rhyme anytime

When it comes to being an artist
I don't know where to begin
But I can rhyme anytime
Just hand me a pencil or pen

Manners - Etiquette - Emily Post - Ugh!

If I just didn't have to eat when company came around
If I could eat in private - miss those banquets in our town
My food would taste much better, my drink would be much wetter
And I wouldn't start to choking when the food was passing down!

If I could eat all by myself I wouldn't have to know
How to get the lobster from it's shell, or hold my knife just so -
It really wouldn't matter how I cleaned up my platter
No one else would ever-ever know!

If there were no one else but me each time that dinner came
I'd do exactly as I pleased and for supper do the same
I could chomp my carrots loudly, slurp my soup up proudly
And NO ONE ever, ever could complain!

-Orvetta

P.S. I had to teach a lesson on "Table manners" in my MIA lesson so I began it with this poem.

how to order personal copies of orvetta's book

Orvetta's book, Pages Of Life, is now officially available for purchase online. To purchase your own personal copies, simply visit the following link:

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1556816

You can preview a small selection of page spreads via the above link as well.

Stats about the book:

Hardcover
Full color images
440 pages
160+ writings by Orvetta
1100+ high-quality images
Organized into nine "chapters of life"
Size: standard portrait (8x10)

A few sneak peeks:

Front cover:

A glimpse into some of my favorite page spreads:

Enjoy, everyone!

Coming Soon To A Bookstore Near You . . .

. . . An online bookstore that is. :)

Just wanted to let everyone know that personal copies of Orvetta's book, "Pages of Life," will be available very soon! After extensive proofreading, it's just about ready.

Check back in the next couple of weeks for purchasing instructions.

Grandma Got The Book Last Night!

Just wanted to announce that I presented Grandma with her book last night. What a great experience. She of course knew that I had been working on it, but didn't know that it was even close to being finished. She loved it!

The copy of the book she has is just the first draft, and once it is proofread and any errors are corrected, the final draft will be made available to anyone who would like a copy. The purchasing instructions will be on this blog.

So, for our big family reunion next weekend, be sure to be on the lookout for the book if you want a sneak peek! You'll love it!

The stats:

• 160+ writings by Orvetta
• 1100+ images (even some up to 110+ years old)
• 440 pages
• Hardcover
• Book is graphically designed and compiled by Melissa Nickle

The quality is fantastic, and I can't wait for everyone to see it next week.

I won't post many photos now, because I want everyone to see it in person first, but here are just a couple really quick:

Just before Grandma received her surprise:


Right after opening it. She was so nervous when I handed her a package and was shaking while opening it. Yep, once she had the package in her hand, she knew what it was and was too excited!


It was such a great experience last night (Steve, Melanie, Mary, & Melissa all went down). I knew Grandma would be excited, but I didn't know how much. What I had anticipated was that she would glance through some of the pages to get an idea of what had been done. But, what made me feel really good is that she took the time to go through every single page of the book (440 pages in all!) and she had comments to make about every page. And although it took quite a bit of time for her to go through each and every page, I will say this - I wouldn't have had it any other way. She was especially excited when she got to the "heritage" chapter and saw photos of her childhood - photos she had forgotten she'd ever had. It was great to see the memories come flooding back for her. And when seeing all the photos of James in the book, she paused and said multiple times, "My goodness, he looks so real there."

We video-taped a lot of last night, and sometime soon we'll post her receiving the book on video. It was hilarious.

Working on the book and putting in the hours to finish it has been an interesting process. I need some time to think about what I really want to share on the oh-so-public blog, but I will say that I had help beyond this world throughout this process. I know it was a project that needed to happen, and I know that divine help in several ways came during my time working on the book. Like I said, I need to think about what I really want to share on the blog, but I mostly want everyone to know that there was more interest than just ours here in completing this book, and I was guided throughout the process.

Doing this for Grandma and getting to know her on an entirely different level - knowing her whole life, not just her life since I've been in it - has been the privilege of a lifetime.

