"Shhhhhhh!" my sister hissed, finger tight to lips. "There's someone at the door!" she mouthed. All action froze, all movement ceased. We were champs at Red-light Green-light. In between schools, again. This scenario happened multiple times. Of course the person knocking could only have been a) a Truant Officer, b) the Health Department, c) the Collection Agency, d) the Auditor, or e) Child Protective Services. Often we would scamper, blinds drawn, to the back of the house avoiding any hard tattling foot falls and wait until the coast was clear. Fears as installed by an undereducated mother.
So much of my early schooling was spent this way. "Home school." Mom running errands. Dad in Alaska or out trying to drum up business for his refrigeration repair company, a one man show.
We were withdrawn from public school part way through my first grade year partly due to the Ramona, the Pest books being read in my older sister's class room. But, possibly more because in addressing the situation with the teacher and the Principal my mom had become offended and loosed her wrath--a venomous cocktail of tirade, tantrum and just plain ugly. Don't cross R.H.
Somehow we bounced from private school to private school, all religious, all running into the same problem. They crossed whatever invisible line set off mom grabbing her kids out of school mid term. I don't recall ever finishing a grade in elementary school.
Things were bad financially in Seattle in the early 80's. Dad was out of work completely or he was often away in Alaska working on fishing boats. Mom was slipping into some severe illnesses, some mental, some physical. Her house began to fill with stuff. Pathways around the house were harnessed with unwashed clothes, trash that never was taken out, collections of junk, multiple animals. My father couldn't seem to keep jobs, he was later diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by some occurrences in Vietnam. Perhaps because of Mom's unbridled tongue, our neighbors pulled out our shrubbery, shot pellets through our windows and tried to set the house on fire. My mom fled the neighborhood and set up camp at a church owned property in the wilds of Washington state. To my sisters and I, this seemed like fun--camping in the mountains. Dad would join us whenever he could.
The house in Fall City was foreclosed. We moved east to Cle Elum. Because of some incorrect accusations we moved to Ellensburg. We lived in the Branding Iron Motel and later the trailer park behind it. Part of my fourth and all of my 5th grade years were spent playing "home school." I recall sitting my sisters down, playing teacher and giving assignments out of our school books. These were actual instruments of learning procured at a private school in Ellensburg when we had finally settled into a sweet little house. Mom had started a candy shop, and Dad was still trying to keep his business in Seattle going. And so, with no parental guidance or supervision the draw of the rope swing, Barbie, or the The Love Boat far surpassed any schoolwork. After a few months that house, too, was repossessed. We moved in to a few small rooms behind the candy shop. When the candy shop failed, we moved into the warehouse where our furniture was stored. There were so many more things to worry about, other than school!
Things became desperate when the man who owned the warehouse discovered my family living there. Mom went to Wenatchee to find a temp job as a receptionist. We all moved into the homeless shelter where she was living. Later we moved in with a family from church for a few months until mom could come up with enough money for a down payment on a mobile home. My sisters and I started school at Wenatchee Adventist Junior Academy. I was in 6th grade. My sisters and I worked as cleaning crew after school to defer the costs. My study skills were abominable but I persisted. I learned so much from the kindness that was shown to my family during the three years at that school. Hugh Winn, the principal, was so gentle and good with my mom. She trusted him enough to keep us in his school.
My first time back to public school was for 9th grade; in East Wenatchee, that meant junior high. I don't know what changed that year for us, other than Dad was working full time at a branch of University of Washington and we were able to buy a house. At this point I wish I could say I graduated with honors. But I did not. I loved my classes. I loved to learn, but I had very little practice at getting assignments in on time, no parental support to do well, and no understanding of how much I was depriving myself. I was an outstanding student in the arts--theater, writing, painting, drawing entirely consumed me, but I was terrible at turning in assignments. I learned to sew when I was 15. It was like turning on the lights in my life. I sewed so much and turned in so much that the Home Ec teacher had to rewrite her grading system. Of the 500 points it took to get an A in her class, I got over 1800 points.
Somehow I graduated high school and went to Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho). Through out my life I had felt so isolated from having friends by my mother's irrational behavior. When I first got to college I was swept away in a whirlwind of new friends, new classmates, new thoughts, new me! I loved my classes but like Bode Miller, I blew off the Olympics for the Olympic parties. By the time I had settled into a lifestyle of learning I was on academic probation with suspension looming in the foreground. I shaped up. I was getting myself together. And a good friend committed suicide. It rocked my world. I struggled with a deep untreated depression, lost 40 pounds, and struggled with thoughts of my own demise--all this and I was still fighting battles at home. Suspended? I was. Depressed? Yes. Failed? Not on your life! I continued classes at the Extended Education Department and got back into school full time to finish up my Associate of Arts degree in Fashion Design and Production.
My depression broke one night before my last year as I was meditating and praying. I felt God's love overpower me and I knew I needed to share that love by serving as a missionary for Him. I did that in Australia in 1993-1994. This was my real training for my marathon life. I learned so much about endurance and perseverance. This was an amazing experience.
When I returned I knew I needed to go back to school. I had so many friends attending school in Utah, I decided that would be a great place for me to go. I packed all my belongings in the back of a friend's Bronco and with $500 in the bank set off for a new life. I applied to BYU. I later worked in the costume shop there, I taught the Into to Theater sewing class, but I could not be a student there--too many credits, not enough GPA. I did learn a lot about costume construction in their costume shop.
After having seen lives change and being part of so much personal growth in Australia, I felt a need to help others. For two years I worked in the Crisis Unit at Heritage Schools, a Residential Treatment Center for troubled teens. I loved my work. I was able to touch lives there, as a leader among kids who really needed leading. I was Employee of the Month twice. But the need to continue my education nagged at me.
I began attending classes at Utah Valley State College (now Utah Valley University). My education was haphazard. I took classes that I was interested in and enjoyed including Russian. I made the Dean's list! From January-April 1998 I spent a semester in Arctic Russia teaching English to school children. This was a really special opportunity through the United Way. I walked on icepack for 3 months, never touching the ground and never feeling the warmth of the sun. I was the only native English speaker for about 500 miles. The woman I stayed with, Tatiana, taught about 70 hours a week at different local schools and colleges. At night she would tell me what it was like before the Cold War ended. She cried a lot--me, too.
When I returned another opportunity presented its self. I was able to assist with costumes for a period film, a documentary for my church. I traveled across the U.S. and part of Canada with the crew as wardrobe assistant for 8 weeks. This was a wacky, fun, wild experience and I learned a lot. This experience opened the door for me at BYU, as a stitcher in their costume shop. I gradually became a First Hand to the men's tailor. I met my John in October that year, we married the following April.
As a young married I worked for Utah Valley State College as their Costume Shop Manager. This was so much a sink or swim situation! I felt I had so little experience in a costume shop! But I perfected my Butterfly stroke and was awarded Staff of the Year in 2000-2001 school year. Part of my experience there was teaching college students to sew. One holiday season I offered my time and abilities to anyone who wanted to learn to sew. We made over 180 stuffed animals, toys and dolls which we donated to the local Women in Crisis Shelter. I took classes sporadically, however I was also working at Utah Opera, BYU's costume shop, designing for local theaters and bits of contract film work--as well as playing adoring and supportive wife to my husband who was in school full time and working at BYU. Life was busy and so very good! I have never missed a deadline in my professional life.
When John graduated we packed up the house and came to California for work. In September of 2004 I began working at Opera Pacific as First Hand to the Men's Cutter/Draper. Within four years I was promoted to Head Cutter. The opera's last show was my time to shine. It was a beautiful show. I also work for American Ballet Theater in New York, South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa and at the UC Irvine costume shop.
