Music

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I am not a huge music follower, but I love music. I forget to listen! I love it when I hear it, but I don’t need it going all the time. I enjoy pop or at least the “pop music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and more” as the radio station used to say. When a song comes on the radio or I hear it in a store somewhere, I find myself humming or softly singing a long.

The very first song I remember liking as a kid was a song called Sugar, by The Archie’s that came out in 1969. We danced to it in the 5th grade. I loved it, and it takes me back in time. I loved the sound the dancing and the boys that we danced with.

Then there was a song called Brandy by Looking Glass that me and my friend Julie used to sing together.

Sometimes a song would be popular and be heard at the time of a significant event and that song forever reminds you of that event. When a family friend died, Midnight at the oasis by Maria Muldaur played in the car on the way to the funeral.

Pretty much any Dan Fogelberg, Billy Joel, Elton John, Jackson 5, Blondie, Cindy Lauper, Eagles, or Chicago songs remind me of high school. Although a lot of the songs I liked were one hit wonders for some bands, so I won’t mention them. Anything that would play on the pop radio station back in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s was my favorite. I didn’t have the ease of listening to music that I liked -like the kids do now. Just what the radio played and occasionally what I bought, but it was a cassette tape then.

The song Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield used to be a favorite between me and my friend Julie. We’d sing at the top of our lungs playing our air guitars, and then play it again. So much fun!

Since the late 1980’s I was introduced to Yanni. My little brother would play his music at the house I grew up in while we were there on Sunday’s for dinner. I loved it from the start. No vocals just instrumental. Yanni is from Greece and has a very unique sound to his music, but it just touched me and I love it. I used to blast Yanni on Saturday mornings so the kids could enjoy it while we got our Saturday chores done. I have seen him in concert at least 3 times. I really don’t do concerts so that is more that anyone else. I love Yanni.

Since I’ve gotten older and have struggled more with depression I have come to love Paul Cardall. Instrumental again. Very soothing and calming. I love instrumental hymns and piano music. The older I get the less I like drums, loud noises and scream singing. In fact most of the time that I’m in the car driving, it’s either silent or I’m listening to a podcast.

Isn’t it interesting how we change as we grow older?

The Little Red Wagon

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While living in our third home my mom would make me a picnic lunch and I would ride with my lunch in my little red wagon down to the bottom of the hill. The road in front of our house was not paved. It was a dirt road and not super steep, so I would have momentum but the ride down the hill would be bumpy and the dirt and rocks would slow me down enough to keep moving, but not too fast. The location was in the country and there weren’t very many homes. I would sit in the wagon and eat my lunch, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature and thinking. Most of the time my brothers were off enjoying time doing boy things like hiking, climbing around in the trees and having adventures together. I was completely content to sit quietly enjoying my lunch in my red wagon, and after I was done, I’d pull my wagon back up the hill. I enjoyed the time having a little picnic by myself in nature by our country home.

We’re All Influencers

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I had a conversation with my daughter Kelsey the other day about “Influencers” on social media. As we talked about how they seem to be quite confident in what they share and seem to believe. Some of the influencers are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the same church we belong to. These are good people, and they sometimes have a large following, but they’re views and what they do is not always the view of the church, exactly. They sometimes don’t follow all the teachings, completely. Some are even upset about something the church or its leaders have said, and they share that on their platform. I’m a believer in agency and the freedom to choose. I know others don’t always agree with what the church teaches, but when my daughter and I talked, we both agreed the best place to learn about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is from an official representative, missionaries, leaders, and those who are called to share the true gospel teachings. If you got your feelings hurt, or an older mentor told you something and it’s not correct, you shouldn’t be sharing that information if it’s not true. That being said, you can’t change others.

The 6th question in the temple recommend interview is this:

  1. Do you follow the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ in your private and public behavior with members of your family and others?

Russell M Nelson said, “Individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord.”

Are you an example? What about an Influencer? Influencer: one who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.

Aren’t we all- Influencers? Whether we influence others to do what’s right or not.  

I want to tell you about two of the most Christlike influencers I know: My parents. My Daddy was not a member of the church until he was a 20 year old in the army, stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. He joined the church, because he was influenced by another soldier who was a member and who gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. My Mama grew up a member of the church in Salt Lake City, and was on an adventure working and living with girlfriends in San Francisco.  They met at church and shortly after fell in love. 

