4

My teenage daughter is an artist who often questions her obvious talent. On our way to high school this morning, the sun was trying to break through dark clouds.

"Doesn't the sky look other worldly?" I said. 

"Yeah, it's really cool," she said. 

"Yesterday, I was reading a blog of a missionary serving on an island off the coast of Panama. When she sees beautiful sunsets and the sea, she feels Heavenly Father definitely loves to paint." 

"I never thought of that." 

I knew she'd understand. I believe in her abilities as surely as I am grateful for the beauty of the sky.

3

Whenever the church nursery door opens, Daniel remembers his parents left him there. He's only one. Maybe he worries his parents will never come back. Two hours later, they always do.

I was a little late today. I opened the door to come in the room. He stopped playing happily with his cars and started to cry.  He didn't want to play with anything anymore and hid behind the rocking chair.

"Where's Daniel?" I said. "Where did Daniel go?"

Marli saw him run and hide behind the chair too.

"He's over here!" she said.

"Oh, is he under the table? No, he's not under the table," I said.

"He's over here!" Marli said again.

"I think he's hiding under the slide."

"No, he's over here!" She pointed to him.

"There's Daniel! He's behind the rocking chair," I said.

He was still crying but he ran up to me and let me hold him tightly in my arms. I stood with him until my back started to ache and then we sat in the rocking chair. I cradled him there for fifteen minutes or so. For a while, I thought he'd fallen asleep, but he was just relaxed.

Samantha brought us a toy helicopter with a propeller that whirls like a fan. We played with it until Daniel was happy enough to get down and play with other toys.

He stayed happy for a long time.......until someone else opened the door.

2

He was making a list of things he wanted for Christmas and finding out how much those things would cost on the computer. Christmas already? Yep. My son likes stuff.

"Are you sure you don't want to come on a bike ride with me?" I asked again.

"Yeah, you said it was going to be hard."

"Not that hard. There are a few hills on the first part then it's all down hill. We can turn around and come home if you get tired."

"Nah. I'm busy with this."

A few minutes later I asked for the third or fourth time, "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"You're going to miss me when I'm gone."

"Nah." He laughed a little to soften the blow.

"Okay, bye," I said.

I went out to the back porch where we keep the bikes, put on my helmet, and kicked up the bike's stand. A few seconds later, the sliding door opened. There he was.

"I changed my mind. I'm coming with you," he said.

"I thought you were busy."

"I finished."

"Yay!"

"You seem really happy I decided to come with you."

"That's because I am."

We rode through the neighborhood, past his school, up through the neighborhood where we used to live, down past the park, past his school again, hung out at the skate park to watch skaters for a few minutes, rode past our church, and then rode up into our current neighborhood. Not including the skate park stop, what normally takes me 30 minutes took 24.

Along the way I kept turning around and asking him if he was tired. "No," was the answer except for one time he said, "My legs are kind of tired."

When we arrived home I said, "We did that faster than I usually do."

"That's because I was with you. Normally you're alone and don't have anyone to impress."

I smiled on the inside.

"Did I impress you?" I asked him.

"Not really."

Well, I impressed myself.

And now he's added "skateboard" to his Christmas list.

1

For lunch, we ordered a steak sandwich plate and a dinner salad at Crown Burgers. We would share the sandwich, share the fries, and enjoy our own salads with Greek dressing. Lunch is a beautiful thing. The cashier didn't look Greek or Spanish-speaking like a lot of people who work there. He was white and probably in his mid twenties. His hair was a little long; his face a little stubbly. He didn't ask if our order was to stay or go.

"You just want waters, right?" he said.

We both nodded.

"Do we look like water drinkers?" I asked.

He smiled and looked a little surprised. We probably do look like water drinkers-- white, middle-aged, dressed up in our temple best.

"You just didn't say anything so I assumed," he said.

While we sat and waited for our order, I wondered why he smiled. Maybe people don't ask his opinion very often. I worked at a fast food place and didn't always feel like I was treated like a person. It was a simple interaction, but to see his reaction made me happy.

I had mostly forgotten about that moment. I was carrying my water on the way out of the restaurant after we ate.

"Bye Waters," he called out as we walked past. He had a big smile on his face again. "Did you enjoy your steak sandwich?"

"Yes, it was great."

"Have a nice day," he said.

"You too."

I think we will.

Morning Sky

Contrast makes stories and paintings captivating. Conflict and conquering, light and darkness, clouds and blue sky, mountains and valleys, good days and bad: they are what make our views more intriguing and pleasing. We don't have to seek out opposition. It happens. It finds us. Regrets are better off avoided, but not to be feared. Positives can surprise, but most of the time must be sought after or at least noticed. Agency provides a beautiful, sometimes painful, contrast to force. We can change. Beautiful.

Low

Baby Snail

I thought it was a leaf when I walked past this baby snail the first time. 

Usually the snails on our sidewalk are huge, hard-shelled old things. 

This little guy was moving faster than most snails and kept my attention.

It wasn't very interested in my penny. 

So I kept moving it back into its path. 

 It must have decided the world is full of pennies,
so it might as well slime over this one. 

Soon after I took this picture he pulled into his shell.

One-apple Bush

Last year we had an apple tree in our backyard.
I pruned it and thought it looked happy and healthy.
In the fall, we picked a delicious half-bushel of apples. 

This year, after aggressive pruning by my dear husband, we have an apple bush.
With the new growth we decided it's more bush than tree.
I'd say he cut off 90% of the branches.
Our harvest this year? Maybe one apple.

It's the only one that grew.

It looks as if the apple bush is holding out the offering to us.

I thought I should take a picture just in case it succumbs to wind. 

Breathing Room

Out at Antelope Island State Park. The place to be in Utah.