I love my work. I love what I do! I am compelled toward higher education. I have learned from my experiences throughout my life and want to share what I have learned with others. My goal in life is to teach what I know at a university level. In order to do this, I must finish my degree in Theater Arts and go on to gain my Masters and possibly my Doctorate in Costumes . I have persisted and striven for excellence in my life. I am proud of my persistence. My life has been a beautiful journey. I have come so far, I have so far to go, I am grateful for where I am. I will close now with a quote by Ralf Waldo Emerson, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved." Thus is my life.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Second Day
We woke up early--like 3 am, ate a snack then went back to bed.
Later we walked up and had a crazy egg and chicken sandwich. Food is so weird and good, and gross. You think, oh a chicken sandwich, that sounds good. But you get it and there is always something distinctly Asian about it. Like the bread is all wrapped in a fried pancake type thing with really awesome sauce. Good, just not what you were expecting. Corn on the cob--yum right? Well, yes, but not what you would expect. Though it was cooked it was cold and before he handed it to me, he covered it with soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice and red pepper--he asked if I wanted the red pepper.
Later we met Matt and went to the botanical gardens. This huge arboretum with a giant dragonfly statue. There are so many beautiful plants--orchids, trees with blossoms that look like fuzzy snails, all sorts of fruit trees. There is a pond in the lower area by the gift shop that had these huge fresh water fish--like 7-8 feet long and just a guess that they weigh more than my dad.
There were a load of school kids at the gardens who were all very interested in trying out their Engrlish on us. I had a great time taking pictures with a few groups. They wanted to know how tall I am and I wrote on my hand "2m" they all gasped. (for those who know me, you know I am not really 2 meters, but it is always fun to exaggerate this sort of thing with kids!).
When we came out of the arboretum, it looked like it was ready to pour rain, so we jumped on the scooters and scooted up to this awesome little turkey place. Turkey over rice with sides of steamed cabbage and stir fried greens with tea-eggs and miso with some weird translucent brown things floating in it--again, good, but not what you would expect.
As we were scooting our way to the mall (a 17 story building department store with all kinds of stuff in it--some western, some "what the heck?") JE said "it is funny that I am totally at ease with this."Driving here is probably the biggest adventure ever. There is a rhythm and a flow to the madness. I now "get" Asian drivers. Everything is at a relaxed pace, and as long as you go slow you can do just about anything. Another element is just to never look in your peripheral vision, never look behind you, and proceed forward. Most of the vehicles on the road are scooters, most with only one passenger. Sometimes you see whole families on a scooter--gramma, ma, and 2 year old.
We met April and George at the Sogo (mall) and went to the Sega Sonic Hedgehog arcade. In the arcade they had these awesome photo booths that allow you to touch up the pictures afterward with all kinds of funny cartoons and words, some Engrlish some not. My fav was "let's get dance! We got some sweet pics with the five of us. Will post later! Matt had to go back to work so we hung out and looked at funny kids clothes with lots of funny English on them--Carrot Love. So cute! We found somethings for Meri, but when we took it to the register and discovered that it was 4 times the price and not great quality (cute, but not great) we nixed the idea.
We met Matt at the night market (it started pouring just after we parked the scooters) and bought little "Iranian" sandwiches with chicken and cheese. Good, just plain good. We also got these strange little"sweet pastries" that were filled with red beans, or taro, or sweet potato. The exterior was something like a regular ice cream cone--like the actual cone part. The inside was a thick sweet paste. Good, well interestingly fun. I would buy the taro again.
We spent some time in some very Taiwanese shops--the $10 shop ($33 Taiwan dollars are equivalent to $1 USD) and the crazy lousy English T-shirts. We laughed until we got really creeped out and then left. The night markets are really fun, a bit hair raising ( I was talking with Matt on the street filled with foot traffic when the guy on a scooter comes directly toward us going a fair clip. Quite a few people moved out of his way, but we didn't hear him until he was just a couple feet from us--actually a few inches from me , he came to a dead stop and waited for me to move. I didn't. He was stopped and I wanted to see what he would do if I didn't move. He waited a few seconds, and then scooted around me. Dork!" (I just read this to Matt who informed me that there was a motorcycle who had come up right behind me. I am glad I didn't move or I could have been motorcycle goo!).) They are filled with all sorts of food, cool cheap goods, loads of people and scooter accessories.
When I was in Russia, I had a fairly traumatic experience with a toilet there and I think it scarred me for life. One of the things I have been most concerned with is the Taiwanese toilets. I had my first experience with a squat toilet. So much simpler that anything Russian! Phew! What a relief!
We have been laughing ourselves silly with the photo booth pictures since we got home. So silly! I can hardly wait to scan them to share them with you all!!!
Later we walked up and had a crazy egg and chicken sandwich. Food is so weird and good, and gross. You think, oh a chicken sandwich, that sounds good. But you get it and there is always something distinctly Asian about it. Like the bread is all wrapped in a fried pancake type thing with really awesome sauce. Good, just not what you were expecting. Corn on the cob--yum right? Well, yes, but not what you would expect. Though it was cooked it was cold and before he handed it to me, he covered it with soy sauce, Chinese 5 spice and red pepper--he asked if I wanted the red pepper.
Later we met Matt and went to the botanical gardens. This huge arboretum with a giant dragonfly statue. There are so many beautiful plants--orchids, trees with blossoms that look like fuzzy snails, all sorts of fruit trees. There is a pond in the lower area by the gift shop that had these huge fresh water fish--like 7-8 feet long and just a guess that they weigh more than my dad.
There were a load of school kids at the gardens who were all very interested in trying out their Engrlish on us. I had a great time taking pictures with a few groups. They wanted to know how tall I am and I wrote on my hand "2m" they all gasped. (for those who know me, you know I am not really 2 meters, but it is always fun to exaggerate this sort of thing with kids!).
When we came out of the arboretum, it looked like it was ready to pour rain, so we jumped on the scooters and scooted up to this awesome little turkey place. Turkey over rice with sides of steamed cabbage and stir fried greens with tea-eggs and miso with some weird translucent brown things floating in it--again, good, but not what you would expect.
As we were scooting our way to the mall (a 17 story building department store with all kinds of stuff in it--some western, some "what the heck?") JE said "it is funny that I am totally at ease with this."Driving here is probably the biggest adventure ever. There is a rhythm and a flow to the madness. I now "get" Asian drivers. Everything is at a relaxed pace, and as long as you go slow you can do just about anything. Another element is just to never look in your peripheral vision, never look behind you, and proceed forward. Most of the vehicles on the road are scooters, most with only one passenger. Sometimes you see whole families on a scooter--gramma, ma, and 2 year old.
We met April and George at the Sogo (mall) and went to the Sega Sonic Hedgehog arcade. In the arcade they had these awesome photo booths that allow you to touch up the pictures afterward with all kinds of funny cartoons and words, some Engrlish some not. My fav was "let's get dance! We got some sweet pics with the five of us. Will post later! Matt had to go back to work so we hung out and looked at funny kids clothes with lots of funny English on them--Carrot Love. So cute! We found somethings for Meri, but when we took it to the register and discovered that it was 4 times the price and not great quality (cute, but not great) we nixed the idea.
