Evaluative Conclusion

Blogging has been a new experience for me. I have found it to be similar to writing in a journal, yet definitely not private. This blog, Aiti's Thoughts, means Mother's Thoughts in English. Since I am a mother and a grandmother, I wanted to share some of the memories and things that I have learned with my children as well as the students in my class  (I am old enough to be their mother). It is possible that some of the things that I have shared could be of help and comfort to those who have read them.

Writing in this blog has also helped me to write more, and along with the all the writing in class has inspired me to start writing again. I have learned how much I enjoy writing in general. When I was young I loved writing and kept a journal, wrote some poetry, and even wanted to write a book. A book is not in the plans unless I get enough stories (personal narratives) together to write a family history book. That actually sounds really fun! However I can see that journal writing is important just as the prophets have taught us.

Overall, writing a blog has been a good experience and I will continue writing in the future.

Christmas

   
Christmas will soon be here!  The whole season can get too busy and the real reason sometimes gets put in the back burner.  How can we balance the fun traditions and remember Christ who is the reason that we even have Christmas?   


We need to stop and take time to read from the scriptures the story written so long ago. We need to think about the words of the hymns and songs of the Christ Child when we listen to or sing them.  We need to take time to feel the spirit of the season and not get lost in the hustle and bustle of the commercial world.  This is a time to rejoice and celebrate the birth of our Savior!  How wonderful it is that He came into the world to show us the way to live and to make it possible for us to return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again.  He came to suffer and die for our sins, so that if we will repent we can be forgiven.  We should never forget this wonderful blessing!

Once we center our lives in Christ and His teachings, we can have the fun traditions as long as we don't let them take over and forget what Christmas really is about.

Learning from Mistakes

One of the things that we were told, in this, our writing class was to study and learn from the corrections that our teacher makes on our papers.  Not only does that apply to writing but it also applies to life.  It's important to be aware of the mistakes we make, and it is important to study and learn from them.  What I mean by studying our mistakes is that we look at why we did what we did.  What were the circumstances that lead to our mistake?  Could we have avoided it in the first place? If so, how can we avoid making the same mistake in the future? By looking at and studying the corrections that our teachers make, we can see what we did wrong. Studying how to correct our mistakes will help us to do better on our assignments.  It's not only the assignment that is important, but the upward climb of learning and improving ourselves.

As my children used to say, "My teacher said" to learn from the corrections that she makes on our papers.

Writing Helps

Looking back on the many things that I have learned this past semester, I have learned so much.  I have only had two classes.  One is on my major of Exercise and Wellness and the other, this one Writing 150, to count toward the generals.  I can see the importance of knowing how to write well.  It has been a semester of writing as I have had to do two writing project for the Consumer Health class each week and one research project.  I'm so glad that we had just finished our research project for this class where I learned how to research and to express what I had learned.  I am taking another writing class next semester, which should help me continue on the road to be a better writer.  I'm really excited for that opportunity.  I had forgotten how writing helps me to sort out my thoughts and feelings.  It is like thinking on paper, where it doesn't vanish as quickly as from my brain.  In the future I will write more than I have the last few years.

Traditions

The house has quieted down with everyone gone.  We just had our second annual Sing-In.  Some friends and neighbors came over and we had Family Home Evening together.  We sang Christmas songs, told stories and memories of  Christmases past. Everyone brought a plate of goodies to share and we provided the hot chocolate and apple juice.

It's fun to get to know people better.  When we see each other at church or at the store, there is a feeling of family.  To me Christmas time is a time to spend with family and friends, a time to sing fun songs as well as the songs that remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.  Another fun singing tradition that we have is caroling.  That is a tradition we have had for thirty years.  We used to invite a couple of families to go with us, but now my family is so big that we make a great choir all by ourselves. We visit people in the neighborhood and some other people who need cheering up. When the people open their doors one the kids hands them a lit candle to help them feel the light of the season.  Afterwards we come to my house to warm up and to drink wassail and eat cookies.

Having family and friends to share special moments with makes Christmas a joyous time of the year!

