to those who merely sit in darkness waiting for someone to flip a switch. It takes an act of faith to open our eyes to the Light of Christ. Spiritual light cannot be discerned by carnal eyes. Jesus Christ Himself taught, 'I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.' For 'the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.'

"...The very moment you begin to seek your Heavenly Father, in that moment, the hope of His light will begin to awaken, enliven, and ennoble your soul. The darkness may not dissipate all at once, but as surely as night always gives way to dawn, the light will come....Lift up your soul in prayer and explain to your Heavenly Father what you are feeling. Acknowledge your shortcomings. Pour out your heart and express your gratitude. Let Him know of the trials you are facing. Plead with Him in Christ’s name for strength and support. Ask that your ears may be opened, that you may hear His voice. Ask that your eyes may be opened, that you may see His light" ("The Hope of God's Light," Ensign, May 2013, 75). 

"Hope is a thing with feathers, that perches in the heart." ~ Emily Dickinson

Allow yourself to feel hope. Mom...worry about the things you can change. AnnMarie will tell you that. I know she worries, but she knows that she is one person who can only do so much, and where she falls short, she asks for God's help. Wherever you don't feel like you have hope, it is the adversary working on you. Where faith and hope are, fear and doubt can not reside. Instead of gardening a weed bed of fear and doubt, plant flowers of hope and faith. Hope on. 

Love you much!

Mel

Myrna wrote: I'm printing this off to read over and over. You have given me the perfect answer and I do appreciate your words, your time and your love. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father sent you to bless my life. I love you! Mom

Tears

I stopped taking Zoloft last year. The only problem is that now I feel anxious lots of the time. I don't know if it is because of that or just because I have gotten old. (AnnMarie told me, when I cried when I was telling her about Gay Sperry at the assisted living center, that it is just what women my age do.) However, I don't know many of the old women I work with on a weekly basis at the temple who are like this. I seem to cry at the least provocation. I have joined the tearful at church. I have some concerns about myself.

Dr. Mark Jones, my local GP, said he did not think that those symptoms were worth taking medication because I am not really depressed. Nevertheless, Dad keeps telling me that I can just "be happy" if I choose to be. However, last night he said, that I needed to stop crying and if I took a pill it might help.

Things worry me. For example, we were supposed to watch Julie's kids just on Wednesday day so that she could go to Scout daycamp. We will also have AnnMarie's two youngest and will have David's three (he is going to a friend's wedding in ElPaso to be bestman. Bree is matron-of-honor. Julie is certain that something horrible will happen because I will not have enough control. Dad, she said, doesn't really tend kids well. So I cried.

We have our temple devotional on Sunday but have decided that it is more important to be with David's kids who don't really like to go to church here anyway. I concurred with the decision but then I cried.

Providing Sacrament Meeting at the assisted living center is, in some ways, a joy. In other ways, it makes me cry. I see the folks I have worked with for so many years, dying by inches and, many of them, losing their identity. AnnMarie said that the their spirits are still there and they are but they have no memory and I wonder how they even manage to keep breathing. Yet, a few can still sing all the words to the hymns (we help them find the pages because it makes them happy but they do not read the words).

I also know that I will die in the next few years. I just will. So will Dad. I tease that I have 30-years worth of projects ahead but I do not have that long to live. I love being alive. I like being with grandkids and watching, even from afar, as they succeed. If Dad goes first, I wonder how brave I can be. I really don't enjoy being alone. At one time, it didn't bother me to have alone time. Now I usually go find where he is.

I love working at the temple. I work with great people with strong testimonies. I get teary-eyed there, as well. We are doing the Adam and Eve part quite often because everyone knows that we will be moving to Payson Temple, and maybe they won't even need us as workers. If they do, we will not get to do those parts ever again. That makes me cry.

I wonder, also, what I have done with my life. I seem to have spent it, somehow. I am like Garth, "Have I been good enough?" Sometimes I have not been.

I cry when I am happy. I cry when I am proud of my loved ones. I cry when I am spiritual. I cry when I am sentimental. I cry when I am worried. I cry when I am angry. I cry when I am sick. I cry when I am sad. I cry.

So there you have it, I just cry a lot.