We met Matt at the night market (it started pouring just after we parked the scooters) and bought little "Iranian" sandwiches with chicken and cheese. Good, just plain good. We also got these strange little"sweet pastries" that were filled with red beans, or taro, or sweet potato. The exterior was something like a regular ice cream cone--like the actual cone part. The inside was a thick sweet paste. Good, well interestingly fun. I would buy the taro again.
We spent some time in some very Taiwanese shops--the $10 shop ($33 Taiwan dollars are equivalent to $1 USD) and the crazy lousy English T-shirts. We laughed until we got really creeped out and then left. The night markets are really fun, a bit hair raising ( I was talking with Matt on the street filled with foot traffic when the guy on a scooter comes directly toward us going a fair clip. Quite a few people moved out of his way, but we didn't hear him until he was just a couple feet from us--actually a few inches from me , he came to a dead stop and waited for me to move. I didn't. He was stopped and I wanted to see what he would do if I didn't move. He waited a few seconds, and then scooted around me. Dork!" (I just read this to Matt who informed me that there was a motorcycle who had come up right behind me. I am glad I didn't move or I could have been motorcycle goo!).) They are filled with all sorts of food, cool cheap goods, loads of people and scooter accessories.
When I was in Russia, I had a fairly traumatic experience with a toilet there and I think it scarred me for life. One of the things I have been most concerned with is the Taiwanese toilets. I had my first experience with a squat toilet. So much simpler that anything Russian! Phew! What a relief!
We have been laughing ourselves silly with the photo booth pictures since we got home. So silly! I can hardly wait to scan them to share them with you all!!!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Taiwan travels
We left the house on the 4th and headed to the train station, our most important possessions strapped to our backs and the not so important but seeming essential things stuffed into one medium sized suitcase. We trekked though Union Station and met my cousins at the curb. For the next few hours , we enjoyed Thai food and "milk" along with good conversation and fun.
When we arrived at the check in counter, got our stuff checked through and turned to face the huge security test, the line had almost completely disappeared. We shot through, only to wait at the gate for a couple hours. The airport is a great place to do homework--I studied for a test and JE slept.
After we boarded I had this surreal moment when I recognized the song drifting in my head. "Doesn't speak the language, holds no currency, he is a foreign man, he is surrounded by the sound, sound. Angels in the market place, spinning in infinity. We flew 7,491 miles today in a 747 in 14.5 hours into 140 mile an hour headwinds. We were 1.5 hours late to our destination because of those headwinds.
At the Taipei airport we took the green bus to Chao Ma. Here is where our luggage seemed a hindrance. I wanted to abandon some of our luggage and go off into the great unknown. Taipei looks like a fun place to explore.
The green bus is a hoot. I don't understand the logic of the curtains in these buses. Each bus has elaborate window dressings--with ruffles included. Everything on the bus is green, upholstery, carpet, curtains, walls, ceilings. At the airport we saw an animatronic "guy" waving down traffic with light sticks.
We barely slept (this entry may be a bit scattered--I am very sleepy!).
As we traveled down to Taichung we saw many rice fields and gardens. There were Giant Screaming Gold Budahs set up next to the road, and tiny quiet wayside temples.
I love the flora of different countries. Things are blooming right now.
We arrived at the bus station and April pulled up with 2 year old George, on her scooter. Traffic here is crazy, but it works because people are all on the same page. Generally traffic is slow, meandering, and lawless. Laws are suggestions.
We went to lunch with Matt, JE and I doubling on April's scooter. I have a pinch of video, which I am debating putting on the web. If someone were to send this to my mom, we would be flying up to attend her funeral! Hair raising!!! But fun!
People here are so friendly to foreigners and try their darnedest to speak with us in English. Signage is a bit wild. I will soon add some pics to this entry.
After lunch April, George, JE and I took a nice long walk around the industrial park and rice fields. There is such a mingling of nature, manufacturing, and farming here. Egrets on the beanpoles of vegetable gardens between manufacturing plants.
We crashed around 4pm and slept for couple hours, then walked around the city and found stuff to eat.
Now it is time for bed and a much needed time for bed!
When we arrived at the check in counter, got our stuff checked through and turned to face the huge security test, the line had almost completely disappeared. We shot through, only to wait at the gate for a couple hours. The airport is a great place to do homework--I studied for a test and JE slept.
After we boarded I had this surreal moment when I recognized the song drifting in my head. "Doesn't speak the language, holds no currency, he is a foreign man, he is surrounded by the sound, sound. Angels in the market place, spinning in infinity. We flew 7,491 miles today in a 747 in 14.5 hours into 140 mile an hour headwinds. We were 1.5 hours late to our destination because of those headwinds.
At the Taipei airport we took the green bus to Chao Ma. Here is where our luggage seemed a hindrance. I wanted to abandon some of our luggage and go off into the great unknown. Taipei looks like a fun place to explore.
The green bus is a hoot. I don't understand the logic of the curtains in these buses. Each bus has elaborate window dressings--with ruffles included. Everything on the bus is green, upholstery, carpet, curtains, walls, ceilings. At the airport we saw an animatronic "guy" waving down traffic with light sticks.
We barely slept (this entry may be a bit scattered--I am very sleepy!).
As we traveled down to Taichung we saw many rice fields and gardens. There were Giant Screaming Gold Budahs set up next to the road, and tiny quiet wayside temples.
I love the flora of different countries. Things are blooming right now.
We arrived at the bus station and April pulled up with 2 year old George, on her scooter. Traffic here is crazy, but it works because people are all on the same page. Generally traffic is slow, meandering, and lawless. Laws are suggestions.
We went to lunch with Matt, JE and I doubling on April's scooter. I have a pinch of video, which I am debating putting on the web. If someone were to send this to my mom, we would be flying up to attend her funeral! Hair raising!!! But fun!
People here are so friendly to foreigners and try their darnedest to speak with us in English. Signage is a bit wild. I will soon add some pics to this entry.
After lunch April, George, JE and I took a nice long walk around the industrial park and rice fields. There is such a mingling of nature, manufacturing, and farming here. Egrets on the beanpoles of vegetable gardens between manufacturing plants.
We crashed around 4pm and slept for couple hours, then walked around the city and found stuff to eat.
Now it is time for bed and a much needed time for bed!
Sunday, March 08, 2009
"By loving your spouse you honor God
Here is my church talk given in my Ward today.
My name is Iris Marshall. I was born in Washington state, just outside of Seattle, and lived there with my family until I was 18.
Life was tough. I won’t get into too many particulars, but my parents had a tough time with their marriage. I remember times when my sisters and I probably around ages 3-8 would come out of our bedroom shaking our fingers and tisking our parents as they stood arguing in the livingroom. So many times they, in anger, threatened with divorce only to get a response of “well, good, then I won’t have to do it.”
I have no idea to this day what the arguments were about. As a child the anger and hostility were terrifying. It seemed that my life would be forever a battleground torn apart by forces outside of my control.
As a teenager, I remember thinking that it would be a great thing for my parents to divorce. Then perhaps I could possibly have some peace in my life.
Peace came to my life after I went to school at Ricks college and began living with peaceful roommates, who perhaps didn’t understand my way of conflict resolution, but were patient, and able through their loving examples to teach me better ways to settle conflict.
In 1993 I served the Lord as a full time missionary in Australia. I was blessed with amazing companions. The experiences there are still a valuable resource in my life. Living so closely with another person on a 24 hour basis was usually fun. I loved the constant company of most of my companions. There was one sister I struggled with. Life with her was tough. When it was time for transfers, I pleaded with my mission president to let her be transferred. He told me my companion just needed more love and that I needed to pray for it. Things worsened after that. How could I possibly love this woman who was reeking havoc on my peace? Wasn’t I on the Lord’s errand? How was I supposed to love someone who was making my life on this earth so incredibly difficult? I prayed and I prayed–for the Lord to soften the mission president’s heart and make this person go away. It didn’t work. Transfers came again and guess what? I was stuck. I started praying in earnest to be able to see her good qualities. And guess what. Gradually the lights came on. She was transformed in my eyes. Though the difficult things she had been doing were still present, I could see her as a daughter of God.