Beginning the Christmas Season

Some of my children, grandsons, and I were able to attend the First Presidency Christmas Devotional yesterday.  Entering into the Conference Center and being greeted by smiling missionaries is always heart warming.  We were able to go last year also, but had to sit way up on top.  Yesterday we were on the main floor and in direct view of the First Presidency!  The Tabernacle Choir was practicing as we entered, which gave us a chance to listen to them more than we would have if we stayed home.  As more people entered, the noise level continued to rise, but when we saw President Monson walk in, all the chattering stopped almost instantly.  The music and the speakers filled us with the Spirit of the Season and we came away uplifted.  Spending that time together was a wonderful way to start the Christmas Season!

First Snows and Driving

When the first snow of the year arrives, if at all possible, I stay home!  It's a fact that none of us are used to driving in the snow and especially on ice after a long break.  I'm not afraid of driving in the snow, but I am afraid of the people who "think" they know how to drive in it.  Yesterday,  we were on the freeway and saw a huge sign on the side of the road warning of black ice.  Most of the cars slowed down, yet we watched as a car or two continued to speed past us as if they were on dry roads.  It wasn't but a couple of minutes later when we saw one of these cars on the side of the road where he had done a donut.  He was lucky that no one was too close, because he didn't hit anyone or wreck his car.  As we continued on we came to several police cars on both sides of the freeway and cars every-which-way also on both sides.  I felt so bad for these poor people!  Whether we are innocent bystanders or the ones who caused the wrecks, it is very sad.

If ALL of us could just remember to slow down and drive carefully, then we would all arrive home safely.

Rhetoric - Communication

Communication is an important skill to posses.  It seems that a lot of people are good at talking, not many are good at listening.  Good communication both gives and receives.  If there is no listening, there is no communication.  If there is no speaking, there is no communication.  I do admit that there is communication without words also - even a look can communicate many things.  Life is much easier when we try to understand each other, and are willing to communicate.

We have been learning about rhetoric.  Rhetoric is a way to communicate.  When I think of rhetoric, I think of persuasion.  As we speak or write, we are trying to persuade others to understand what we are trying to say.  When we read or listen, we are trying to understand what they are trying to tell us.  Rhetoric is everywhere all the time.

Children Are a Treasure

Kids say the cutest things.  Here are some of the things that my grandchildren have come up with.

My four year old granddaughter calls vanilla, banilla.  Her and her siblings call graham crackers brown crackers (makes sense since they are brown).  My five year old granddaughter calls cupboard, covered (that is true, since the cupboard doors cover the dishes and food inside).

One of my daughter's-in-law was telling her husband, my son, that they could use pretzels and Rolo's to make chocolate turtles.  Their four year old son hysterically said, "you can't stick a pencil up the turtles noses." He was very upset, just about in tears.  He calmed down after his parent's explained to him that that is not what they said.

And last but not least, my daughter's little 18 month old who is just learning to talk calls almost every animal a horse.  He likes to play peek-a-boo, but says pub-a-boo.

Children are a treasure!

Lesson of the Left Elbow

In the last few days I have learned to appreciate my left elbow.  I woke up one morning and as I was getting out of bed I twisted my left elbow and put it out of place.  How is that possible?  That is a crazy thing to happen!  I'm right handed so an injury to the left side shouldn't be too much of a problem.  Not so!  Putting on my clothes, washing my hair, and cleaning my house were not easy tasks.  The importance of having a working left elbow became important all of a sudden.

This small injury made me think of the scripture in 1 Cor. 12:21 which says, "And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you."  All parts of our body are needed to make it whole.  And so are all people needed to make the world a good place to live.  We are all different and have different talents, and all are necessary however small that contribution is.  Just like my left elbow, the contribution it makes is much more important than I realized, so is the contribution of all of us.  Never should we think that who we are or what we do does not matter - it does!

Thank you Left Elbow for teaching me!

Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and the Audience

Ethos, pathos, and logos were foreign words to me when we first started talking about them (no pun intended).  I still tend to mix them up sometimes.  It has been very helpful to learn that there are those three elements in a speech or in writing.  When I read a talk or a speech, or listen to one, I notice myself dissecting them to see what authority the person has, and how they present their material to make it worth paying attention to.  Learning of these important tools will make me a better speaker and writer, as long as I choose to use them.  Another important tool that we have learned about is knowing who our audience is.  When we know who we are addressing it is easier to express ourselves.  There is a big difference, if I am talking to one of my grandchildren or a professor at school, on how I present what I have to say.  It is very important to know who our audience is and then use ethos, pathos, and logos according to their needs.

Hyvaa Ruokahalua!

Food is a necessity, there is no arguing about that.

There are many different kinds of foods. We all have our favorites. There are many influences of why we eat the way we do. The way our family has always eaten is probably the most influential. Whether we ate home cooked or went out to eat. Where we lived also made a difference on the menu items. When I was young we ate a lot of fish, sausage, potatoes, and bread. Those are still on my list of favorite foods. However they need to be the right kind of fish, bread, and sausage. I even have a favorite kind of potato which we cannot find in the United States. After moving to the US I have found many new favorites. We are lucky to have so many different ethnicity's input on the foods available to us. One only has to look in the "Yellow Pages" or on line to find a food that our palate is in the mood for.

Hyvaa ruokahalua! (Good appetite)

Waiting Rooms and Adventures

Sitting at a car dealership can be an adventure!  It's a good idea to be ready to meet people of all kinds - if one is willing of course.  I had to get a long service job done on my car yesterday.  I brought school work, but I also brought some knitting just in case I couldn't concentrate on the more academic task.  I was knitting away when an older couple came in, and a conversation started right away.  The woman began by talking about knitting and crocheting, about how she hadn't knitted for many years.  Her husband said he had knitted a pair of socks when he was ten years old.  And so it went.  We talked about knitting, trailed their journeys from Utah and Arizona to Alaska and back to Utah, of missions, temples, and their miniature dog that was with them.  While we were talking others came and went and joined in the conversation where they had interest. I never had to get in an airplane or a car to have an adventure, because I had one just sitting there at the dealership.  The sock that I was knitting got finished and I started on the next one.

So, next time you go to the car dealership, or the doctor's, bring a conversation piece and you will be sure to meet a lot of nice people!

Oh Christmas Tree!

We bought our Christmas tree yesterday!  A real Chritmas tree is a must at our house. 

When I was growing up in Finland, we would get our tree in the morning of the 24th.  Then we would go home and decorate it.  The reason that the tree had to be fresh is because we would put real live candles on it.  In the countryside people would take the extra brances that are cut off the bottom of the tree and lay them on the front porch.  These were then used to wipe feet on before entering the house - kind of like a door mat.  I have done that at my house a few times.  One time when I opened the door, the person who was there was careful not to step on them.  Maybe it's not a good custom for Utah?

I have been Americanized, and so we get our tree early now - which means definitely no real candles.  To get a tree this early in the season is fun!  We get to enjoy the fresh "piney" smell and the green color of the forest the whole month.

Today we draped some lights on it but are yet to hang the decorations on.  Actually it looks beautiful without anything on it, or just with the lights.  Maybe tomorrow we will finish decorating.

Personal Narrative Final Copy: Love Is Not Always Spoken

My Pilkki

            A gentle touch woke me up from a deep sleep.  When I opened my eyes I could see my grandfather, Isoisä’s, face close and heard his whisper.

 “It’s time to go.”

 I rubbed my eyes and stretched my eight year old little arms as far as I could.  I thought, I barely went to bed, it’s already morning?  Isoisä –as I called him, which means “grandfather” - had already left the room by the time I was awake enough to get out of bed.  By now I was wide awake and remembered why we were getting up so early.  We are going fishing!  That was something I really enjoyed, especially with Isoisä.  I hopped out of bed and threw my clothes on.  When I entered the living room, he was almost ready to go.