Peace

I tell everyone that I like peace.

Once though, when one of my nearly grown-up sons had been talking to me, what was being said made me quite upset. Obviously I have a temper. I have been working to control it for all these many years. I am still working on it.

When I was young, my Grandmother Smith said to me, more than once, words more or less like this: “If the feeling welling up inside you is hot, vial and angry and you feel like hitting someone--that is not the Holy Ghost. He speaks in a still, small voice, is calming and teaches us to love not hate. You know where the hateful feeling comes from and the one promoting it is evil.”

That day when I became quite angry with my son, I walked away from that child and slammed the front door. It took me three tries to get it to bang. How silly. It wasn't the door's fault that I lost it. It wasn’t my son’s fault that I lost it. It was my own. I haven't been that dumb again. Now, I just walk away and leave the poor door alone. I don't even kick rocks. Walking away from a situation that could become volatile is wisest but not the easiest.

I have been known to close the bathroom door and cry but that doesn't work very well because, sooner or later, you have to come out and then you have a splotchy face so EVERYBODY knows. A better motto is, “Leave 'em guessing--walk away smiling.” 

A smile also improves your own outlook. It is difficult to smile and be furious at the same time. 

Mother Teresa said:  “Peace begins with a smile.” 

“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time,”  said Elder Neal A. Maxwell.

“The peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods,” he said. He suggested that it was of an eternal nature and would be in good standing for all time. That means that I need to follow those peacemaking tendencies and put away the door-slamming child. The child needs to learn to bridle the tongue and keep the pace.

I will just need to keep working and smiling. 

Words of Wisdom on Prayer As Sent by Melanie Bolton

A while ago Todd and I were discussing youth and their prayers. Todd said that his experience with youth and their disaffection with the church is that they don't feel any prayers are answered. He said that they need to learn to ask and listen to the Spirit. Often our youth are asking for things that aren't reasonable. The youth also feel like their prayers need to be answered today...now...and in glorious ways. They often misunderstand the lesson being taught.

From the LHT Grandparents

We have had a wonderful two weeks. We had two seminary graduations the same evening. In fact, we had to split up, Gramps and I, so that one of us could be at each event. We went to church with AnnMarie’s family and heard a great talk by Megan. Then the young people sang. Uncle Brandon had not felt well that day, so Shawn and Kimberly came to their home and helped Gramps give him a blessing. We then went to Shawn’s for dinner (grilled steaks) and Gramps went back to Howard’s for Kyle’s graduation and I stayed with Dane for his.

We compared notes afterward. Kyle spoke and talked about faith. Dane sang with the stake seminary and they did  three songs which the women started, the men then sang and they did a medley of the three combined together. The women started off with “As Sisters in Zion,” added in the Young Women’s song about being a daughter of God, and then the Priesthood joined in with their hymn. 

I asked AnnMarie for a summary of Kyle’s talk and she responded. “Kyle defined faith as the evidence of things hoped for but not seen. Then he said the lesson from seminary that influenced him the most was the one about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  They knew that Heavenly Father would answer their prayers, even if it wasn't in the way they thought.  They had faith that Heavenly Father's will would be done.  It revolved around "but if not."  The scripture was Daniel 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.  When the men who cast them in and were covered with hosen and coats etc. still died, the three boys should have died.  But when the king looked in the furnace he saw one like unto the son of man.  Kyle said that when we are exercising faith, we also will never be alone.  Even if our prayers aren't answered the way we wished.  Our Heavenly Father loves us and Jesus Christ sacrificed for every single one of us so that we never are alone.”

Megan spoke about the prophet Joseph Smith and she said: “Most of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants are answers to the questions that he asked the Lord. We can use his example as we seek our own personal revelation.”

Thursday, was graduation day for Dane. He graduated through a Utah Valley University program from a school called the Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS). The classes are held on UVU campus. Participants could also qualify to receive their associates degree from UVU. Dane still has a couple of classes to finish in the next short while before he will get that degree. 

Next Wednesday, Kyle will graduate from TimpView High School. He is preparing to go on a mission very soon and has most of his paperwork and interviews completed. Then I will have three grandsons in the mission field. What a blessing to our family.