After my mission I returned home to my parents. They had changed and grown in love for each other.
I moved to Utah in 1995 and in 1998 I met my sweet JohnE. I had met him once already a few weeks previously, but I guess somehow I missed seeing who he really is–he was wearing a too short suit from his high school days. I just remember thinking, “he’s cute... too bad about his suit.” But when I met him the second time I was dazzled. I popped my head into the clerks office to say hello to the guy I had a huge crush on and saw this really handsome man sitting behind the desk. “I haven’t met you, I am Iris.” He was much too polite to say that yes indeed we had only met 2 weeks previous and that I had shunned him. I will say on my behalf that he had gotten his shaggy mane trimmed up and had highlighted his spikes. Anyway, the story continues I had to get to know this guy. I had a potluck that night and invited everyone I knew from church.
The potluck was in full swing before JE arrived. In fact the food was nearly gone--he was 3 hours late. And everyone was gathered around the fire ring in my backyard passing around a guitar. When JE pulled up a chair next to me forcing the people in on my left to make way for him, my impression was, “man, he is bold ” and I liked that. However, he was thinking “that was nice of her to save a place for me.”
It was October 11th when we met. On Halloween we knew we loved each other. To my sweet young women friends I don’t suggest this as the example of how meeting and falling in love works for everyone. JohnE and my relationship is very unique.
On April 24th, 1999, we were married in the Mt Timpanogas Temple, yes, just 6 months after we met. My parents, JohnE’s parents, and two of his sisters and their husbands were there.
The first summer we were married we lived in Michigan. JE had an internship at GM. We had a fun extended honeymoon. Weekends we would go explore the surrounding area. We had a blast.
On our way back to BYU we stopped at Nauvoo. This was before the rebuilding of the Nauvoo temple. We found ourselves in a little building. I don’t remember what that building was, but at the time we watched a slide show of the pioneers and their struggles to build Nauvoo, and their plight as they left it. We learned about the temple being in operation 24 hours a day to endow people with power from on high and seal families together as they prepared to flee into the wilderness, some never to step foot in a temple again in their lives. The Nauvoo temple was destroyed and another not dedicated for another 30 years.
JohnE and I were the only ones in the room that day and we wept with gratitude considering the richness of the blessings of being sealed in the house of the Lord. Ours is a Temple Marriage, a covenant between our Heavenly Father and ourselves. In D&C 42:22 we read that a man should love his wife with his whole soul. Our spouses are the only other person besides the Lord whom we have been commanded to love with our whole soul.
In February 2003 we moved to Michigan for JE’s work–again with GM. We were only there for a couple months when JE was unexpectedly laid off. I will never forget that day–he had been having such an unhappy work experience there, but everyday he would go to work ( I was so proud of him for that ). One day I answered a knock at the door to find my sweet husband ready to burst into tears saying “I just got fired” I started to laugh, hugged him tightly and ushered him into our apartment with words of condolences and congratulations and relief. The next few months we spent working on our testimonies by going to the temple regularly, reading scriptures, praying, and we were richly blessed. I would start to panic and get very stressed out about what on earth were we going to do??? But JE would console me, asking me what I had learned from our prayers. The answer to my prayers was always the same, “be patient, I have you in my hand.” Our marriage and testimonies grew tremendously in those months. We learned trust, understanding, and patience. If we lost everything in the world, we would always have each other. What a remarkable gift.
In April Conference 1991, President Hinckley said: Marriage is beautiful when beauty is looked for and cultivated. It can be ugly and uncomfortable when one is looking for faults and is blinded to virtue...
There must be recognition on the part of both husband and wife of the solemnity and sanctity of marriage and of the God-given design behind it. There must be a willingness to overlook small faults, to forgive, and then to forget. There must be a holding of one’s tongue. Temper is a vicious and corrosive thing that destroys affection and casts out love.
The last few days of August we drove back to Utah to an uncertain future. Our heart were sad. But still we looked forward to being reunited with family and friends.
The very day we had left Michigan, was the day Hyundai/Kia had offered JE a job, here in California. We were so humbled, and grateful.
I am so grateful for my sweet JohnE. My partiarical blessing tells me that my husband will be an example of Love and Righteousness to me. He has indeed fulfilled this example.
Mom and Dad Marshall had been trying to go on a mission for a number of years and so when the chance came they were elated. Dad was the sole executor of the Automotive design program at BYU. He wrote the program as his master’s thesis, thus forming in actuality the entire industrial design program. He wanted to retire for a long time but the school could not find a suitable replacement. Finally, one way or another Mom and Dad decided they should just put in their papers. However during a physical, Dad was discovered to have minor prostate cancer. It was treated and he was cleared for take off. However, the church health requirements were different, and they would have been forced to wait 6 months to be cleared by the church to go. That did not stop them. They had made up their minds, and knew of a missionary couple who were coming home from Hawaii, and hadn’t found replacements. So they went. 2 Days later, they received a call to serve at BYU Hawaii.
It was the perfect year for them. Dad golfed or Surf fished each morning before going to the school to teach art. Mom was assigned to help out in the study center. Their lives were filled with new friends, and unexpected meetings of old friends. Most of their children and their families came to visit them there. They had a truly perfect and amazing year in the Lord’s service. In August, mom and Dad came back stateside for a check up. Dad was diagnosed with phase 4 terminal colon cancer. He passed away in January 2008. I tell you this story because in that last year together, mom and dad grew in love for each other. Their differences that several years previously had seemed irreconcilable, had dissipated. They had learned to love, respect and just plain old BE together.
Again President Hinckley: There is a remedy. It is found in the gospel of the Son of God. He it was who said, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matt. 19:6.) The remedy for most marriage stress is not in divorce. It is in repentance. It is not in separation. It is in simple integrity that leads a man to square up his shoulders and meet his obligations. It is found in the Golden Rule.
The first phrase of the proclamation on the family “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
by loving your spouse, you honor God.
President Hinckley said: Surely no one reading the scriptures, both ancient and modern, can doubt the divine concept of marriage. The sweetest feelings of life, the most generous and satisfying impulses of the human heart, find expression in a marriage that stands pure and unsullied above the evil of the world.
Such a marriage, I believe, is the desire—the hoped-for, the longed-for, the prayed-for desire—of men and women everywhere.
President Hinkleys council for achieving this is:
Wives, look upon your husbands as your precious companions and live worthy of that association. Husbands, see in your wives your most valued asset in time or eternity, each a daughter of God, a partner with whom you can walk hand in hand, through sunshine and storm, through all the perils and triumphs of life. Parents, see in your children sons and daughters of your Father in Heaven, who will hold you accountable for them. Stand together as their guardians, their protectors, their guides, their anchors.
The strength of the nations lies in the homes of the people. God is the designer of the family. He intended that the greatest of happiness, the most satisfying aspects of life, the deepest joys should come in our associations together and our concerns one for another as fathers and mothers and children.
by loving your spouse, you honor God.
My name is Iris Marshall. I was born in Washington state, just outside of Seattle, and lived there with my family until I was 18.