 “I’ve made sandwiches for us, they are in the kitchen.  Would you go and get them please.”  Isoisä spoke quietly, so as not to wake up my grandmother, Isoäiti.  He had gotten up earlier and fixed the sandwiches of rye bread and cheese.  I found them on the kitchen counter wrapped up in wax paper to keep them fresh.  There was also a small metal can of milk.  I quickly grabbed both of them and went back to the living room.

 “I have them here.”  I said in a whisper as I handed them to Isoisä.  He placed them in his fishing bag.  We were ready!

            It was already light outside.  In the summer it’s not dark very long in Finland.  It is so far up north that the sun only dips behind the trees for a little while and it actually never really gets dark.  I was glad that it wasn’t, because I really didn’t like to ride my bike in the dark. 

            I had received a small pink bike for my birthday that summer.  I actually had my own bike!  Now I could ride it as we headed to the sea.  Isoisä rode his big bike fast.  I had a rough time keeping up with him.  The country road was bumpy and I had to be careful not to slide and fall.  The first part of the trip wasn’t too bad, but the part that I dreaded was the dark forest that we had to ride through.  When we got to the edge of the forest my feet pumped as fast as they could on the pedals.  I did not want to be left too far behind, just in case.  After the forest there were fields, and I could smell the salty seawater as we neared the shore.

            There it was - the sea.  I could feel the gentle wind on my face and blowing my long brown hair.  I loved that feeling. 

“Come on Satu, hop in the boat.”  Isoisä called from the boat where he was sitting.  I quit my daydreaming and knew there would be more of that as we sat at our favorite fishing spot.  

As I climbed into the small motorboat, Isoisä warned me, “Careful now.  Here is your pole.”

“Thank you.”  I replied.  Isoäiti had taught me to be polite and I tried to remember to have good manners.  He handed me my fishing pole, which fit me perfectly.  It was about a ½ inch thick piece of a branch that had been made into a fishing pole for me (called a “pilkki”).  It had little stubs left over from branches that had been cut off.  They were used to wind the fishing line on.  The “pilkki” itself was only about two feet long.  Isoisä had made a hole at the tip of it through which the line went.

            The motor sputtered and coughed as Isoisä pulled the rope to get it started, but he knew how to get it going and soon we were on our way.  There were islands that we had to go around because this was not the open sea.  His boat wasn’t fast which gave me a chance to sing while the motor was humming.  My favorite spot was in the very front of the boat.  There was a triangle bench there which I would sit on, though my favorite thing was to kneel on it so I could see where we were going.  The edge of the boat protected me from the wind when it got too cold.  I loved singing but was timid about letting others hear me and this was a good time to sing because the sound of the motor would drown out my voice.  But, when the motor stopped, so did my singing.

            Isoisä took out the oars and rowed to the exact spot while the wind tried to move us to where it wanted us to go.

 “Stay there until I get the anchor out,” Isoisä instructed me as I turned around to look at him. 

“Okay,” I replied and sat quietly while he got the anchor dropped into the water.  The anchor was a large heavy rock that had a thick rope tied around it, but it worked as well as a store bought one.  Now we were down to business; the fishing was about to begin!

 Isoisä pulled out a small box which enclosed slimy wiggly worms in a little bit of soil.  He had taught me how to put on my own worm on the hook.

 “Get your hook ready, but be careful not to poke yourself.”

 “I’ll be careful,” I answered as I cautiously held the hook in my left hand.  With my right hand I selected a worm from the box.  It took a lot of maneuvering to get a slimy worm onto the hook.  Isoisä watched, but didn’t help.  He knew that I could do it, and I did.  He had taught me well.

We both threw our lines into the water and started our patient waiting.  This could have been a good time to talk, but that is not how we fished.  We both sat there silently and watched our poles.  Isoisä was not a man of many words, especially to an eight year old.  Besides, we didn’t want to scare the fish away with our jabbering.  So there we sat thinking, daydreaming, and hoping to catch enough fish for lunch.  It was never an uncomfortable silence; it was just how things were.

            Isoisä had taken me fishing since, well, I really don’t remember when – always.  When the wind was right Isoisä and I would go fishing.  It was a time for us to connect, to show that we enjoyed spending time together.  Yes, even without words. 

