My Letter to the Editor:
Cannons to the front of us, Cannons to the rear of us,
And overhead we saw the rockets red [and green and white and blue] glares
It was a war zone pure and simple.
But today, by dawn’s early light, we saw the aftermath
Which rained down on our roof and lawn like falling leaves all over the place
Why don’t these celebrants go around the neighborhood they’ve littered and offer to sweep up?
There’s a couple of older women on our street who would appreciate the help.
How long before our homes become blazes of glory?
We need to designate safe places where the fireworks may be lighted off.
Lois Kullberg
Salmon Creek
Friday, July 5, 2013
FAITH, FAMILY, FREEDOM
I attended a 100th Anniversary celebration of a little country community church. They put on a party like you would not believe such a small group could do. First, we saw the above words plus a few more, placed Burma Shave style along the road leading to Venersborg. When we arrived we saw about a dozen white-uniformed Sea Scouts directing traffic. They had contacted the county road department to let people use half of a 2-way road for parking and provided a shuttle bus for people who needed to park further away. Inside the little church people signed in, received a paper plate [not a wimpy one] and utensils prewrapped in their own napkins. We went through a line where several food handlers placed [free] picnic style food on the plates, then outdoors for hot, grilled sausages [not the cheap ones] or hamburgers, and soft drinks. We ate at red, white and blue decorated tables while a 4-piece string band played tunes from the old days. In the stained glass sanctuary we read newspaper clippings, saw photos of early settlers and were treated to a 20-minute video history. On the adjacent community building grounds was a display of antique autos and farming equipment. There were kitchen antiques to see and children's crafts. They had games and contests after we left, and of course, buried a time capsule for the next 100-year celebration. It was an amazing event for just a few people to put together. They deserve a standing applause for their efforts. We were proud to be Americans, no matter what our personal differences were.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
What's a Clean Birthing Kit?
What’s in a clean birth kit? This little headline at the top of page 11, of the May 5, 2013 Deseret News, caught my attention. 57 million women worldwide give birth without the help of a trained helper according to the World Health Organization. Often women give birth on the dirt floors of their homes. Women and children die from the infections contracted from unsanitary births.
Here’s what’s in a $2 clean birth kit:
. Small piece of soap [for the birth attendant to wash her hands.]
. One pair of plastic gloves [for the birth attendant to wear.]
. Five Squares of gause [to wipe the mother’s perenium and baby’s eyes.]
. One sharp blade [to cut the cord.]
. Three pieces of string about 10" long [two for tying the cord, one “just in case.”]
. One plastic sheet, approximately 1-yard square [for clean birthing surface.]
. One sandwich ziplock bag [to pack the contents.]
That’s it! No soft blanket. No diapers, or diaper rash cream. No onsies. No cap. No socks. Nothing else.
I kept thinking about recent births in our family. We are so blessed! And they need so little! [See Family Reunion ideas on my Pinterest page]
Pre-assembled kits can be sent to: Adriel Brooker, Bloggers for Birth Kits, PO Box 6221, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia. Consult the web page at themommyhoodmemos.com/2012/08 /bloggers-for-birth-kits-faq United Nations Population Fund and Worldwide Healing Hands are two more groups who can forward clean birthing kits.
Here’s what’s in a $2 clean birth kit:
. Small piece of soap [for the birth attendant to wash her hands.]
. One pair of plastic gloves [for the birth attendant to wear.]
. Five Squares of gause [to wipe the mother’s perenium and baby’s eyes.]
. One sharp blade [to cut the cord.]
. Three pieces of string about 10" long [two for tying the cord, one “just in case.”]
. One plastic sheet, approximately 1-yard square [for clean birthing surface.]
. One sandwich ziplock bag [to pack the contents.]
That’s it! No soft blanket. No diapers, or diaper rash cream. No onsies. No cap. No socks. Nothing else.
I kept thinking about recent births in our family. We are so blessed! And they need so little! [See Family Reunion ideas on my Pinterest page]
Pre-assembled kits can be sent to: Adriel Brooker, Bloggers for Birth Kits, PO Box 6221, Townsville, Queensland, 4810, Australia. Consult the web page at themommyhoodmemos.com/2012/08 /bloggers-for-birth-kits-faq United Nations Population Fund and Worldwide Healing Hands are two more groups who can forward clean birthing kits.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
#21 - How I Got My First Computer
LDSW #21 - How I Got My First Computer
In the early 1980s while I was working as a secretary at Clark College, I had a sick day off work when I sprained an ankle, so I spent the whole day reading a book I had recently purchased on doing family history by computer.
