Thankful Me

Photo: Nativity sets rest on a windowsill, while outside, trees and houses are blanketed in snow. The lights from the Christmas tree are reflected in the window. Remember back in the old days, before blogging and social media, when friends and family would gather together without thinking to document the occasion with photos? Perhaps, if someone remembered to bring a camera, and if the camera had a flashbulb, a photo or two would be taken. Unless the camera was one of those fancy Polaroids, there was no way of knowing whether or not the photo would turn out. When the photographer reached the end of the roll, perhaps he would remember to send the film away for development. It wasn't unusual for months to pass between the taking of the photo and the receiving of the print, only to realize that the photographer had his thumb partially covering the lens.  All this is to say that this past week for me has been much like the old days: a lot of time with family, but not a lot of

Photo: White statues of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in a reflecting pool. Gold baubles float in the water around them. This is a busy time of year, and though it isn't as busy for me as it has been in past years, my to-do list still seems longer than the hours in the days. However, I find that when I spend time to focus on the reason for the season, I can feel the joy of Christmas and the tasks-at-hand fall back into their proper place. This week I had the opportunity to attend some wonderful events, and I'd love to take you along for a virtual tour: Let's start at the Conference Center on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, last Friday night. The Tabernacle Choir joined with the Orchestra at Temple Square and the Bells on Temple Square, along with dancers and guest artists Kelli O'Hara and Richard Thomas, to present a spectacular Christmas concert. Although I couldn't record any of the performance, the following 2-minute video from the church provides an overv

Photo: A red statue of the words, "Light the World" stand between poinsettias. A red star hangs in the background. It's two weeks before Christmas, and the holiday season is in full swing. The cold I had last week is pretty much gone, and I've been decorating the house, listening to Christmas carols, and addressing cards. Today is Friday the 13th, but I'm feeling the Christmas spirit. 1. I'm thankful for how easy it is to help others. For the past couple of years, giving machines have been part of the #LightTheWorld initiative. Instead of a vending machine that dispenses snacks, a giving machine allows participants to purchase items for the needy. Each year, more locations all over the world, from London to the Philippines, New York to Las Vegas, have giving machines. The closest giving machine to my house was in a local mall. I decided to go check it out. I went mid-morning on a weekday, and was pleasantly surprised to find a line, even with severa

Thanks to all who entered the #RootsTech 4-day Pass Giveaway! I used Rafflecopter to manage the entries and select a winner, and the random winner is: Kristi M.! Congratulations! If you didn't win, don't fret. RootsTech has promotional pricing going on right now, so you can still attend for less than full-price. Also, other RootsTech ambassadors still have their contests running, so there is still a chance you can snag a free pass. You can check out the list at the Conference Keeper website . Good luck to all!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Photo: A Kleenex box sits on a computer keyboard I suddenly realized that Christmas is less than 3 weeks away. I thought this would be the week I would put up the tree and decorate the house. Instead, John and I have prepared by deciding to get colds out of the way. (It was his idea, or at least he started the sneezing party.) While most people are out buying gifts, I visit Costco for industrial amounts of Kleenex and NyQuil. I keep looking to John to call this party over, but he just keeps snoozing and sniffling. I can afford to lounge around for a couple more days, but I really want my energy back soon. However, I definitely can think of things I am thankful for this week! 1. I'm thankful it is just a cold. It's annoying, but it's just a cold.  2. I'm thankful that because I didn't feel like doing much at all, I cleared out my email inbox!  Major, major accomplishment there! 3. I'm thankful to be at the stage of life where I can take time to indulge

Photo: A crowded freeway on a rainy day John and I, along with our youngest daughter, drove to California for Thanksgiving at the invitation of our middle daughter. Our oldest daughter flew down to join us. Unfortunately, our sons' schedules prevented their attendance, but hopefully we will see them at Christmas.  1. I'm thankful for family. As a snowstorm was forecast for Wednesday, we decided to leave on Tuesday after work. Despite delays through Arizona due to road construction, we made good time and actually didn't stop for the night until we were almost to the Nevada/California border. Wednesday's traffic was similarly manageable, at least to the hotel. Picking up our daughter from LAX was another story entirely, as the roads leading to the airport were completely jammed. (And by that, I mean that each time a traffic light turned green, ONE car at most could go through. We spent over an hour just going around one block.) Fortunately, our daughter's