“I got one, I got one!” I exclaimed excitedly.

 “Careful now,” warned Isoisä.  “Remember to let it nibble until it’s caught and then jerk the line hard and start pulling it up.”  He got the net ready and lowered it into the water to prevent an escapee.  One good sized fish would at least guarantee fish soup.  I was excited! 

            “I got another one!”  

This was going to be a good day for fishing as both of us took turns bringing in our hooks with fish.  One rule that Isoisä had was that the one who caught the fish also had to clean it.  With a little help, I cleaned my fish.  The seagulls eagerly waited near the boat, because they knew that Isoisä would throw the guts out to them for their breakfast.  Breakfast!  I was hungry too!  We cleaned our hands in the salty water and ate our sandwiches before heading back to show off our catch.  Isoäiti would be waiting for us anxious to see how much we caught.

            This was going to be a good day; I could tell.   I was spending time in the best place with the best people that I could think of.

Who Knows Us Best?

When I was reading in the scriptures this morning I read a scripture in 3 Nephi 13:8 which made me reflect on how little we know and understand.  As I pray I will often ask for things that I want without realizing what it is that I need.  Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask Him.  He knows what we need more than we do.  We know what we want, not necessarily what we need, therefore we need to trust Him.  That is why we should always add "Thy will be done" to our prayers.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  It would be a good thing to always remember that, and to accept all the things that He allows us to go through, whether good or difficult.  Whatever we go through, our question needs to be: "What can or what do I need to learn from this?"

 Psalms 3:5-6  says: "Trust in the Lord in with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  We need to trust the Lord.

Personal Narrative Draft: Love Is Not Always Spoken

            A gentle touch woke me up from a deep sleep.  When I opened my eyes I could see my grandfather, Isoisä’s, face close and heard his whisper: “It’s time to go.”  I rubbed my eyes and stretched my eight year old little arms as far as I could.  I thought, “I barely went to bed, it’s already morning?” Isoisä –as I called him, which means “grandfather” in English- had already left the room by the time I was awake enough to get out of bed.  By now I was wide awake and remembered why we were getting up so early. “We are going fishing!”  That was something I really enjoyed, especially with Isoisä.  I hopped out of bed and threw my clothes on. 

            When I entered the living room, he was almost ready to go. “I’ve made sandwiches for us, they are in the kitchen.  Would you go and get them please.”  He spoke quietly, so as not to wake up my grandmother, Isoäiti.  He had gotten up earlier and fixed the sandwiches of rye bread and cheese.   I found them on the kitchen counter wrapped up in wax paper to keep them fresh.  There was also a small metal can of milk.  I quickly grabbed both of them and went back to the living room.  “I have them here.” I said in a whisper as I handed them to Isoisä.  He placed them in his fishing bag.  We were ready!

            It was already light outside.  In the summer it’s not dark very long in Finland.  It is so far up north that the sun only dips behind the trees for a little while and it actually never really gets dark.  I was glad that it wasn’t, because I really didn’t like to ride my bike in the dark. 

            I had received a small pink bike for my birthday that summer.  I actually had my own bike!  Now I could ride it as we headed to the sea. Isoisä rode his big bike fast, and I had a rough time keeping up with him.  The country road was bumpy and I had to be careful not to slide and fall.  The first part of the trip wasn’t too bad, but the part that I dreaded was the dark forest that we had to ride through.  When we got to the edge of the forest, my feet pumped as fast as they could on the pedals, I did not want to be left too far behind, just in case.  After the forest there were fields, and I could smell the salty seawater as we neared the shore.  Even this many years later, I can almost ride that road in my minds eye and know where the bends of the road are.