Life was tough. I won’t get into too many particulars, but my parents had a tough time with their marriage. I remember times when my sisters and I probably around ages 3-8 would come out of our bedroom shaking our fingers and tisking our parents as they stood arguing in the livingroom. So many times they, in anger, threatened with divorce only to get a response of “well, good, then I won’t have to do it.”
I have no idea to this day what the arguments were about. As a child the anger and hostility were terrifying. It seemed that my life would be forever a battleground torn apart by forces outside of my control.
As a teenager, I remember thinking that it would be a great thing for my parents to divorce. Then perhaps I could possibly have some peace in my life.
Peace came to my life after I went to school at Ricks college and began living with peaceful roommates, who perhaps didn’t understand my way of conflict resolution, but were patient, and able through their loving examples to teach me better ways to settle conflict.
In 1993 I served the Lord as a full time missionary in Australia. I was blessed with amazing companions. The experiences there are still a valuable resource in my life. Living so closely with another person on a 24 hour basis was usually fun. I loved the constant company of most of my companions. There was one sister I struggled with. Life with her was tough. When it was time for transfers, I pleaded with my mission president to let her be transferred. He told me my companion just needed more love and that I needed to pray for it. Things worsened after that. How could I possibly love this woman who was reeking havoc on my peace? Wasn’t I on the Lord’s errand? How was I supposed to love someone who was making my life on this earth so incredibly difficult? I prayed and I prayed–for the Lord to soften the mission president’s heart and make this person go away. It didn’t work. Transfers came again and guess what? I was stuck. I started praying in earnest to be able to see her good qualities. And guess what. Gradually the lights came on. She was transformed in my eyes. Though the difficult things she had been doing were still present, I could see her as a daughter of God.
After my mission I returned home to my parents. They had changed and grown in love for each other.
I moved to Utah in 1995 and in 1998 I met my sweet JohnE. I had met him once already a few weeks previously, but I guess somehow I missed seeing who he really is–he was wearing a too short suit from his high school days. I just remember thinking, “he’s cute... too bad about his suit.” But when I met him the second time I was dazzled. I popped my head into the clerks office to say hello to the guy I had a huge crush on and saw this really handsome man sitting behind the desk. “I haven’t met you, I am Iris.” He was much too polite to say that yes indeed we had only met 2 weeks previous and that I had shunned him. I will say on my behalf that he had gotten his shaggy mane trimmed up and had highlighted his spikes. Anyway, the story continues I had to get to know this guy. I had a potluck that night and invited everyone I knew from church.
The potluck was in full swing before JE arrived. In fact the food was nearly gone--he was 3 hours late. And everyone was gathered around the fire ring in my backyard passing around a guitar. When JE pulled up a chair next to me forcing the people in on my left to make way for him, my impression was, “man, he is bold ” and I liked that. However, he was thinking “that was nice of her to save a place for me.”
It was October 11th when we met. On Halloween we knew we loved each other. To my sweet young women friends I don’t suggest this as the example of how meeting and falling in love works for everyone. JohnE and my relationship is very unique.
On April 24th, 1999, we were married in the Mt Timpanogas Temple, yes, just 6 months after we met. My parents, JohnE’s parents, and two of his sisters and their husbands were there.
The first summer we were married we lived in Michigan. JE had an internship at GM. We had a fun extended honeymoon. Weekends we would go explore the surrounding area. We had a blast.
On our way back to BYU we stopped at Nauvoo. This was before the rebuilding of the Nauvoo temple. We found ourselves in a little building. I don’t remember what that building was, but at the time we watched a slide show of the pioneers and their struggles to build Nauvoo, and their plight as they left it. We learned about the temple being in operation 24 hours a day to endow people with power from on high and seal families together as they prepared to flee into the wilderness, some never to step foot in a temple again in their lives. The Nauvoo temple was destroyed and another not dedicated for another 30 years.
JohnE and I were the only ones in the room that day and we wept with gratitude considering the richness of the blessings of being sealed in the house of the Lord. Ours is a Temple Marriage, a covenant between our Heavenly Father and ourselves. In D&C 42:22 we read that a man should love his wife with his whole soul. Our spouses are the only other person besides the Lord whom we have been commanded to love with our whole soul.
In February 2003 we moved to Michigan for JE’s work–again with GM. We were only there for a couple months when JE was unexpectedly laid off. I will never forget that day–he had been having such an unhappy work experience there, but everyday he would go to work ( I was so proud of him for that ). One day I answered a knock at the door to find my sweet husband ready to burst into tears saying “I just got fired” I started to laugh, hugged him tightly and ushered him into our apartment with words of condolences and congratulations and relief. The next few months we spent working on our testimonies by going to the temple regularly, reading scriptures, praying, and we were richly blessed. I would start to panic and get very stressed out about what on earth were we going to do??? But JE would console me, asking me what I had learned from our prayers. The answer to my prayers was always the same, “be patient, I have you in my hand.” Our marriage and testimonies grew tremendously in those months. We learned trust, understanding, and patience. If we lost everything in the world, we would always have each other. What a remarkable gift.
In April Conference 1991, President Hinckley said: Marriage is beautiful when beauty is looked for and cultivated. It can be ugly and uncomfortable when one is looking for faults and is blinded to virtue...
There must be recognition on the part of both husband and wife of the solemnity and sanctity of marriage and of the God-given design behind it. There must be a willingness to overlook small faults, to forgive, and then to forget. There must be a holding of one’s tongue. Temper is a vicious and corrosive thing that destroys affection and casts out love.
The last few days of August we drove back to Utah to an uncertain future. Our heart were sad. But still we looked forward to being reunited with family and friends.
The very day we had left Michigan, was the day Hyundai/Kia had offered JE a job, here in California. We were so humbled, and grateful.
I am so grateful for my sweet JohnE. My partiarical blessing tells me that my husband will be an example of Love and Righteousness to me. He has indeed fulfilled this example.
Mom and Dad Marshall had been trying to go on a mission for a number of years and so when the chance came they were elated. Dad was the sole executor of the Automotive design program at BYU. He wrote the program as his master’s thesis, thus forming in actuality the entire industrial design program. He wanted to retire for a long time but the school could not find a suitable replacement. Finally, one way or another Mom and Dad decided they should just put in their papers. However during a physical, Dad was discovered to have minor prostate cancer. It was treated and he was cleared for take off. However, the church health requirements were different, and they would have been forced to wait 6 months to be cleared by the church to go. That did not stop them. They had made up their minds, and knew of a missionary couple who were coming home from Hawaii, and hadn’t found replacements. So they went. 2 Days later, they received a call to serve at BYU Hawaii.
It was the perfect year for them. Dad golfed or Surf fished each morning before going to the school to teach art. Mom was assigned to help out in the study center. Their lives were filled with new friends, and unexpected meetings of old friends. Most of their children and their families came to visit them there. They had a truly perfect and amazing year in the Lord’s service. In August, mom and Dad came back stateside for a check up. Dad was diagnosed with phase 4 terminal colon cancer. He passed away in January 2008. I tell you this story because in that last year together, mom and dad grew in love for each other. Their differences that several years previously had seemed irreconcilable, had dissipated. They had learned to love, respect and just plain old BE together.
Again President Hinckley: There is a remedy. It is found in the gospel of the Son of God. He it was who said, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Matt. 19:6.) The remedy for most marriage stress is not in divorce. It is in repentance. It is not in separation. It is in simple integrity that leads a man to square up his shoulders and meet his obligations. It is found in the Golden Rule.
The first phrase of the proclamation on the family “We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
by loving your spouse, you honor God.