I was so interested in the last news we had from you. You are receiving so many tender mercies from our Father in Heaven. It makes our hearts happy to hear about your experiences and we can see the many ways you are being blessed. We do love you!

Grammy and Gramps

To Our Two Missionary Elders

We have had a wonderful two weeks. We had two seminary graduations the same evening. In fact, we had to split up, Gramps and I, so that one of us could be at each event. We went to church with AnnMarie’s family and heard a great talk by Megan. Then the young people sang. Uncle Brandon had not felt well that day, so Shawn and Kimberly came to their home and helped Gramps give him a blessing. We then went to Shawn’s for dinner (grilled steaks) and Gramps went back to Howard’s for Kyle’s graduation and I stayed with Dane for his.

We compared notes afterward. Kyle spoke and talked about faith. Dane sang with the stake seminary and they did  three songs which the women started, the men then sang and they did a medley of the three combined together. The women started off with “As Sisters in Zion,” added in the Young Women’s song about being a daughter of God, and then the Priesthood joined in with their hymn. 

I asked AnnMarie for a summary of Kyle’s talk and she responded. “Kyle defined faith as the evidence of things hoped for but not seen. Then he said the lesson from seminary that influenced him the most was the one about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  They knew that Heavenly Father would answer their prayers, even if it wasn't in the way they thought.  They had faith that Heavenly Father's will would be done.  It revolved around "but if not."  The scripture was Daniel 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.  When the men who cast them in and were covered with hosen and coats etc. still died, the three boys should have died.  But when the king looked in the furnace he saw one like unto the son of man.  Kyle said that when we are exercising faith, we also will never be alone.  Even if our prayers aren't answered the way we wished.  Our Heavenly Father loves us and Jesus Christ sacrificed for every single one of us so that we never are alone.”

Megan spoke about the prophet Joseph Smith and she said: “Most of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants are answers to the questions that he asked the Lord. We can use his example as we seek our own personal revelation.”

Thursday, was graduation day for Dane. He graduated through a Utah Valley University program from a school called the Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS). The classes are held on UVU campus. Participants could also qualify to receive their associates degree from UVU. Dane still has a couple of classes to finish in the next short while before he will get that degree. 

Next Wednesday, Kyle will graduate from TimpView High School. He is preparing to go on a mission very soon and has most of his paperwork and interviews completed. Then I will have three grandsons in the mission field. What a blessing to our family.

We were so interested in the last news we had from you. You are receiving so many tender mercies from our Father in Heaven. It makes our hearts happy to hear about your experiences and we can see the many ways you are being blessed. We do love you!

Grammy and Gramps

Claire Hermanson

Helen called me yesterday and told me what you did for my Dad. I can't thank you enough for putting flowers on his grave. You don't know how much that means to me. I really hate the drive down to Manti so I don't go decorate Dad's grave. I do decorate for him on Mom's grave. You two are always in my thoughts and prayers and everything you do for me is greatly appreciated. Have a great evenng and I love you both so much. Claire

Camp Invitation

AnnMarie wrote: I am up working on camp. I just texted David that I need to know tomorrow if Erin is attending Girl's Camp with us. He replied.  He did read all of the messages that I have been sending him via email, text and Facebook.  It was as I was originally told, she is not going to go with us.  I told David that I wasn't trying to pressure her at all and I am not disappointed. I just was getting conflicting messages about her going with us so I was trying to track them down.  I am not harping on him and his family and I do not want to ever do that.

Myrna wrote: You were just extending an invitation and checking to make certain that the invitation had been received. When I spoke to Bree, she sounded like Erin was wanting to go with you again. At that time she must have not talked to her yet. You are a sweetheart. I am up late working on news. It has to be done by 8 a.m. Sorry. I was the one  giving the conflicting messages. Did you tell him that? You could have. I really thought that she would like to go again. When I was visiting with her she did, however, say something about thinking it might be fun to go with her friends in Hurricane. I should mind my own business. Let's all hope that, one day, before it is too late I actually learn how to do that--MYOB.

From LHT who thinks that the writer was very clever

RECALL NOTICE:

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.

This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality, " or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.

The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.