            There it was - the sea.  I could feel the gentle wind on my face and blowing my long brown hair in the wind.  I loved that feeling.  “Come on Satu, hop in the boat.” Isoisä called from the boat where he was sitting.  I quit my daydreaming and knew there would be more of that as we sat at our favorite fishing spot.  As I climbed into the small motorboat, Isoisä warned me, “Careful now.  Here is your pole.” “Thank you.” I replied.  Isoäiti had taught me to be polite and I tried to remember to have good manners.  He handed me my fishing pole, which fit me perfectly.  It was about a ½ inch thick piece of a branch that had been made into a fishing pole for me, it is called a “pilkki”.  It had little stubbs left over from branches that had been cut off.  They were used to wind the fishing line on.  The “pilkki” itself was only about two feet long. Isoisä had made a hole at the tip of it through which the line went.

            The motor sputtered and coughed as Isoisä pulled the rope to get it started, but he knew how to get it going and soon we were on our way.  There were islands that we had to go around, because this was not the open sea.  His boat wasn’t fast which gave me a change to sing while the motor was humming.  My favorite spot was in the very front of the boat. There was a triangle bench there which I would sit on, though my favorite thing would be to kneel on it so I could see where we were going. The edge of the boat protected me from the wind when it got too cold.  I loved singing but was timid about letting others hear me and this was a good time to sing because the sound of the motor would drown out my voice.  But, when the motor stopped, so did my singing.

            Isoisä took out the oars and rowed to the exact spot while the wind tried to move us to where it wanted us to go.  “Stay there until I get the anchor out,” Isoisä instructed me as I turned around to look at him.  “Okay,” I replied and sat quietly while he got the anchor dropped into the water.  The anchor was a large heavy rock that had a thick rope tied around it, but it worked as well as a store bought one.  Now we were down to business, the fishing was about to begin!

 Isoisä pulled out a small box which enclosed slimy wiggly worms in a little bit of soil.  He had taught me how to put on my own worm on the hook.  “Get your hook ready, but be careful not to poke yourself.”  “I’ll be careful,” I answered as I cautiously held the hook in my left hand.  With my right hand I selected a worm from the box.  It took a lot of maneuvering to get a slimy worm onto the hook.  Isoisä watched, but didn’t help.  He knew that I could do it, and I did.  He had taught me well.

We both threw our lines into the water and started our patient waiting.  This could have been a good time to talk, but that is not how we fished.  We both sat there and watched our poles.  Isoisä was not a man of many words, especially to an eight year old.  Besides, we didn’t want to scare the fish away with our jabbering.  So there we sat thinking, daydreaming, and hoping to catch enough fish for lunch.  It was never an uncomfortable silence; it was just how things were.

            Isoisä had taken me fishing since, well, I really don’t remember when – always.  When the wind was right Isoisä and I would go fishing.  It was a time for us to connect, to show that we enjoyed spending time together.  Yes, even without words.  Relationships are all different and unique to the individuals involved. 

            “I got one, I got one!” I exclaimed excitedly.  “Careful now,” warned Isoisä.  “Remember to let it nibble until it’s caught and then jerk the line hard and start pulling it up.”  He got the net ready and lowered it into the water to prevent an escapee.  One good sized fish would at least guarantee fish soup.  I was excited! 

            “I got another one!” This was going to be a good day for fishing as both of us took turns bringing in our hooks with fish.  One rule that Isoisä had was that the one who catches the fish also has to clean it.  With a little help, I cleaned the fish that I had caught.  The seagulls eagerly waited near the boat because they knew that Isoisä would throw the guts out to them for their breakfast.  Breakfast!  I was hungry too!  We cleaned out hands in the salty water and ate our sandwiches before heading back to show off our catch. Isoäiti would be waiting for us anxious to see what we got.

            This was going to be a good day, I could tell.  How I loved spending time with my grandparents, fishing with Isoisä, picking berries with Isoäiti, and feeling the love that they had for me.  Though the words, “I love you,” were never spoken, I knew that my grandparents loved me. 

            And incase you are wondering, fish soup would not be on the menu, at least not today.  There were enough fish for Isoisä to smoke them in a barrel- but that is another story, for another time. 