I had drawers full of family group sheets, pedigree charts and hand written notes hastily scribbled on various sizes and colors of notebook paper. The collection, all too often, spilled out on the floor every time I tried to access a particular item. I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could organize these things so I could access them quickly? Then I read the book. It had long been a goal of mine to do a thorough preliminary survey to determine which of my ancestors still needed their temple work done. Computer genealogy seemed to be the answer I needed.
I was also spurred on by a passage in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 128:24 which was imbedded deep in my mind, “Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto he Lord an offering in righeousness; and let us present in His holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead which shall be worthy of all acceptation.” How was this even possible?
A few of my prayers had been answered from time to time, so I began praying for how I could purchase a computer. It didn’t seem possible at the time. All our regular income was dedicated to other obligations. Desktop computers in the homes were just becoming a reality, and costs were somewhere around $2,000, which was too much for our budget. Then came the miracle.
We had invested in a limited partnership, which owned and operated apartments and condominiums, several years earlier. So far we had seen very little return on our investment. But this year the company sent us a dividend of $900 dollars. It came at the same time as a local retail store was offering new, affordable home computers with 64k memory for only $800. We jumped into the car and headed for the store. I got there in time to buy one of the computers. Within a few days, a man my husband worked with, mentioned that he had one of the rachet type printers he wanted to sell so he could upgrade to a newer model, and he was asking just $100 for his old printer. We bought it!
I was then able to purchase a copy of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software from our church bookstore, and began entering family names into my own database. It had been only a few weeks since I had read that book. I was convinced that the Lord does hear and answer our prayers! [And we never got another large dividend from that investment!]
In the early 1980s while I was working as a secretary at Clark College, I had a sick day off work when I sprained an ankle, so I spent the whole day reading a book I had recently purchased on doing family history by computer.
I had drawers full of family group sheets, pedigree charts and hand written notes hastily scribbled on various sizes and colors of notebook paper. The collection, all too often, spilled out on the floor every time I tried to access a particular item. I thought, wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could organize these things so I could access them quickly? Then I read the book. It had long been a goal of mine to do a thorough preliminary survey to determine which of my ancestors still needed their temple work done. Computer genealogy seemed to be the answer I needed.
I was also spurred on by a passage in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 128:24 which was imbedded deep in my mind, “Let us, therefore, as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto he Lord an offering in righeousness; and let us present in His holy temple, when it is finished, a book containing the records of our dead which shall be worthy of all acceptation.” How was this even possible?
A few of my prayers had been answered from time to time, so I began praying for how I could purchase a computer. It didn’t seem possible at the time. All our regular income was dedicated to other obligations. Desktop computers in the homes were just becoming a reality, and costs were somewhere around $2,000, which was too much for our budget. Then came the miracle.
We had invested in a limited partnership, which owned and operated apartments and condominiums, several years earlier. So far we had seen very little return on our investment. But this year the company sent us a dividend of $900 dollars. It came at the same time as a local retail store was offering new, affordable home computers with 64k memory for only $800. We jumped into the car and headed for the store. I got there in time to buy one of the computers. Within a few days, a man my husband worked with, mentioned that he had one of the rachet type printers he wanted to sell so he could upgrade to a newer model, and he was asking just $100 for his old printer. We bought it!
I was then able to purchase a copy of Personal Ancestral File (PAF) software from our church bookstore, and began entering family names into my own database. It had been only a few weeks since I had read that book. I was convinced that the Lord does hear and answer our prayers! [And we never got another large dividend from that investment!]
Saturday, April 6, 2013
On Being a Perfectionist
In one of my recent blogs I wrote about things I started doing but didn’t take them to the next level and went on to try another craft or hobby. Now, I’ve been thinking about some things I do that are done well.
I can make real fir Christmas wreaths and boughs like a professional. I can knit baby caps on a rake loom, and I’ve even sold a few. I can write a book about my husband’s white-water rafting experiences. I have a full notebook containing articles I’ve published. I can play the piano well enough to accompany congregational singing. I could even hold my own in a Jeopardy quiz on music and musicians. At 50 years of age, I earned an Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences from a community college. My emphasis was on Technical Writing and computer applications. I can layout and print out newsletters. I can make up lesson plans, and teach how to do genealogy, and how to write your personal history.
When I was 18 years old, and recently graduated from high school, I was hired as a clerk-typist for a custom house brokerage. I worked for a boss who demanded perfection. Though it was after World War II, it was sort of “known” about the office that he and his wife were Jewish and had escaped from Nazi Germany, which had something to do with their not having any family. He was a proud Prussian and used to demanding what he wanted. There were some nights, after dinner, when I helped my mom by wiping dishes, that I would complain to her about how mean Mr. Adolph Carr was.
