THE BEGINNING OF MY BOOK OF PEOPLE July 10th, 2026

 

Barry

As we entered the Lavender Festival, there was a greeter, a gentleman, sitting there welcoming people.  I said hello and talked for a min.  I commented on his shirt, asking if he was a veteran.  He was.  He was in the time of Vietnam.  I thanked him for his service and he shared a little bit about his time, got a bit emotional and after talking to him for a good 3-5 min.  he thanked me for listening.  He was a sweet man, a perfect greeter.  He is from Tennessee.  

As we were leaving, I thanked him and said goodbye.  As we drove out of the park's parking lot, I said I wished I had gotten his picture.  I loved talking with him, in fact I love talking with people like that and hearing a bit about their story.  I love seeing them light up when someone listens to them and I love making them feel important  and seen.  I just really like meeting people and when they give me the time of day and say more than a mere hi, I love connecting with them and listening, asking them questions.  

I was really regretting not doing a picture, and just imagined having a collection of pictures of people I meet.  I really love pictures of people's faces, like when the Church does a video and has people's faces close up from all over the world.  Something so beautiful about it.   I had Mylie turn around and Eliza and I went back to get my picture.  He will be my first picture of hopefully many to come.  What a neat collection it will be!  People, children of God, all on our mortal journeys.  I'm excited! 

                                                               Happenings of Late

• Saturday Jared, Eliza, Lucy and I went up to South Fork Campground, (just below Kause Resevouir) to forage Elderberries.  It was so beautiful up there with the colors changing, so refreshing to be out doors and in the mountains.  AND, it was a lot of fun.  Even gathered rosehips!  We came home and dried a quart jar full, which was  a lot of berries, they are tiny.  Jared and Lucy also steamed juiced them.  I've been freezing the juice up in 1c, 1/2 c, adn 2 TB batches.  I also made a cup of tea with the juice.  I think there will be plenty for the winter, plus some.  Be awesome if it helps stay of getting sick!  

          Jared's co-worker told him about the elderberries and where to find them, also gave us a jar of                elderberry jam.  It was a super fun adventure! 

 

                            Conference Week - My Holy Week

 

My goal this week was to go to the temple every day till Conference on Sat.  This morning I'm going to do baptisms with Lucy. 

 

Monday I did my regular time on the grounds helping.  We got to plant the bulbs and pansies in the big bowls.  I got our ward youth to do that as their youth activity on Tuesday, to help plant bulbs and also Amy Spaldings youth group to come on Wednesday.  Plus invited our RS sisters, but only Angie and Christina came.  

 

Tuesday I did the endowment for Mable Bliss Hawk, born Sept. 24th, 1896 in Tennessee.  Piper dropped me off so she could pick up the girls, and then picked me up in the van.  (The van has been out of commission all summer while Jared fixed the AC)  This is the first time it's been driven.  

Wednesday Oct. 1st.  our temple shift was extremely busy.   From the early morning, till the end of ours, and putting the last pile in the box to restock for the next shift, we had gone through the entire closet of towels.  I'm not sure if they were just so far behind in washing and bringing them out.  Luckily there were enough.  Great morning. Becky Jorgenson went to the other side to be trained, so I trained the sister replacing her.  I'll miss Becky.  I'm so glad I got to know her.  

A dad brought in his 2 daughters, names were Eliza and Lucy!  Funny eh!

We were able to go to the Hale Center Theater in Sandy, last minute, to see Sister Act.  Piper,                  Mylie,  Lucy and I went.  A cute play.  So grateful for the free opportunity.  The school funds                  this year won't allow us to use them for plays which is super disappointing.  I hope that will                  change next  year!  But a sweet tender mercy we got to go for free.                                                          

We barely made it home in time from Sandy to for Jared and I to make it to the temple for                      Initiatory.  His first time doing initiatory in our temple!   

 

 

          

 On Sunday evening I had a short conversation with a neighbor who also homeschools.  We were talking about how our kids argue, one of her kids refuses to do chores, etc..  During the night as I was awake and contemplating my own kids and where they are at with homeschooling, family relationships, (arguing or not being very kind to one another, etc...) the thought was given to me that they need to do service.  That was my main platform when we started homeschooling.  Serving was my main focus, and back in 2020 when we first started homeschooling, we did really good.  I would find opportunities and I would always say that these opportunities trumped the traditional learning.  

 We are now on our 6th year of homeschooling and I realized when that thought came that I have completely let that go as they have all gotten older and into high school years.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized we need the service, and lots of it on a regular basis.  It would help them get outside themselves and all the benefits of serving others that comes with it.  

Today, Grandma Crowther is having a bad day, a horrible headache and her thinking is in a tizzy.  I felt I should just go over for the short amount of time we had available, just to be with her.  I had to pick up Mylie and Lucy from their class and we'd go from there.  I invited everyone here to go and just visit.  Everyone (Isaac, Eliza, and Piper) all said they would go, which left a dilemma.  We can't all fit in the car, since the van is being repaired.  In deciding who would stay home, Caroline Brigg stopped by to share something with me and that answered the question....I told the three of them they all were to go.    

I count it as a blessing, a little tender mercy and an answer or beginning of the Lord giving an opportunity for them to serve.  My heart rejoices in this re-beginning and the reminder of what I felt way back in 2020 as we started on this journey of homeschool....Service is the top of our platform for learning.  Grateful to the Lord for this sweet opportunity for my kids      to go bless their grandparents day!