Thanks For Every Day

There are so many things to be grateful for!  I'm afraid that it's easy to forget what Thanksgiving should be all about amid all the hustle and bustle of getting the house and food ready for the big day.  Yet when I sit down with my family and look at the faces that are sitting around the tables - one table won't do any more- I feel the love and gratitude for those who are there.  We are so blessed to have a home, food, clothing, good neighbors, and friends.  More than anything we are blessed to have a Heavenly Father who watches over us and gives us those things that we need, though not necessarily what we want. 


Our thanks needs to happen not only at this time of year, but each day, and as we look  we will find the many blessings that are bestowed upon us. 

Devotional

One of the things I found interesting in President Monson's talk is his desire to learn.  He told us how he had watched  a children's movie, Lion King, and picked out several quotes that he thought were thought provoking and worth remembering.  He said that he has a notebook and a pen when he watches movies and writes down quotes worth remembering.  I find myself just watching a movie to relax and enjoy without really thinking deeply about the many messages that might be there - maybe I better mend my ways.  We can learn from everything if we are willing to look.

Food Addictions

Food addictions are a reality.  There are various foods that get us hooked!  Sweet, fatty, and salty foods are generally the culprits.  We use food to celebrate, grieve, for boredom, stress, recreation, socializing, etc.  We too often live to eat rather than eat to live.  Why do we do this?   What affects our desire to eat so much? And how can we get control of our unhealthy eating habits?  In my research paper I plan to look at why people have food addictions and how can they overcome them.  

Fall Is Here!

I Love Fall !  I love the colors, tastes, smells, rain, and yes, even the cool air!

One day as I looked up, I saw red painted on the sides of the mountains and knew that summer was coming to an end. Every day there were changes on the mountain sides as the colors changed to include yellow and orange and grew closer to our valley below.   It won't be long when we will also be bathed in color.

My apple tree has given it's first few apples.  That first crisp, juicy bite of a Golden Delicious apple in the  fall is my favorite bite of the year.  Apples eaten whole or in slices; apples in crisps and pies ; apples in baskets on the table and tucked into lunch bags - it's the best time of the year to eat apples. There is nothing like fresh fruit in the late summer and fall!

After the rain last week, as I was walking up the stairs by the Richard's Building, I could smell the earth and the greenery by the stairs.  I had to stop for just a minute to enjoy the fresh, clean smell of this beautiful earth we live in.  Rain cleanses and refreshes everything and the colors of nature are brighter and sharper.

After the long hot summer, it's nice when it cools down.  I like to open the windows and let the fresh air in after keeping everything closed all summer pretending to shut out the heat.  Then again, it's fun to snuggle up inside a soft blanket to warm up when it gets a little too cool.  One of my favorite things to say is, "You can only take so many clothes off to cool down, but you can always put more on."  I don't mind bundling up in the fall and winter (I think it's my Finnish blood) and as I mentioned, you can always put more clothes on.

The four seasons each have their own special qualities, but isn't fall wonderful!

We Do Matter: President Uchtdorf's Ethos, Pathos and Anaphora

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf  is a wonderful speaker.  He is an apostle of the Lord and has a commission from Him to teach us, which is the best ethos I can think of.  He establishes pathos, in his talk "You Matter to Him", by the experiences that he has had and uses repetition, anaphora, to emphasize that whoever we are, we matter to the Lord.

At first he establishes pathos by telling of his experience in Texas where he attended pilot training. He shows how he had also experienced what many or all of us have - feeling "insignificant, unknown, and quite alone."  Not knowing a language well, being far away from family and friends is a frightful experience, which I know from my own experience, and it's easy to feel all alone.  By sharing his experience with us, President Uchtdord, helps us to know that we are not the only ones who have these feelings.

Yet, President Uchtdorf gives us hope when he teaches us how much we all matter to our Heavenly Father.  He uses repetition: "no matter where you live, no matter how humble your circumstances," and "how meager your employment, how limited your abilities, how ordinary your appearance, or how little your calling in the Church may appear to you," we are still loved by our Heavenly Father and and He knows where we are.  President Uchtdorf helps us to realize that we are never really alone, and that we always matter to the Lord.