After marriage they moved to Utah. All the while living the gospel, and being amazing. They raised a big family by today’s standards, 6 kids. Five boys and one girl. That’s me. 

All parents know that the job is tough. We do our best, but we’re not perfect. My three older brothers struggled living what my parents taught, but were never left out or not included. The influence and love my parents showed was beautiful, and consistent.

I want to tell you about one brother, Keith. He was an alcoholic, a smoker, and a drug addict for most of his adult (young) life. He was finally jailed for a DUI, and would call my parents often begging through tears for them to come get him, all while the parent not talking to him would help the one talking to him be strong. “You need to be there”, they’d say. He was there for 5-6 months. While waiting for the court date, Dad wrote a letter to the judge asking to please be lenient with his ruling and let Keith be released with time served and come home. He could have gone to prison. Thankfully, he was released with an ankle bracelet and allowed to come home to my wonderful parents’ influence and love. FYI there isn’t alcohol, cigarettes or drugs at the county jail. He was clean the day he was released. Maybe seeing his life for the first time since his teen years, sober. The pull of my parents’ love would prove to be greater than the pull of his previous lifestyle. He was able to stay sober and became completely active in the church. He married in the temple, and served in whatever calling he was given. Guess what? He became a righteous influencer to all who knew his previous life. He became a positive influencer because my parents were a positive influence to him. One remaining challenge from using needles with drugs, he had contracted Hep C. His liver began to fail. We were so worried and sad. He had just cleaned up his life! But we all prayed for a miracle. It happened and through a very generous donation Keith received a liver from a donor who had died in a car crash. 

My parents provided Sunday Dinner every week for most of our adult lives for all the extended family. All were invited and most of the time everyone would come. On occasion my kids would  see one of my older brothers smoking out in front of the house. They knew it wasn’t a good thing, and they’d come tell me in a very worried voice. I’d say, “yes your uncle smokes, but that’s not who he is. We love him no matter what he does.” 

My parents went through so much worry with kids whose choices were not what they wanted for them, but their love for them was always greater.  

Even if we understand the idea that we should love people, we sometimes think we’re supposed to love them back onto our path instead of respecting their own journey. I’m not trying to love people into coming with me. I’m just loving people. No expectations, no transaction. They and God will figure out their journey; my job is to love them along the way. -Steve Young

Now, back to my brother Keith. He did great for a while, loving and serving and blessing lots of people, and living as a follower of Christ. He found out that he had throat cancer in 2019, then glioblastoma (brain cancer) in 2020, and passed away in January of 2021.  

I have lost all three of my older brothers, now. They all died young. Their choices and lifestyles quite possibly could have played a part in that. But they always knew they were loved and could receive help at any time from Mom and Dad. The lesson is this. Our job is not to judge. Our job is not to choose for another. Our job is to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in our homes and in our community and in the world. We are all influencers. Living the gospel is the right thing to do, and being a righteous influencer as a result of it is wonderful. I want my legacy to be that I loved everyone, and that I was an example of a believer. When you love, it doesn’t mean you agree, it means you honor their right to choose for themselves. It means we love our non-member or inactive neighbor. It means we continue in faith even when the world is in turmoil.

2 Nephi 31:19 …after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow apath, I would ask if all is bdone? 

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life.  

Jesus said, “Love everyone, treat them kindly too. When your heart is filled with love… (you’ll feel good and true.)” I’m so thankful for the most wonderful influencers in my life, my parents. For their example and influence that has blessed me with the desire to “follow the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ in my private and public behavior, with family and others.“

A Little Quirky

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We’re all human beings, and are mostly the same. Made in the image of God. We have eyes, ears, arms, legs, hair, mouths, etc. Because of DNA we all have familiar traits. Many times in life you can tell people from the same family because the look very similar.

In the family I grew up in we have funny little pinky toes. They’re short and bend toward the big toe, over the toe next to it. It is very obvious in most of us kids. My dad and all the brothers except two have what my dad calls fringe. Bald on top with hair on the sides and back. There’s an old wives tale that says the men/sons go bald if the mother’s father is bald. My Mama’s dad had a full head of hair when he died. So I don’t think that’s true.

