Pies & Cookies, Oh! My!

About a year ago, my daughter Cindy began baking pies for me, at the rate of one a month, for my birthday all year long. Soon after, my daughter Shauna began baking cookies, one batch a month, I think for the same reason.  Here are this month's treasures: a luscious lime pie (made with limes from my tree) and really good ginger cookies, made with lots of ginger. Each month brings a gift of a new and  different variety. I really look forward to these treats. Thank you, girls!

Another Stick

When the Westenskow's were here last, we went walking where the butterflies over-winter. Cindy espied a Eucalyptus branch that had fallen alongside the footpath and asked me if it might be suitable for a hiking staff (for her). I examined it and hefted it and agreed that I could probably find a stick in there. We brought it home and leaned it up against the side of the garage with several other potential sticks. I began working on Cindy's last week and finished it today. I think it turned out alright. When I make a stick, I like to know who its owner will be, sort of like Grandma and her quilted silk baby blankets. This stick has Cindy's name on it, not only stamped on the leather hand-grip, but in every whittle and sanding stroke, with each pass of the staining pad, and in all the varnish. I love doing this.

Beachside Bliss

I took a folding camp chair and a good book down to the sea shore yesterday afternoon. I seated myself about five yards from the water and let the sound of the surf and the feel of the fresh breeze relax me as I read several chapters and watched a few children play in the waves and some couples, young and old, stroll along the beach, mostly hand in hand or arm in arm. All the time I was there I did not once think about anyone named Obama or Clinton or McCain. I did not worry about Iraq or Iran. I did not ponder the sub-prime lending mess, or the declining housing market, or crumbling consumer confidence. I didn't even care that some idiot in the Air Force accidently shipped four cases of nuclear detonators to the Republic of China.  Today I may worry about those things, but not yesterday, in my folding camp chair and a good book down at the sea shore. No way.

Okay, Okay! ... I'm Enchanted! Three Times Already!

Last fall, my lady and some of her daughters took some of their daughters to a motion picture called "Enchanted." Afterward, my lady told me she thought I'd also like the film, and she promised to take me to see it. This past Friday she found the DVD on sale at Costco, and so we watched it from the comfort of our family room couch that evening (date night). I was not "enchanted" with the animation part of the story at the film's beginning, but I rather liked the rest of the flick. It was cute and had no swearing (even in New York!) or immoral behavior (if you look past the mayhem caused by the wicked step mom). 

So, today we went to our daughter Cindy's for Easter dinner, and lo and behold, Cindy had also just purchased the DVD. So, giving in to granddaughter Abby's persuasion, I watched it before dinner. After dinner, daughter-in-law Jamie wanted to see it, so we watched it again. For me that's three times in three days. I know all the songs by heart now. 

Clean Garage!

This afternoon, for the first time since mid November, we parked both our cars in the garage at the same time. Hooray! It all began like this ... We (and son Roger) moved a lot of "stuff" out of our house when we had new carpet installed in November. We made a pact that we would not move any of it back into the house unless it passed three tests: (1) have we used it in the past ten years? (2) is it more likely than not that we will have need for it in the next ten years? and (3) does it really need to be in the house? Any item that didn't pass the test was  either taken to the storage shed, discarded or given away. Getting all that taken care of has been on our mutual "to-do list" for about four months. With our mission-related time and energy demands, we haven't had the time or energy for the garage job ... until today. Well, we didn't have a lot of energy (we rarely do), but we had the time. We love spring break more than the students do!

How Many of Me?

So, I searched "How Many of Me?" and discovered that their are 10 Lawrence Hixon's and 21 Larry Hixon's in the U.S. , including yours truly. How fun!

Great Weekend in Gilbert-Mesa

Well, we went to Arizona again. We'd packed the car before Friday Forum and departed as soon as we got the dishes done. Several of our Institute students even helped us clean up the place so we could be on our way even sooner. So, we left at 1:45 and arrived at 11:45. What usually would have been an 8-hour drive became a 10-hour tussle with too many travelers  tying-up the turnpike on the eve of Spring Break! 

Granddaughter Katie greeted us warmly upon our arrival as she announced, "Grandma and Grandpa are here!" I was doubly pleased when she scootched herself right next to me on the family room couch and stayed there until her parents sent her off to bed.

Our principal purpose in going to Mesa this weekend was our son Mike's ordination to the office of high priest. He had been called by his stake presidency to serve as secretary to the high priests group in his ward, and had asked me to ordain him. So I did ... just before sacrament meeting. Thank you, Mike, for the privilege. It was a very special occasion for me. During priesthood meeting, I stood in the circle as Mike was set apart to his new calling.

We also did lots of other things while we were in town. We ate Belgian waffles for breakfast on Saturday morning. In the afternoon, we picked up Jacob and Hannah Hixon and took them with us to see Bronson in the role of Artful Dodger in Mesa's Young Actors' Theater. He was splendid! Then we hied ourselves to Amy's house for a nice fried chicken dinner cooked for us by a lady who also wanted to sell us some waterless cookware. We didn't buy any. I thought it was an enjoyable evening anyway.

On Sunday morning, Mike and Marilee gave us a tour of the house they hope to buy. It is under construction, but that didn't dampen their excitement. Both Bronson and Brennen gave talks at Church: Bronson in sacrament meeting; Brennen in Primary. Mike and I helped Bronson's bishop set him apart as president of his deacon's quorum. My favorite part, however, was having 10-year old Brittany's head on my shoulder during most of sacrament meeting. We had a fine steak dinner at Mike and Marilee's afterward.

Back at Sara's late Sunday night, I enjoyed sharing some of my i-Tunes playlists with Brian and Sara. And I danced with my sweetheart!

