On Reading

A couple of years ago in Bardstown, Celina brought this book home from the library   [photo of book cover]

It's a collection of photos taken by famous photographer Steven McCurry, over many years in various places all around the world. The backgrounds are fascinating and unique. The only aspect that every picture has in common is that it shows a person or people engaged in the activity of reading: The pleasure, the concentration, the loveliness and joy of reading.

It's no secret I love books and reading, and I enjoy photos, too. I can't stop looking at this book.

I felt inspired at the time to gather some of our own photos "On Reading".

Find the folder with the pictures in it.

Journal Entry

Since it's September again, my baptism month, I thought I'd copy something from my journal of last December that expresses a little bit about my feelings of gratitude. It was our fiftieth anniversary, and in my mind I was remembering and thinking of the joys and challenges, miracles and blessings over the years. When we got married, we were both young and immature and we were very unprepared for marriage and parenthood and adulthood. Of course I was happy, and my heart was in the right place, but I was extremely naive and inexperienced.
 Here's a small part of what I wrote in my journal on December 21, 2018:

"How thankful I am for the gospel plan and teachings! The faith and understanding I was able to develop as time went by, anchored and rescued me. The messages from the prophets in Conference and elsewhere, wonderful Improvement Era and Ensign articles and others, Know-Your-Religion talks, Education Week lectures, Relief Society lessons, messages in hymns, great examples from wise and spiritual women and teachers, as well as personal answers to prayers, and much help and comfort from above - all helped me gain a bit of perspective, understanding, wisdom and experience that nobody helped me with as I was growing up. Mom and us kids [sic] were quite an isolated little unit. Her parents were dead, and Dad's parents had contact with Dad, but practically none with us.
Back to what I learned through the gospel teachings - it's mainly about P r i o r i t i e s. I'm so grateful that the church and gospel taught me to place my priorities in the right place - family and faith, basically. So thankful for that. The babies were my greatest joy and treasure on earth. So thankful I made them and the marriage my first priority [and for many years, about my only focus], along w/ church and family service. And I tried to make our happy, creative home 'a house of fasting, a place of prayer, a house of order' etc."
 ....  "But again, the gospel teachings and Spirit rescued us. How often I used to pray for Heavenly Father to show or tell John something I wanted him to know or understand (in our early married years), and it was almost uncanny how quickly it worked. Because back then he (sometimes) didn't really listen when I tried to tell him something." - End of journal entry.

PS I remember well how I would sometimes pray that the Lord would tell him, and then within days he would say something like, 'you know, I have the feeling that we could/should do this or this.' It's easy to imagine how comforted and secure it made me feel to know the Lord was aware of us and helping us, and also that John was prayerful and obedient to the promptings he was receiving, and trying to do his best.

What Would We Do Without Little Sis?

   Happy Birthday to Little Sis!
A strong, determined, vibrant personality, she had to learn to "pull herself up by her bootstraps" early. After our dear mother died when little sis was just seventeen, she went from Germany to France to live with strangers for a year, taking care of a little girl named Sidonie.
Studies at BYU in Provo followed. She had a fun circle of mostly artist friends. In summers and holidays our Oregon home was her home and she became a beloved auntie to our little ones.
After her mission to Taiwan came grad school in Chapel Hill, NC, a place that still holds very fond memories. Tighe became her boyfriend. He asked her to marry him every day. He was seven years younger and a head shorter and she almost said yes, but then decided no and moved back to Provo. There she met the perfect guy. His name is Jeff. They were married in Salt Lake City on a beautiful day in June.
Michaela became Mrs. Cottle and also Frau Professor Doktor. Pretty amazing. Four beautiful children arrived in close succession, and time moved on, bringing lots of adventures.
Over the years she and Jeff have been a wonderful support and help to our kids as they entered the MTC, lived and studied in Provo, and so on. Michaela and Jeff's home was often a home-away-from home while we were far away. Happy Birthday, Little Sis. We appreciate you so much. May this new year of your life bring many blessings and much happiness. Tanti auguri!

Three generations at the Cottle home in Provo, when Opa Dr. Franz was visiting.  Left front: David holding Maddy, Liz, Celina, Amy, Cristie.         Back: Michaela and Jeff with William, Chris with Thomas, Steven, Opa Franz.  Spring 1997

Our Second Closing yesterday -

Adam B. from Russell Springs was involved in a very serious accident on the construction site where he was working.
He lay in a coma for a while, then spent a long time in rehab, and his wife took three months off from work work to nurse him back to life and health. He recently received insurance money, and now has bought himself a dream - fifty acres of wooded hunting property.

Destiny and Adam at the closing office, with plat of their new property

Our First Closing --

Today we had our first closing of a sale!