The number to call for repair in all areas is: P-R-A-Y-E-R. Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Peace
4. Patience
5. Kindness
6. Goodness
7. Faithfulness
8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Believers' Instructions Before Leaving Earth) and the Book of Mormon (Best of Manuals) for further details on the use of these fixes.

WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

 - GOD

P.S. You may contact the Father any time by "Knee mail."

(Because He is eternal, always on the line and is willing to listen and to help at any time. However, please remember, that sometimes He says, "No!" or "It is not good for you right now. Work a little harder.")

From Melanie: Dad, once again is correct. This is very clever. I will be saving this
to re-read again and again. I might even have to share it with my
family.

Mel

Vivian Fivecoat

I realized that, when we communicated about family genealogy earlier,  I had not told you that Ned Trauntvein's daughters are both on Facebook. You can look them up by typing in Trauntvein, because, though they are married, they both use their maiden name along with their married surname. If you want, and if you give permission, I will suggest them as friends for you.

Mexican Border War Volunteers of 1916

They were Mexican Border War Volunteers of 1916 from Springville. These photos were taken before they went to serve. Claude Smith is 2nd from left on front row and his brother Raymond James Smith (Myrna's grandfather) is 4th from left. The Border War, or the Border Campaign, refers to the military engagements which took place in the Mexican-American border region of North America during the Mexican Revolution. From the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910, the United States Army was stationed in force along the border and on several occasions fought with Mexican rebels or federals. The height of the conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa attacked the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico. The American army returned to the United States in January 1917. Conflict at the border continued and the United States launched several more smaller operations into Mexican territory until 1919.

Mina Ericksen Pritchett Stories

Great-Grandmother Mina Ericksen Pritchett tended me after my mother's death and my father's entrance into the war. Her daughter, my Grandmother Vivian Christene Pritchett Smith, needed to teach school. She had come to stay with us right away but fell down the school house steps, those inside the building, and broke her hip.

Grandmother Smith was the teacher/principal at the Wattis School in Carbon County. It was located in the mining community and had two stories. Great-Grandmother had been going down those steps with me, I was only a year old at the time. Somehow she slipped and fell. I still remember the event. I know, I know, you think I was too young to remember. However, when I later recalled the events and the fact that the lower wall was painted gray and the upper wall was a different color and that there was a definite line between the two, since it was painted that way on purpose, I convinced my grandmother that I did know that much at least. I never went back to that school after we moved to Price and moved in with Aunt Renee, my mother's only sibling, and Uncle Max for the first while. I was in need of care and my grandmother was in need of a teaching job to pay the bills.

At any rate, that day that she broke her hip, Great-Grandmother lay on the steps and whimpered only a little. She was concerned about me and worried that I might be traumatized by her fall. She had not dropped me and I was not injured. I remember stroking her hand and patting her while a first aid crew was summoned. She ended up staying in Salt Lake City with Great-Aunt Jessie and Great-Uncle Gilbert while she healed. Aunt Renee ended up being my care-giver during the day.

It was Aunt Renee who potty-trained me. She managed to train me in just a day or two. It was an "ah-ha" moment for me. She was a good and loving woman who had  patience but could also be firm. She just explained everything to me as though I could understand. And I did. I still remember the delight that I had in wearing "big" girl underwear. She was the oldest sister of my deceased mother but had married a few months after her. She did not have a child as yet. Still she had all that was necessary to train me--love, patience, firmness. (My mother, married young and died young. My cousin, Garth, oldest of Renee's children, was three years younger than I was.) 

When I was four or five, Great-Grandmother came back to stay with us. At some point, we moved to a tiny house not far from Aunt Renee and Uncle Max and I still spent a great deal of time with my cousin Garth, who was more "little brother" than cousin. (I thought he was the most beautiful baby ever and I thought I should be given the opportunity to "mother" him.) Great-Grandmother never did heal well. She used a cane for the rest of her life and I called her, "Grandma-with-the-Cane." She would drop the cane and say, "Down went McGinty to the bottom of the sea. . ." I would pick it up and give it back to her. I later found out that was part of a song that had some popularity when she was young. "Down Went McGinty" was copyrighted in1889, by Spaulding & Kornder.