I love you, Grandma! My famous, published, Grandma!

Contentment, By The Farmers Wife

I watched the closing day descend, the amber sunset glowing
The spacious sky held birds in flight, I heard the cattle lowing
My eyes beheld the fields of grain spread out as far as eye could see
The cooling shadows softly fell encircled by majestic tree

And peace spread o'er my valley as I felt the day depart
The quietness of evening placed thoughts within my heart
Dear Lord, Oh let me thank thee - for all of this that's mine
The sweet contentment that I feel and for Your love divine

A husband here beside me, my cup, it runneth o'er
A baby in my arms to love and still Thou givest more
Oh tell me, what is it Thou would have me do?
I know I must repay for all these joys and blessings that are mine today!

And as I paused and wondered, the words came strong and true
Just spread your love to others - as I have given you!

Let's Laugh (The Whole Truth)

Our church supper was over and I was asked to lead the big group in some fun, action sing-alongs. We were all enthusiastically enjoying ourselves. I couldn't help but notice the very back of the room where the oldsters were congregated, striving to join in and be as limber as the rest of us. Desiring to acknowledge and praise them for their efforts I said as my baton stopped, "Very good, very good. I especially want to thank you seniors for your great efforts - and I could hear some creaking bones in the rear end."

P.S. I was the first on to head home after the closing prayer.

(the whole truth)

My husband and I were heading for the city one early snowy morning, leaving our little country town in sweet slumber. Suddenly we found ourselves gliding uncontrollably into the steep barrow pit. We were wedged in, no visible help in sight. My husband, the driver, wanting no negative response from me, tossed me the morning paper. With his square jaw set he said,"Read and relax until help comes." By habit my eyes fell first on "Today's Chuckle" which read, "It takes a lot of nuts to hold a car together but only one to tear it apart!!!"

(the whole truth)

Oh, I've got to tell one more about my husband. We were driving to Texas and we found ourselves in eerie spaciousness - no mountains, no rivers, no stream, no moon, and which direction were we driving? I ventured we were driving East. He said we definitely were not. I then remembered we had installed a compass on the dashboard before our long trip. I peeked at it. We were going East! I said, calmly and sweetly, "Look at the compass." He looked, started shaking it emphatically, and said, "The darn thing's broken!"

My newly married daughter, the perfectionist, called me on the phone wanting my homemade turkey dressing recipe. I described in detail, but in talking about crumbling the dry slices of bread up she had to know exactly what size of crumbs. I made several attempts, but she needed it more precise. Not wanting to, but I whispered quietly, "Like when we partake of the sacrament." She next said, "But Mom, are you talking about your ward or mine?"

May 6, 2010

Laughter & Teardrops

Those precious memories of my little grandchildren...
My joy My Frankincense My Myrrh

The big family get together had arrived. The back lawn held a heap of carrots from the garden, gathered by the ambitious little ones. Glancing out I was startled by the tiny ones chopping tops off with my sharp kitchen knives. Eight year old Aubree just then stepped to my drawer for more. I said, "Oh Obee, please gather the knives from the little ones and lets set an age - just tell them just eight year olds and older are to cut the tops off. " I suddenly hear her voice ring out, "Hold it, hold it. The only ones who get to cut the tops off the carrots are those who have been baptized!" (Laughter)

Oh yes, now I'm remembering Darrin's baptism day. We were in College Station, Texas. The baptism was over and we were heading home. Dear little Darrin was so full of joy. He said, "Wasn't that a special day? Me and my friends all in white, our dads in white, the water in front of us just clear and pretty, everybody around us. And there's only one thing that could have made it better - if somebody could have just been playing soft music on the piano - oh, something like - (and he started to softly sing), "There's a little white duck floating on the water, a little white duck doing what he otter." (Laughter)