President Hinckley said: Surely no one reading the scriptures, both ancient and modern, can doubt the divine concept of marriage. The sweetest feelings of life, the most generous and satisfying impulses of the human heart, find expression in a marriage that stands pure and unsullied above the evil of the world.
Such a marriage, I believe, is the desire—the hoped-for, the longed-for, the prayed-for desire—of men and women everywhere.
President Hinkleys council for achieving this is:
Wives, look upon your husbands as your precious companions and live worthy of that association. Husbands, see in your wives your most valued asset in time or eternity, each a daughter of God, a partner with whom you can walk hand in hand, through sunshine and storm, through all the perils and triumphs of life. Parents, see in your children sons and daughters of your Father in Heaven, who will hold you accountable for them. Stand together as their guardians, their protectors, their guides, their anchors.
The strength of the nations lies in the homes of the people. God is the designer of the family. He intended that the greatest of happiness, the most satisfying aspects of life, the deepest joys should come in our associations together and our concerns one for another as fathers and mothers and children.
by loving your spouse, you honor God.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Super-Saturation
Today is super-saturated. As I entered the Newport Back bay on my bike I was inundated with heavy cool wet floral smells. The pepper trees are in berry, the wattle is blooming, buckwheat, marsh grasses, native sunflowers, bottle brush, willows, Eucalyptus. A new memory around every corner. Wattle will do that to a girl.
Bird migration is happening right now too. Loads of redwing black birds, ibis, an assortment of ducks. Super saturated with birds. I saw two swans on my ride on Friday. What glories!
Saturday JE and I rode from just off the PCH to the end of Huntington beach park. A fun long ride (31.54 miles round trip) Huntington Beach was having its annual international kite flying event. JE and I got some great video of the peir, the surfers, dolphins, vollyballers, kite flyers, rollerbladers, bike riders, etc for our movie for our travel documentary for our film fest this December. It was such a beautiful day and hard to believe that it was the last day in FEBRUARY!!! At the kite fest, there was very little wind and the commentator (trying to make us feel less gilted) read off some weather reports from places like Chicago, Wisconsin, New York. Brrrrr.... I think the lowest he read was 17 degrees. Here we were in short and t-shirts and sunscreen biking along the beach. We saw an older lady in a bikini riding her cruiser with a radio in the backet listening to the Mama's and the Papa's "California Dreamin'" Livin' the dream, man! Livin' the dream!
Bird migration is happening right now too. Loads of redwing black birds, ibis, an assortment of ducks. Super saturated with birds. I saw two swans on my ride on Friday. What glories!
Saturday JE and I rode from just off the PCH to the end of Huntington beach park. A fun long ride (31.54 miles round trip) Huntington Beach was having its annual international kite flying event. JE and I got some great video of the peir, the surfers, dolphins, vollyballers, kite flyers, rollerbladers, bike riders, etc for our movie for our travel documentary for our film fest this December. It was such a beautiful day and hard to believe that it was the last day in FEBRUARY!!! At the kite fest, there was very little wind and the commentator (trying to make us feel less gilted) read off some weather reports from places like Chicago, Wisconsin, New York. Brrrrr.... I think the lowest he read was 17 degrees. Here we were in short and t-shirts and sunscreen biking along the beach. We saw an older lady in a bikini riding her cruiser with a radio in the backet listening to the Mama's and the Papa's "California Dreamin'" Livin' the dream, man! Livin' the dream!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Food, Glorious Food!
We had dinner with the Clemens last night. What a fun time! It is great getting to know people with similar intersts who live so close. One of those interests is food. I brought lettuce and salad greens from the garden along with a few radishes and a carrot and some peas.
There is a joy in growing your own food and being able to share it. I have been thinking of festivals and the food involved. We as a culture tend to eat the foods of festivals on a weekly if not on a daily basis. The ingredient to bake a cake have become fairly inexpensive and so easily accessible. Vegetables come in packages, some already prepared. Animals have become so cheap that we eat them on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day.
Back in the day, when man had to grow his own food, simple meals were often repeated without change, day in and day out. If I chose I could pick any part of the world and replicate a meal from that culinary dialect, just by going around the corner to the Fresh and Easy there. Or eat a meal from any continent (excluding Antarctica) at restaurants within 30 miles.
As I was contemplating this this morning on by bicycle, a thought went through my head: we as a culture have such a problem with food. We make "food" to replicate food. Sugar free, fat free, cheese food. Yet we are never satisfied-as exhibited by our obesity problems. I think what is lost in our culture is the joy and satisfaction of being able to grow your own food. We try to fill that gap by eating more of the things that are so easy to acquire, stop our gobs with food that we really have no connection to. Misunderstand simple principles of ration by nature. What grows most in my garden right now are dark leafy greens, peas, beets, leeks, kale, turnips. These are the things nature is telling me that I need right now. I realize of course, that I am fortunate to live in a climate where I can garden all year long.
Speaking of animals, I heard of a youth pioneer trek adventure where each "family" was given a chicken and told that if they wanted meat, they had to kill their own chicken. All but one family had a pet chicken at the end of the trek. I wonder how many of us would be vegetarian if we had to kill our own meat.
There is a joy in growing your own food and being able to share it. I have been thinking of festivals and the food involved. We as a culture tend to eat the foods of festivals on a weekly if not on a daily basis. The ingredient to bake a cake have become fairly inexpensive and so easily accessible. Vegetables come in packages, some already prepared. Animals have become so cheap that we eat them on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day.
Back in the day, when man had to grow his own food, simple meals were often repeated without change, day in and day out. If I chose I could pick any part of the world and replicate a meal from that culinary dialect, just by going around the corner to the Fresh and Easy there. Or eat a meal from any continent (excluding Antarctica) at restaurants within 30 miles.
As I was contemplating this this morning on by bicycle, a thought went through my head: we as a culture have such a problem with food. We make "food" to replicate food. Sugar free, fat free, cheese food. Yet we are never satisfied-as exhibited by our obesity problems. I think what is lost in our culture is the joy and satisfaction of being able to grow your own food. We try to fill that gap by eating more of the things that are so easy to acquire, stop our gobs with food that we really have no connection to. Misunderstand simple principles of ration by nature. What grows most in my garden right now are dark leafy greens, peas, beets, leeks, kale, turnips. These are the things nature is telling me that I need right now. I realize of course, that I am fortunate to live in a climate where I can garden all year long.
Speaking of animals, I heard of a youth pioneer trek adventure where each "family" was given a chicken and told that if they wanted meat, they had to kill their own chicken. All but one family had a pet chicken at the end of the trek. I wonder how many of us would be vegetarian if we had to kill our own meat.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Friends, marriage, love, life
Just thinking lately about my friends. There are some friends in my life who when I first saw them knew instinctively that I needed to be friends with that person. These are the people I feel close to even when they are a continent away.
When I was at Ricks, I saw this guy dancing all over the floor and making up steps as he went. Instantly I knew I needed to be friends with him. I lost track of him that night and I wasn't able to meet him. This was not a romantic interest, purely platonic, but the urge to have a friend like that was very strong.The next evening it had snowed I was out walking around when who should I come across skating around on the snow was this same guy! It sort of took my breath away. I can't remember who I was with but I explained and took off after him. I had to meet him. But I lost him again. He and his friend had gone into the Snow building and disappeared. I had given up when all of a sudden they emerged and were right in front of me and my friend. I invited them over for cinnamon rolls I had made that day, gave them my address and left. I have no idea what I said by way of introduction, but I am sure it was a bit ridiculous--I am and was a bit ridiculous (particularly when meeting new people)! I was not surprised when they showed up at my door but was later surprised to learn that they had debated not coming! Jay became one of my life's best friends and I have been so grateful for his influence on my life. He and Alisa are choice souls.