Photo: Statues of Joseph and Hyrum Smith on horseback face the white Nauvoo Temple at dusk Big cities are often named as vacation destinations, but small towns offer their own attractions. My husband and I traveled to Missouri and Illinois last month, and we drove mostly on two-lane highways and stayed mainly in less-populated areas. Nauvoo, Illinois, is such a place. Since I was a child, I have loved hearing pioneer stories. I read the "Little House" books of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I learned about the Oregon Trail and was proud to live in the Willamette Valley, and I sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" in church.  Though I am not descended from those who walked the Mormon Trail, I do share their faith and am thankful for their sacrifices. I have always wanted to visit Nauvoo, which housed the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from 1839-1846. I wanted to be able to see the historic buildings and imagine what life was like 175 years ago. 

Photo: A large Christmas cactus is covered with bright red blossoms As we head into the Thanksgiving week, I'm finding it easy to notice things around me that bring a sense of gratitude. I could have been born in a different place and time, but instead, I'm living here and now. The very fact that I don't need to worry about whether or not my basic needs will be met is reason enough to recognize what a blessing that is. Even in the here and now, though, there are those who struggle to obtain the simple necessities. While I may be better off than some, I am not better than any. Noticing things that I am thankful for brings me both a feeling of joy and peace along with a sense of responsibility to do what I can to help relieve the pain of others.  Each week, bloggers all over the world come together to share thankfulness. We get a glimpse inside the life of each person, and we recognize that gratitude comes to all, as they seek it. Won't you join us? This week,

A smiling woman and the caption: "Join us for RootsTech's 10 Year Anniversary to celebrate THE STORY OF YOU rootstech February 26-29, 2020 Salt Lake City In February of 2018, not knowing exactly what to expect, I attended RootsTech for the first time . What I learned is that RootsTech has something for everyone , from the most beginner of beginners to professional DNA genealogists. If you are interested in your own family story, come to RootsTech !  RootsTech offers over 300 classes, amazing keynote speakers, an Expo Hall packed with all sorts of vendors, and evening cultural events.  After an enjoyable experience in 2018, I returned in 2019, and even got my husband, John, to come one of the days to hear Saroo Brierley give a keynote address.  Photo: Saroo Brierley pauses from signing his book to smile at the camera with John and me Speaking of keynote addresses, this week RootsTech just announced that one of the speakers for 2020 will be David Hume Kennerly , a

Photo: A little wooden pumpkin with a sign saying, "Be thankful" I've decided to take a day-by-day approach to my list this week, starting with last Saturday, the day after I posted my last TToT.  Saturday morning--John and I, along with hundreds of other people, attended the funeral of one of our neighbors. It was mentioned several times that she was devoted to her faith and her family. I'm thankful for her example, for peace that comes from faith, and for the love of family. Saturday afternoon--We painted our master bathroom. It was one of the few rooms that didn't get painted before we moved into this house. While I know that not everyone would put such a dark color on the walls, we like the change. I'm thankful that John and I like similar colors.  Photo: A before and after. On the left, an off-white wall, and on the right, the wall is painted a darker blue color ("Puddlejumper") Sunday--We aren't the Tabernacle Choir at T

Photo: A wooden-framed sign that says simply, "thankful" When I started this blog, I thought hard about what to name it, and finally decided upon "Thankful Me"--not because I was a PollyAnna, but because I realized how easy it was to complain, and thought that if I described myself as thankful, I would be better at internalizing that trait. With the Ten Things of Thankful (started by Lizzi ), I found a community of bloggers who also were striving to look for the good around them. One of the observations I have made as I have read the many posts throughout the years is that those who regularly list things they are thankful for are also those who are regularly giving back--to their families, friends, and communities, whether in-person or online (or both). True thanksgiving isn't about getting up on a rameumptom  and declaring how much better off you are than your neighbor; it's humble gratitude with an irrepressible urge to help others. That's what I