On Monday, I was invited to a chick lunch with Maureen, Amy, Sara, Rachel, Marilee, and Kristi (Baker) to celebrate Marilee's birthday. The girls made me feel quite welcome.  Maureen and I left for Santa Barbara after lunch and after a stop at the local Deseret Bookstore. We also paid brief visits with our kids in Simi Valley on our way home. It was a very nice weekend!

Cheers for Senior Missionaries

Sometime Thursday morning, as we were preparing at home for our assignments at the Institute that day, it occurred to Maureen that Kathy Turner, the Institute Secretary, might not have shown up for work, as she was out Wednesday with a cold of some sort. She usually arrives at 7 a.m. and opens the building for students. If she were not there this morning, the students would have no way to enter the building. Even though the class we teach on Thursdays doesn’t begin until 12:30, several students come to the building early in the morning for food, to study and to just hang out with each other. Maureen tried calling Kathy at home and at the Institute office, with no luck. So, we scurried about to get ready to leave home as soon as we could. We arrived around 10 a.m. As we drove up to the parking lot gate, we were greeted with happy cheers and vigorous applause from six or seven of our students, seated at or around one of the two concrete picnic tables on the lawn next to the building. It warmed our hearts and brought smiles to our countenances. 

Some Promptings for a Teacher

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 – I had been preparing my lesson plan for today’s Institute class since last Friday. The lesson, based on Hebrews chapters 7-10, was title was “By the Blood are Ye Sanctified.”  My outline included two major concepts: Paul’s delineation of the reasons why Christ’s solitary sacrifice was superior to the daily ordinances of sacrifice under the law of Moses; and a discussion of the definition of sanctification. I had to do a lot of research on the latter concept. By late Monday night I thought my outline was complete.

However, I guess I was wrong about that. Sometime in the early morning hours I had a dream. The only thing in the dream was a message to me something along these lines: “Do not teach them so much about sanctification; teach them more about the role of the Savior’s atonement in the sanctification process.”  When I awoke from my sleep this morning, I remembered instantly and clearly the message, and as I pondered upon what I had been told, it occurred to me that Paul’s audience probably already knew what sanctification meant. After all, they had been taught it for thousands of years (“For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God …” – Deuteronomy 7:6). What they didn’t completely understand was how the Lord’s infinite sacrifice made sanctification possible. So, I altered my lesson plan. It is nice to know that I am not completely in charge of what my students are taught.

Spring is Just Around the Corner

I walked my hillside half acre today with my little camera. I was enchanted by the tall green grass, the clover and the lemon flower. And then I came upon my plum tree. A week ago it was a stark silhouette against the sunset. Today its branches are filled with blossoms, a promise of delicious fruit in a few months from now. My tree will need pruning, however, if I want a bounteous harvest. I think I will prune my tree next week, however, because this week I want to enjoy all the blossoms.

Me and Joe Albertson

I am still getting tomatoes from the plants I started last spring! I picked five this morning. They are not large tomatoes anymore, (the tomatoes to the right of mine were purchased at Albertson's), but they are still quite flavorful. Now I am wondering if my plants will yield full-sized fruit again this summer. That would be great! I love fresh-picked anything.  Maybe I will make my own ketchup this year, or perhaps salsa!

Maureen the New Testament Teacher

Maureen invited me into her New Testament class today to answer a question about local priesthood leadership (who presides at a sacrament meeting when all three members of the bishopric and the high priests group leader are absent?). After I answered the question, I took a seat near the back of the room and enjoyed the remainder of her lesson. It was fun watching her work with the Spirit and her class as she guided them through the assigned scriptures to develop her theme. She is a fine gospel teacher, respected and loved by her students. 

Tag! You're it, Mom!

Tagged! Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag at least three people at the end of your post and link to their blogs.
5. Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the fun begin!

Six random facts about me...Mom:
1. When I was in grade school most all the girls wanted to be nurses, I only wanted to be a mother.
2. When walking home from school and it was windy, I would try to fly.
3. Until just recently I have wanted to sky dive...changed my mind because I learned I had to pack my own parachute and I don't want to do that!
4. Lately I have had a fear of getting old, grouchy and senile!
5. I was a Disneyland Tour guide.
6. I love being the mother of ten great children, 9 super in-laws, and 37 adorable grandchildren.

Quirky Things About Me (Dad)

1. I stick my tongue out fully when I am fastening a tight collar button because I think it makes my neck size smaller.
2. I also stick out my tongue a little when I am concentrating.
3. I lather my face with a shaving brush and shave soap and shave with a razor.
4. I say "criminey."
5. I straighten and/or slightly rearrange things that seem askew to me.
6. I  fill my glass with water and drink it just after finishing the milk that was in the glass first.
7. I watch departing children's cars until their brake lights come on at the corner.
8. I whistle a little tune when I run a red light.
9. I like grits with brown sugar and butter.

These are from my loving sweetheart:
1. He likes to get the last word.
2. He likes to delegate.
4. He puts my things where he thinks they belong but does not remember where he put them.
5. Loves to volunteer to do any church assignment.
6. He coughs when he is nervous.
7. He pinches his "cheeks" when standing on a ladder.

Asher's Blanket

Jeff purchased the fabric from Mom's favorite store in Provo and shipped it to Santa Barbara. Mom laid it out on the dining room table. But before she could even think about beginning to work her magic on it, Dan placed it on the floor and then placed Asher on it. Asher LOVED it! His eyes lit up. He cuddled up in it. He petted and patted it. He scrunched it up and he put a lot of it in his mouth. He smiled and even laughed a little. He rolled over and gave his daddy some serious and sweet smooches. And when he took his mommy and daddy home, he left it with his grandma so she could do what she always does ... fill it with love.