The same sort of thing happened with my other best friend from college. I kept seeing her and wishing I could be her friend--she is so glamorous and beautiful in ways I am not-with her long curly dark hair and eyes the color of the ocean. She wore big hats and short skirts and danced like a milkweed over water. We shared a major, and yet for some reason it took us a long time to both overcome our timidness toward each other. One night- a late project night, we were both in the sewing labs and needed a break. So we started bowling thread cones with some crazy little stuffed animals someone had donated to the department. One broke open revealing that they were stuffed with old stockings, so we made skirts of them by stuffing them down our waistbands and danced in the corridor. I am now the proud godmother of her 6 children (don't die Ocean!). She and her Martin are so dear to my heart.
As a missionary I always stood in awe of Sister Smith, tall, gracious, lovely, kind wonderful with a testimony so radiant and shining. I loved her from the moment I saw her. Then I got to be her companion! What an honor, to stand next to her and testify, to study with her and make her pancakes. Rebecca of the radiant heart. She taught me how to be "real."
When I moved to Utah, my good friend Tara (there is a love story there too) picked me up in the back of her bronco-me and all my stuff and moved me to UT (I had $500 in the bank). Jamie was in the car. My soul delights in Jamie.
There are so many more. Amy, Funny that I can't remember how we met, but I just remember one of the days that cemented you into my soul. We were having lunch somewhere and you were talking about Ireland(? somewhere that you were walking in a meadow and met someone who became dear to you for a while). I just remember looking up at you and having this really strong emotional/spiritual tie to you. Later I introduced you to my John and found out that you were best friends in high school. How fitting.
I believe in pre-mortal existence. I know we were in each others company before we came here. I believe that that veil that seperates us from that previous time is very thin. The summer before I met JohnE I was on a film crew with a woman. We knew each other onsight and had memories of each other--we taught young women in the outdoors together-very distinct memories of laughing and having fun. However that film crew was the first and only time we had ever been within a 25 mile radius with in our live on earth, we exhausted the topic in the 6 weeks we were together.
When I met my JohnE our hearts knit together--it was almost instant. We knew within the first month that we would be together always. It is almost 10 years that we have been married and I am still enraptured with him. He is my best friend, my righteous example, my all in all.
His sweet friends are now my friends, my friends are now his friends. And what a blessing this is in our lives. My life is so rich with the blessings of good friends. The Dastrups, the Haskells, the Tufts, the list goes on and on. Though I have only mentioned a few people, it in no way stops here. Being married to my best friend is interesting and lovely. We love our friends and love to be with them whenever we can. I still meet people I feel the need to know, quite a bit recently. There seems to be a window in heaven opening and suddenly I am surrounded by amazing people.
Just before Christmas I was walking out of the grocery store when I heard this woman telling her little boy that she just needed to figure out what to do. Without thinking I asked if I could help and when she said yes that she had locked her keys and cell phone in the car it was such an easy fix. I sat and chatted with her while we waited for the tow truck to come open her car, and made light in a bad situation. We've gotten together a couple times since then.
There are others too, people who inspire me to be a better business woman (Nicole, Catherine, Deanna) and others who have inspired me to get in a bit more learning and education (Swantje, Brian, Tia--my sweet sister)
I have failed to mention much of family here. My sisters, though I can only remember vaguely meeting my little sister, are two of my favorite people in my life! The stuff we have been through together! We should write a book!!! I remember when the neighborhood boys were trying to knock me off my bike and step on my glasses. Lisa beat the stuffing out of them for me and they were a few years older than her!!!
JohnE's family too. I miss seeing them.
When I was at Ricks, I saw this guy dancing all over the floor and making up steps as he went. Instantly I knew I needed to be friends with him. I lost track of him that night and I wasn't able to meet him. This was not a romantic interest, purely platonic, but the urge to have a friend like that was very strong.The next evening it had snowed I was out walking around when who should I come across skating around on the snow was this same guy! It sort of took my breath away. I can't remember who I was with but I explained and took off after him. I had to meet him. But I lost him again. He and his friend had gone into the Snow building and disappeared. I had given up when all of a sudden they emerged and were right in front of me and my friend. I invited them over for cinnamon rolls I had made that day, gave them my address and left. I have no idea what I said by way of introduction, but I am sure it was a bit ridiculous--I am and was a bit ridiculous (particularly when meeting new people)! I was not surprised when they showed up at my door but was later surprised to learn that they had debated not coming! Jay became one of my life's best friends and I have been so grateful for his influence on my life. He and Alisa are choice souls.
The same sort of thing happened with my other best friend from college. I kept seeing her and wishing I could be her friend--she is so glamorous and beautiful in ways I am not-with her long curly dark hair and eyes the color of the ocean. She wore big hats and short skirts and danced like a milkweed over water. We shared a major, and yet for some reason it took us a long time to both overcome our timidness toward each other. One night- a late project night, we were both in the sewing labs and needed a break. So we started bowling thread cones with some crazy little stuffed animals someone had donated to the department. One broke open revealing that they were stuffed with old stockings, so we made skirts of them by stuffing them down our waistbands and danced in the corridor. I am now the proud godmother of her 6 children (don't die Ocean!). She and her Martin are so dear to my heart.
As a missionary I always stood in awe of Sister Smith, tall, gracious, lovely, kind wonderful with a testimony so radiant and shining. I loved her from the moment I saw her. Then I got to be her companion! What an honor, to stand next to her and testify, to study with her and make her pancakes. Rebecca of the radiant heart. She taught me how to be "real."
When I moved to Utah, my good friend Tara (there is a love story there too) picked me up in the back of her bronco-me and all my stuff and moved me to UT (I had $500 in the bank). Jamie was in the car. My soul delights in Jamie.
There are so many more. Amy, Funny that I can't remember how we met, but I just remember one of the days that cemented you into my soul. We were having lunch somewhere and you were talking about Ireland(? somewhere that you were walking in a meadow and met someone who became dear to you for a while). I just remember looking up at you and having this really strong emotional/spiritual tie to you. Later I introduced you to my John and found out that you were best friends in high school. How fitting.
I believe in pre-mortal existence. I know we were in each others company before we came here. I believe that that veil that seperates us from that previous time is very thin. The summer before I met JohnE I was on a film crew with a woman. We knew each other onsight and had memories of each other--we taught young women in the outdoors together-very distinct memories of laughing and having fun. However that film crew was the first and only time we had ever been within a 25 mile radius with in our live on earth, we exhausted the topic in the 6 weeks we were together.
When I met my JohnE our hearts knit together--it was almost instant. We knew within the first month that we would be together always. It is almost 10 years that we have been married and I am still enraptured with him. He is my best friend, my righteous example, my all in all.
His sweet friends are now my friends, my friends are now his friends. And what a blessing this is in our lives. My life is so rich with the blessings of good friends. The Dastrups, the Haskells, the Tufts, the list goes on and on. Though I have only mentioned a few people, it in no way stops here. Being married to my best friend is interesting and lovely. We love our friends and love to be with them whenever we can. I still meet people I feel the need to know, quite a bit recently. There seems to be a window in heaven opening and suddenly I am surrounded by amazing people.