"You Matter to Him," by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, comforts, teaches, and helps us to know that we matter to the Lord.  By his pathos, ethos and repetition, he guides us to true understanding of who we really are and that we do matter.

From Radio to Television

As I looked forward to General Conference this past weekend, my mind went back to when my children were young and how our conference viewing has evolved over the years.

Preparing for Conference has always been a big deal in our family.  It has been a time to spend together and listen to the Lord's servants. When my two oldest were young we lived in Washington state and had to find a place where we could get a reception on the car's radio.  We were only able to listen to Sunday sessions.

After moving back to Utah, we were thrilled to watch it on television.  The week before, I would get Bingo pages for the younger children with pictures of topics such as families, a prophet, a heart etc.  The tokens were usually raisins.  The children would bring pillows and "blankies" for comfort on the floor.  As they got older notebooks replaced Bingo cards.

As time has worn on, most of my children have gotten married and started families of their own.  At first, when they didn't have many children, we would all get together and watch conference together.  Now, there are 15 grandchildren and it gets way too noisy to hear a thing!  Needless to say, we had to make changes.  I have families come at different times to watch different sessions, which works out very well - for now.

Expectations

Last Friday night I went to see the Broadway play Mary Poppins at the Capital Theater in Salt Lake.  I have seen the movie several times, thanks to my children who loved watching it.  It did not follow the movie as I expected it.  The feeling that arose in me as I watched unfamiliar parts was disturbing.  The performers were wonderful overall.  The singing was great and the dancing fantastic!  Then, why would these uncomfortable feelings surface?  As we, my daughter and I, were talking about the play, I remembered last weeks reading from our text, Writing and Rhetoric.  Chapter 7 talks about "the power and pleasure of form", which explains how we like to receive what we expect.  For example, we watch the same old movies over and over again, listen to certain songs, and read interesting books more than once.  Have you ever read a favorite book to a child and read something wrong?  They will be sure to correct you.  It's that expectation of the familiar, the "form", that we feel comfortable with.  Some of us are comfortable with the old, yet, it's good to try or experience the new once in a while.  You never know, you might like it and it could become a new favorite!  In this case however, I still like the old Mary Poppins better.

Who are we?

How is our life different when we remember who we really are?

It seems that life is full of challenges whether mental or physical.  There are temptations all around us, whether it's being too busy, wasting time or eating chocolate.  After reading Elder Eyring's talk titled "A Child of God", I realized that the key to being successful in resisting temptation and in facing challenges is knowing who we are and acting like it.  When we know and truly understand that we are the children of a Heavenly Father, that He really is our Father and we are His children, then our actions will reflect that knowledge.

Being a student is a challenge.  Studying, taking tests, writing papers and attending classes can distract us from our eternal priorities, and pride in our accomplishments can lead us the wrong direction.  Elder Eyring gives us some great insights and advise on how to avoid the wrong kind of pride and how to excel in our pursuit of excellence.  He first wants us to know that we are children of our Heavenly Father and that we should act like it.  Armed with that knowledge, we can develop some habits that great learners have used to  be successful.

There are five habits that we should invite into our lives: 
1. Welcome correction--whether at school, at work, or in life none of us are perfect.  Elder Eyring advises us to be willing to expect correction from others and from our Father in Heaven.
2. Keep commitments--we need to be careful of which commitments we make, but after we make them we should keep them.
3. Work hard--according to Elder Eyring: "When people quit working they quit learning".  Another great thought he gives is "Life at its longest is short".
4. Help others--none of us know everything, so we should help each other.  According to Elder Eyring, "the best learners make the best company".
5. Expect resistance and overcome it--this may be the hardest one to accept, yet isn't life full of resistance? Just as in strength training for our bodies will make our muscles stronger, so will adversity, with Heavenly Father's help, strengthen us.  Elder Eyring reminds us of our brothers and sisters who have  had resistance and overcome them, such as Job and Joseph in Egypt, and especially Jesus Christ.

Applying these habits into our lives will help us to become great learners and to stay humble, and relying on Heavenly Father's help will keep us going the right direction.