Our share of the commission is a grand total of $267.  -Yay!-  $250 will go to a bill that is due, and with the remaining $17 we celebrated by going out to lunch.
John assisted Cody, a young farmer from Knob Lick, in buying an old trailer from a bank (repo) for $10,000 cash. Cody will repair the inside, put in new flooring, etc., and then use it as a rental. (He already has a renter lined up at $400/month.) Low income housing is always needed in this area.

Cody's newly purchased trailer and lot on Miller Street in Edmonton

After three+ months of hard studying, John and I took the national and state exams and passed on the first try. Now we are licensed real estate agents! It still seems strange, but it's true. We decided to join the little brokerage in Edmonton that helped us buy our house. The broker is most helpful, and the atmosphere is relaxed.
John's lifetime of business experience, plus legal background, real estate experience and Kentucky experience make him a natural. He is having fun. As for me, I'm not used to working full-time outside the home, or working in an office; but I'm getting more comfortable with it all. It's varied and interesting, and an opportunity to be of help to many people.

We were struggling to find the right work and source of income for so long, and this development is an answer to much prayer and effort. It's the perfect solution.

What a Trip!

Journal entry on my trip to Switzerland and Upper Austria:

 5 May 2019 in Switzerland.
"Everyone is so kind to me, I am really moved. Chris is a prince, trying to make my stay so pleasant.  Ursula is very helpful and a kind hostess. Yesterday, Saturday, Gerda and Joerg made a big effort to see me. We met at Sihl shopping center in Zurich, where Chris was taking Noah for a birthday party, and I went along, after visiting with the family at home."

More happy days came. It was a whirlwind, but never felt rushed. The timing and schedules worked perfectly, and everything fell into place. The first stop when we got  to Linz after 5-6 hours of driving was visiting Ray's spot where his remains are buried in the little Ebelsberg forest across the street from where we used to live. Noticed a peaceful, calm feeling there.
A very nice class reunion with old schoolmates followed, a great time with Boni, my best friend in schoolgirl days, an evening and morning with Erlachers in Gallneukirchen, time in the good old Muehlviertel with Urs and Boni, then a leisurely stay with my cousin Gitti in Rohrbach, and back in Linz on Friday, a surprise visit to our dear old church friends Walter and Steffi, who then took us to see Edi and Helga. All this in less than a week! The next day, Urs and I drove to Salzburg and Reichenhall, which I wanted to see for old times' sake, and then on Sunday back to Lucerne.
Next day, Monday morning, Chris picked me up and took me back to the airport.

Had a good flight home, and Tuesday morning found me back at work at the office in Edmonton, with gratitude in my heart and wonderful memories I won't soon forget, including: picking Schneegloeckchen / lilies-of-the-valley in the woods near Gitti's, hearing and speaking the Austrian dialect of my childhood, the warm feelings at the class reunion, bowling with some of my favorite Swissies, the cozy visit with Urs in her apartment above the lake, church at Luzern ward, and the iridescent greenness of beautiful Switzerland, my favorite month.

Wrinkles

Until last summer, I generally liked how my face and skin looked, and I was surprised and knew it was a gift, at my age.
But then, last summer, it seemed like I suddenly aged five plus years in five months! New, deep wrinkles are appearing daily. My face was never very full, but now it is really thin. I lost ten pounds  while working on our home, due to the heat, emotions, exertion and lack of available food. I have not gained the pounds back, and I don't want to, because I like my figure and it's nice and easy to be able to wear any clothes I want without thinking much about it.
But oh - the wrinkles and furrows and lack of roundness in my face... Sometimes I'm shocked at how old I suddenly look. My hair has continued to thin considerably as well...  I know "age is just a number", but this last, round birthday has gotten to me mentally, and I haven't been able to totally shake it.
And yet - I am super thankful for how fortunate and blessed we are. I am generally free of pain. I feel well, I can walk, I can see and hear (though diminished...), I sleep well all night long usually. John feels great, has no pain, and has aged very well. I'm thankful he craves very healthy, clean and simple nutrition, like I do. In fact, he is more dedicated to it than I am, and I really really appreciate that. It helps us feel well and be well. If he wanted greasy food, cheap food and a big dinner at night, it would be very difficult for me.
Nourishing my body, mind and spirit well is all I can do. I read a quote saying the thing that ages us more than anything is worrying about age, so I'm not going to do that! Who knows what is ahead? The Lord will provide. I trust in him. He has blessed us beyond measure, with our dearly loved, precious, radiant family and so much more. Friends, love, adventures beyond belief. And most importantly, love in our home. John still sees me with the look of love and tells me and shows me he's crazy about me. What more could I possibly want?