Just before Christmas I was walking out of the grocery store when I heard this woman telling her little boy that she just needed to figure out what to do. Without thinking I asked if I could help and when she said yes that she had locked her keys and cell phone in the car it was such an easy fix. I sat and chatted with her while we waited for the tow truck to come open her car, and made light in a bad situation. We've gotten together a couple times since then.
There are others too, people who inspire me to be a better business woman (Nicole, Catherine, Deanna) and others who have inspired me to get in a bit more learning and education (Swantje, Brian, Tia--my sweet sister)
I have failed to mention much of family here. My sisters, though I can only remember vaguely meeting my little sister, are two of my favorite people in my life! The stuff we have been through together! We should write a book!!! I remember when the neighborhood boys were trying to knock me off my bike and step on my glasses. Lisa beat the stuffing out of them for me and they were a few years older than her!!!
JohnE's family too. I miss seeing them.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
2008 in a glance
We have had a great year with lots of interesting things.
In March We went to Kauai for a week. Just the two of us walking around looking at stuff, snorkeling, relaxing. We camped inches from the beach and then rented a cottage for a few nights with a screened in jetted tub. In fact we have had many little outings this year. Weekend trips, holidays away. Fun times.
One of my favorite outings was over the 4th of July holiday. We went to Zion, leaving super early in the morning and got there to blistering heat. We however stayed up at Lava Point campground-cooler & quieter. Did some hiking up there and eventually made our way down to the valley and the river-we had a swim day up into the narrows.
Another great trip was to JE's aunt and uncle's house in Allyn Washington and then on down to Portland for Labor Day. We spent a couple days with my sisters in Portland and saw the Portland Zoo. That is a great place to visit polar bears!
John E works still designing cars and loving it. We went to the LA auto show last month in November. In the beginning of December we went to a convention in Las Vegas. The weekend before we headed up to Zion again and did a bit of hiking and freezing in
our sleep. Zion is such a beautiful place in Autumn and winter. We hiked Angels Landing and completed it for the first time in years-always some reasonable excuse. (To the lady who was taking her toddler up the mountain as we were coming down--I hope your kid lives to be old enough to enjoy his next birthday! Use smarts with your child, your job is to protect him! That still makes me mad) On Monday we traveled on to Vegas and the convention. We stayed in the MGM Signature. Oh so beautiful! the room was beautiful and had a huge jetted tub- our favorite! While JE was at the convention I made dolls for Ocean's kids and looked for work and played with a new friend-Nichole.JE is a cub master for our ward--since the stake was redivided we have 1 cub.
In May I was made “head cutter” for the Opera and cut the Marriage of Figaro . It was so fun and Challenging. However that was a last hurrah for the Opera Company, it went under the week after the show closed. So now I am busy making Christmas Pressies and looking for work/networking. I am very hopeful and excited for the endless possibilities before me. I am the Enrichment Leader for our ward.
I had an interesting adventure recently. As I was coming out of our neighborhood market I passed a woman who was talking to her two little boys and said something to the effect of "I just need to figure out what to do." Somehow this phrase made me stop in my tracks and I asked if I could help with anything. To my surprise she said yes. She had locked her keys and cell phone in the car. I loaned her my cell phone and stayed with her and her kids while we waited for AAA. We talked and talked. She is a member of the church and lives just on the other side of the freeway. Funny that this happened so soon after my prayer for friends. Thanks God, I needed that!
For Christmas this year we go on a grand adventure A huge road trip Starting from Southern CA we will travel up the 5 to Portland to visit my family for Christmas. From there we will visit friends in ID and then down to JE’s family in UT for New Years. Then back home. We really look forward to this trip
Holidays and the afterward
Just came back from the periodontists with a mouthful of silly-puddy. Just a minor surgery, but feeling a bit loopy. Giant Cat is curled on my lap and purring--think he likes my new cashmere sweater!
The weekend before Christmas JE and I traveled to Portland to be with family. We had a great , easy ride only seeing a tiny snow flurry outside of Mt Shasta (which is an amazing area). As we swung down into the Willamette valley, the snow started to fly-really fly! So many people were off to the side of the road putting on chains-or trying to figure out how to put on chains. We drove past all that, swerving to avoid accidents as people reemerged from the side of the road having left the rules of the road brains addled in their chains. 60 miles of snow and
freezing rain in 2.5 hours!!! I love our Subaru! We got to Tia's and didn't move the car for 2 days. When we did, there was 1.5 feet of snow & over a quarter inch of freezing rain. That was a giant adventure.Portland in snow is a wonderful place. Chains were required in the city because the city owns perhaps 3 snow plows and had a tough time keeping things clear. The City shut down, no one could get to work and no one cared! Everyone was out, at the park sledding on cardboard boxes, skiing in the streets, walking chilly mutts, and so determinedly joyful! There was very little consumerism and it was 4 days before Christmas!
One night we went for a very very long walk and made snow angels in a bunch of peoples yards and admired the Christmas lights buried in the snow. I love that...
Christmas was Joyous and a bit sad. My parents were unable to join us from WA as the trains were waylaid on the east coast because of snow. Tia and Matt went to his parent's in the Tri-City area and took their much loved dog. Who was left? JE, Lisa and I. At least we ate very well.
JE and I share a wee garden here courtesy of a friend in "leisure world." We brought a huge bag of root veg and greens. Turnips the size of my fists (which are not small) Beets, and lettuce and salad greens up the wazoo (is that really how to spell wazoo?). We roasted beets in salt with lavender, sauteed the greens with garlic and onions, made a potato galette (extra yum!) and roasted a turkey-cut the back open and splayed it out to look like it was doing the funky chicken-but it cooked really fast and evenly!
It is strange going from a place that winter requires a sweater and perhaps an umbrella to a place that forces you to wear as many layers you can without loosing mobility.
The rain washed away the snow by Saturday and we were ready to rock and roll to our next destination. I-84 was closed down forcing us to delay our adventure for a day. We didn't mind, we were warm, safe and mostly dry. But on Sunday it was wonderful to be on the road again with my knitting and the ability to finish up our book on CD adventures. (Lisa taught me to knit over the phone before we left for our journey-grateful for something to keep my hands occupied!) The country between Portland and Salt Lake City is unparalleled in winter. Gushing plains covered with snow and gold grasses peeping out occasionally- and cows, pines, waterfalls and mountains.
We stopped in Fruitland to see our friends Ocean and Martin and their brood of 6 kids-5 of which are girls--poor Jake!we watched the first of the Horatio Hornblowers (my favorite show right now and my Christmas Pressie!--Good Job Sweetie! Thanks) and stayed up talking to 2 am then got up around 8:30 goofed around and talked and made waffles. Oh so yummy. Most excellent time.
We left @ noon to travel to JE's mom's house and visit family and friends there. We stopped by Temple Square for a visit and to see the lights and the JS building which is where we both committed to marry each other just over 10 years ago. Sweet!
Provo is a strange and wonderful place. I love it. I love the familial feelings I have when I am in Provo. I love JE's sisters and all of our nieces and nephews, they are just really neat people.
We had a great time visiting friends Bruce and Jamie, Ben and Amy and all their kids.
For New Years Ben invited us
to a dinner and dancing @ P712-the all time best restaurant in Provo. Dinner was completely amazing--5 courses with Kobe beef tenderloin as the main course. After dinner they moved all the tables to the side to create a dance floor and then we danced into the new year. Great company, great food and fun music. Does a welcome or farewell get any better?Now what? I have so much hope for the new year, Things I want to make happen in my life.
Last October my company gave its last heave ho and succumbed to this recession. I am currently seeking what next! What an adventure, an open book! What an amazing time to be alive!
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