I became able to meet his demands. We had a complicated 4-digit file numbering system. Over time I had the important account numbers memorized and could put my hand on a file as soon as he called for it–usually during a phone call. It was in the days when we made Consumption Entries on purple ditto masters that could not be erased. The masters were run through a cylinder with an alcoholic solution to print out copies. If I had a strikeover it would eternally embarrass me. When I had “down” time at work, Mr Carr would hand me a big book full of addresses for freight forwarders. I think he must have known every freight forwarder in West Germany. It was my job to type up business solicitation letters to each of them. The letters had to be perfect–no erasures or “white-out” or correction tape marks added. One particularly slow day, I didn’t have any other work to do but the solicitation letters. That day I typed 40 letters and envelopes–my best record.
Mr. Carr also dictated letters which I wrote down in shorthand. One day I missed a spelling error. He held the letter up in the air, and in a booming voice called out, “What is this? I can’t read it. Is it in Spanish or something? All eyes from the office staff were on me as I hurried back to his desk to see what he was so excited about, and with a red face, assured him I would retype the letter.
I remained at this office for two years, until I got married and moved to California. What did I learn from all that harassment? I learned basic double-entry bookkeeping from Mr. Carr. I learned to look words up in a dictionary, and became a good speller. When computers came along I could type over 100 words per minute. When my husband and I are in strange cities I am able to memorize street names, routes and directions quickly. I have ways to remember people’s names.
I still use my shorthand skills when I go to meetings and classes. I became more organized and efficient as I went on to learn more computer applications. There’s one more thing I can do to perfection. I can type professional resume’s without a blemish. As a writer using a word processor, I will reprint a page, several times if necessary, to correct even one tiny mistake. Now I am a perfectionist too! As I think back about Mr. Carr, I’m grateful that he pushed me to do my best. And my mind echoes back, “whatever’s worth doing, is worth doing well!”
I can make real fir Christmas wreaths and boughs like a professional. I can knit baby caps on a rake loom, and I’ve even sold a few. I can write a book about my husband’s white-water rafting experiences. I have a full notebook containing articles I’ve published. I can play the piano well enough to accompany congregational singing. I could even hold my own in a Jeopardy quiz on music and musicians. At 50 years of age, I earned an Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences from a community college. My emphasis was on Technical Writing and computer applications. I can layout and print out newsletters. I can make up lesson plans, and teach how to do genealogy, and how to write your personal history.
When I was 18 years old, and recently graduated from high school, I was hired as a clerk-typist for a custom house brokerage. I worked for a boss who demanded perfection. Though it was after World War II, it was sort of “known” about the office that he and his wife were Jewish and had escaped from Nazi Germany, which had something to do with their not having any family. He was a proud Prussian and used to demanding what he wanted. There were some nights, after dinner, when I helped my mom by wiping dishes, that I would complain to her about how mean Mr. Adolph Carr was.
I became able to meet his demands. We had a complicated 4-digit file numbering system. Over time I had the important account numbers memorized and could put my hand on a file as soon as he called for it–usually during a phone call. It was in the days when we made Consumption Entries on purple ditto masters that could not be erased. The masters were run through a cylinder with an alcoholic solution to print out copies. If I had a strikeover it would eternally embarrass me. When I had “down” time at work, Mr Carr would hand me a big book full of addresses for freight forwarders. I think he must have known every freight forwarder in West Germany. It was my job to type up business solicitation letters to each of them. The letters had to be perfect–no erasures or “white-out” or correction tape marks added. One particularly slow day, I didn’t have any other work to do but the solicitation letters. That day I typed 40 letters and envelopes–my best record.
Mr. Carr also dictated letters which I wrote down in shorthand. One day I missed a spelling error. He held the letter up in the air, and in a booming voice called out, “What is this? I can’t read it. Is it in Spanish or something? All eyes from the office staff were on me as I hurried back to his desk to see what he was so excited about, and with a red face, assured him I would retype the letter.
I remained at this office for two years, until I got married and moved to California. What did I learn from all that harassment? I learned basic double-entry bookkeeping from Mr. Carr. I learned to look words up in a dictionary, and became a good speller. When computers came along I could type over 100 words per minute. When my husband and I are in strange cities I am able to memorize street names, routes and directions quickly. I have ways to remember people’s names.
I still use my shorthand skills when I go to meetings and classes. I became more organized and efficient as I went on to learn more computer applications. There’s one more thing I can do to perfection. I can type professional resume’s without a blemish. As a writer using a word processor, I will reprint a page, several times if necessary, to correct even one tiny mistake. Now I am a perfectionist too! As I think back about Mr. Carr, I’m grateful that he pushed me to do my best. And my mind echoes back, “whatever’s worth doing, is worth doing well!”
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