The cane didn't really slow her down, however. The only weakness I ever noted was that she was not as quick to get to her feet. One time, after the war, when we lived on South Carbon Ave., I invited a hobo (there were a lot of them who road the rails and since we were just a few blocks from the railroad tracks, would stop and ask if there was work to do in exchange for a meal) into the house without giving her a chance to get up. He was a good man and simply stood inside the door, rather uncomfortably, until she was able to talk to him. Of course, there was always wood to chop in exchange for a meal and she was a good cook. All of us had compassion on the once-soldiers who returned to the states to find a glut of other men like themselves all wanting work. I still got the lecture of my life, to that point, and never, ever invited anyone into our home even when she was at the door. Grown-ups could make that decision but children could not.

She did have a sense of humor. She liked jokes and loved to tease. One day before we moved to Carbon Avenue and when I was four or five, I told her that I wanted to catch a bird. "If you can sprinkle salt on a bird's tail, you can catch it," she said. She bundled me up, it was cold, and sent me out into our fenced back yard with a salt shaker. I spent the morning happily trying to sneak up on birds so I could sprinkle salt on their tails and catch them. I never did get either the joke or a bird. When Grandmother came home she said, "Oh, Mother, you didn't!" She then sat me down and explained that, of course, if you could get close enough to a bird to sprinkle salt on its tail, you could, just as easily, catch it without the salt. No one that she knew of had ever caught a bird by just grabbing it with their bare hands. Birds, after all, could fly.

One thing that always impressed me about Great-Grandmother, was that she was the daughter of the second wife in a polygamous marriage. I remember many of the stories she told me about being a young girl who grew up in Sanpete County. Her parents were Danish converts and spoke Danish, along with English which they thought was wise since they now lived in America. The children were encouraged to speak English at home. Great-Grandmother could tell me nursery rhymes in Danish. One of my favorites was the name of the different fingers said in Danish. Years later, when I went with my husband to Denmark for the Danish Temple dedication, I asked our hostess about the little ditty I had learned. Children still hear the same little nursery rhyme. 

The Ephriam Heritage Festival

http://www.scandinavianfestival.org/

The 2013 Scandinavian Heritage Festival is set for Thursday through Saturday, May 23-25th (Memorial Weekend) in Ephraim, Utah.

The festival begins Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Noyes Building at Snow College with the Scandinavian Heritage Conference, a free educational event. The conference continues Friday morning.

The Little Scandinavian Dinner, a gourmet Scandinavian smorgasbord, will be served Friday at 6 p.m. at the Greenwood Student Center at Snow College. The cost is $13 for adults and $8 for children 8 years and younger. No reservations are required.

From Friday noon through Saturday at dusk, the festival grounds on the north side of the Snow College campus and at Pioneer Park, 50 N 100 W, will buzz with costumes, dancing, storytelling, entertainment, historical tours, craft and food booths and more. 

Elder Russell M. Nelson - The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nelson will speak on the importance of family heritage and will share some of his heritage in the Sanpete Valley. He has a deep-rooted Scandinavian heritage, and some of his direct line ancestors helped settle and lived their lives in Ephraim

BYU International Folk Dancers

Come partake of music and dance in a stunning, 90-minute performance. The showcase incorporates dance and music into a showcase unlike anything audiences have ever seen. The ensemble's authentic costumes and precise performance leave every audience member breathless and anxious for more

There are new postings but some are from the past.

At the Trauntvein Home website, I have decided to go back and add, according to date stamp, all the past history I have accumulated in files on the computer. At one point, when the old beast downstairs failed, I thought I had lost it all. Alan repaired it and it has better memory and a new CD burner. It was approximately $300 (I have the order form) for all of the parts. When that happened, I decided that I would add all of the past stuff, with a few exceptions, to the site.

Dear Toni, Help Me Out Regarding Another Question

Myrna wrote: Did Uncle Frank have something to do with the early Disneyland? I remember, through the haze of years, that he took us there when they were just building the original park and I think that he may have been a founder or contributor of some sort. True or not?

Toni wrote: Gee, I don't know..... I never heard anything about that and he never took me there or anywhere else for that matter. T.