And there was that day I was driving down to Delta with my car full of the little grandkids from Orem. As we got to the little country town of Leamington I stopped behind the big yellow school bus awaiting three little children to exit. They were a little shabby looking, one in a well worn oversized coat. I grabbed for a teaching moment saying, "Look at these little children not dressed in the best but we always treat them as nice as any others, don't we? Look at their little house and see on the top - they don't even have an antenna on the roof because they don't have a TV in their home." Zander spoke up immediately, "Grandma, remember where this house is. We have two TVs in our home. We don't need two - we sure don't need two! We'll bring one here." (Teardrops)

Oh dear - now they have divided the ward boundaries again and this time my little six year old Kelly across the street will go to another ward. His mom and dad busy, involved and etc. just didn't get to church at all on a regular basis, but dear gray-haired Lilac Holman stopped and picked him up each Sunday. After months had passed I realized I should ask Kelly if he wanted to come to my ward with me. He said, "Well, Grandma, I'm not sure I had better because over there they said we have the only true church!" (Teardrops)

Oh yes, and there was the time when little three year old Brandon heard the news from his mother that she had been holding back for some time. She said with sweet, precious feelings in her heart, "Brandon, I've got something exciting to tell you. In about three months, we will be getting you a new little sister! Isn't that going to be exciting?" Brandon said, "Well, I don't know - I'd sooner have a little monkey!" (Laughter) And I am remembering now when dear little Kimberly was born in Salt Lake and James and I were driving home from seeing her. Little Brandon was with us - he was an excited and astonished little boy. And I am also remembering Brandon looked out the rear window and said, "Oh, oh Grandpa, trouble! Trouble! Trouble!" (James never did learn to slow down - he's paid his share). (Teardrops - teardrops)

Now I am remembering little Kaydn being dropped off at my home so many mornings with Joan teaching school. How Sam, so confined to his walker and occasional wheelchair, would look forward to Kaydn brightening his day. And always as Kaydn was picked up to go home he and Sam had the same goodbye of, "See ya' later alligator," - "After while crocodile." I am remembering the morning Joan called and asked if I could hurry there and get Kaydn to kindergarten as he'd missed the bus - she had no car. I was dashing out the door as my phone rang again. I answered - it was the hospital gently letting me know Sam had just passed away! (Four days in the hospital). I just drove straight to get Kaydn to school and released the news to Joan, and Kaydn said, "I guess I can't say, 'After while crocodile' anymore." (Teardrops - teardrops - overflowing teardrops)

There is no end to the memories tucked deep in my heart.
(Maybe someday I'll write a book).

Grandma N. G.
May 6, 2010

Life Is Good!

And may we know as we continue and turn the pages of life that life is good!

And no matter how many heartaches come our way, they will never, never outweigh the good things that surround us day by day.

Family Togetherness

As each page is turned
A memory comes through
A chuckle, sweet moments -
A tear drop or two.

We've blown birthday candles
Kept our family together -
Motorcycle adventures
No matter the weather.

There are ball games and spring break
To boat at the "Res"
Those Blue Notes performers
Where Mom's still saying, "Yes."

These pages are full
Of achievements galore
We see red hats and red robes
Appear through the door.

And it's hard to believe
These school days are through!!
And here's where we all
Shed more tear drops than two!

And then, when the month of May comes to its close
Oh - what memories are ours as we fill our hearts
Then cover our loved ones
With our thoughts and our flowers.

Oh yes, surgeries and shoe boots
And crutches we'll see
There's been good times and bad times
For you and for me.

And we've gathered together
Bowed reverently in prayer
As our loved ones have left us
To be in His care.

We know that God gives
And He taketh away
Let's give thanks for His goodness
And acknowledge His way!

Our three days at Fish Lake
Our highlight of joys
From silver-haired Grandma
To those vigorous boys!

Oh - the strains of that music
Made her turn back to "Young"
As she got up and waltzed
Around with her son!

So you'll find Family Togetherness
Links all the pages
The most precious gift
Throughout all the ages!

Much love,
Mom
(Grandma)


August 24, 2005