Myrna wrote: I was with his big sister and he loved to show her around. He had enjoyed being her baby brother for many years and liked to have a chance to be with her.

Toni wrote: Whose big sister?  Gilbert's??  I'm confused.

Myrna wrote: Uncle Frank's (my grandmother, Vivian). That is why I got to go places with him. It was the fact that he liked to shown Vivian around. He was really, really good to me. I remember that your Dad and Mom also took us all to the beach. I still love the ocean.

 

LHT's degree

Melanie wrote: Wasn't Dad's Master's Degree a MPA...Master's of Public Administration with the emphasis of education?

Myrna wrote: His degree was Masters Degree in Education Administration, K-12, from Brigham Young University. He then received his Educational Specialist Degree, also from BYU,  which was a new program they were just starting. It was a step up from a Masters but was about 16 hours (four or five classes) and a dissertation away from a doctorate. One of those classes was one on how to prepare for a doctorate.

Educational Specialist, or Ed.S., is a degree in the U.S. that is designed for those who wish to develop advanced knowledge and theory beyond the master's degree level, but may not wish to pursue a degree at the doctoral level. Since the course work in an Education Specialist degree is at the doctoral level universities will transfer the credits earned directly into a doctoral degree (Ed.D, Doctor of Education).

Melanie wrote: I remember all his schooling. I would often meet him after the classes he was taking for his Ed Specialist degree. I remember telling him he should get his Doctorate's degree as he was so close. He told me he was done with all the time away from home and that Kirk had told him that the degree wouldn't give him an edge or more money.


Myrna wrote: That is exactly what he said then and just repeated now. He also added that he would have had to rely on my reading and re-reading that dissertation and was not sure he wanted to put me through that. I would not have minded and still would not. However, I am not certain my English grammar skills are up to that level of inspection.

Braden in Peru

ESTUDIANTES RECIBEN CLASES DE INGLÉS CON ESPECIALISTA EN LINGÜÍSTICA DE LA BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY.

www.ceplainmaculada.edu.pe

Honeymoon Myrna

Leonard and I went to Bryce and Zions Canyons for our honeymoon. He snapped this on slide film. I have been going through the slides and converting them to digital photos. I can't believe I ever was this young. We were married on September 9, 1961.

That is a long time ago, is it not?

Bake the Ultimate (Healthy) Brownie

Trust me, I know there will be times when you are going to crave some of that ooey, gooey chocolately stuff. So, instead of getting personal with the office vending machine, whip up a batch of these amazing, indulgent, moist fudge brownies. Not only will they be the perfect answer to that cocoa craving, you won't be left with that bitter aftertaste of guilt for derailing your daily calorie limit. So, go ahead and treat yourself. You deserve it!

Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

• olive oil cooking spray
• 2/3 cup mild honey, such as clover or orange blossom
• 1/3 cups natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with olive oil. Set aside.

Place the honey in a large glass measuring cup. Microwave on high power until the honey is runny and just bubbling, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the cocoa and stir with a fork until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.

In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended. Add the honey-cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until the surface looks dry around the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, about 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing into 16 squares. (Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

Makes 16 (2-inch) brownies

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

Contains Wheat/Gluten
Contains Egg
Vegetarian
Good for Leftovers

Nutrition Facts 
Number of Servings: 16
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 86.2
Total Fat: 2.2 g
Sodium: 63.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 16 g
Protein: 1.3 g

First Aid Teams Compete on Kenilworth Day

Jens Henry Trauntvein is competing with his mine team. He is the man standing in the foreground who is facing right with his profile showing. He is left of the man with his back to the camera. The competition was an annual event during Kenilworth Day and Henry usually was on the winning team. He was very smart about mine rescue and safety. That was one of the talents that helped him when he became the mine superintendent.

Dad's Shoes

Remember that these are farmer's shoes. They have points that are upward so they can walk in the fields and not get bogged down. They are also elevated with the little clogs on the bottom. Fishermen's shoes have no points so that they do not get caught in the nets.

These are the shoes Leonard bought while he was on his mission in Denmark (May 1957-December 1959). When we went there for the Danish Temple Dedication, wooden shoes were not as easy to buy. Else said that many of them were now exported.