In our family, we have two girls and two boys. We hear from many people that our girls look exactly like each other. Some people can’t tell them apart. That is a surprise to me, because I don’t think they look alike much at all. The boys are very different Riley has dark brown hair, and Alex has blonde hair, although the older he gets the darker his hair has gotten. People have said they look alike. Really?

One of the things I would say is a trait that has carried down to our kids, and grandkids is curly hair. Not everyone has it, but some do and I did and do. My maternal grandma and my Mama both had wavy/curly hair. I have always had curly hair. Riley has curly hair. His kids have curly hair. Although his sweet wife Janet has curly hair too. So they get it from both parents. Emily, our Bonus Baby has a sweet little one with really curly hair.

Joy
Grandbaby Monroe

One other physical trait that I think I have from my grandma is short and fluffy. I may not be super fond of the fluffy part, but I have learned to love me, all of me, and I do.

I think physical traits that repeat through the generations are neat! It is one of the many things that bonds us to each other even if they’re a little quirky.

We’re made in the image of God and each other.

Sometimes Timing is Everything

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When Flexy (Alex) was a teenager he was just a little guy. That’s not a huge surprise, because his Dad is a little guy, but the generation before my darlin aren’t so little. His Dad is quite tall and so are some of his siblings. So back to Flexy, we became concerned enough with his size that we took him to a specialist. An Endocrinologist had made arrangements for a home care nurse to come to our house in the late evening to draw blood to check his growth hormone. It’s true when they say you grow at night. Your growth hormone peaks at night so he came at around 9-10:00 pm. He put a port in Alex’s arm so he could draw blood about every 20 minutes or so for a while. I remember him being there for at least an hour. Each time after drawing blood he’d sit at the kitchen table working and waiting for the next draw.

Earlier in that same evening Kelsey was doing homework at the kitchen table and for the last little bit my Mama was sitting at the table helping her. We had Alex sleeping in the room closest the kitchen so it was an easy distance for the nurse.

After the home care nurse left we quickly got ready for bed. Kelsey was close enough to the kitchen table to see a scary thing happen and what could have been a been a tragedy. The dome light above the kitchen table fell hitting the table and shattering in all directions. It was a fairly large dome light and had facets so that the glass just flew everywhere. It left a dent in the table where it fell that is still there today. It took quite some time to clean it up and my memory tells me we found a piece of glass here and there for days and maybe even months after.

The timing of it is the amazing part. If it had happened any earlier it would have been a really bad accident. The home care nurse was sitting inches from where the light landed. Kelsey and my Mama were close too. The timing was everything. I am so grateful that the dome light held on till just the right time. No one was hurt. It was a mess, but cleaned up well.

Was Father in Heaven helping? Was our Guardian Angel holding it in place till it could fall without hurting anyone? We may never know, but I know that we are protected in this earth experience and I am so grateful.

Trouble Sleeping

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When we lived in the Little Farm House, while Daddy was building the A frame house, all of us kids were in the same room. The big brothers shared a big bed, and I slept on a little Amy cot, Grant who was a baby was in a crib.

One night I was just about asleep, somewhere between awake and dreamland I thought I saw an intruder with a gun. In the room next to where we slept I could see a shadow that looked like someone standing and pointing a gun. I was around six years old, and it wasn’t like it is now with TV and movies where we see acts of violence almost daily. I don’t remember ever seeing a TV show or movie that had guns, except maybe a western. So I watched, this shadow that looked like a gun in someones hand, scared to death for what seemed like quite a while and then finally fell asleep.

The next morning I was surprised when I woke up that I was alive and so was the whole family. It was a normal morning with everyone getting ready for the day. I looked around in the area where the intruder was the night before and saw a stack of books. I laid on my bed and looked out the doorway as if I in bed the night before and realized that the stack of books were positioned in such a way that it could have looked like a gun in the dark, with the light from the street behind them.

Wow! What a dramatic child. I must have been a worrier even back then. So the lesson I learned was not to worry about something that could have a simple explanation, check to see what it is.

Another time I had trouble sleeping was when I was a little older and heard a familiar prayer/poem.

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take.

For some reason this poem really scared me. I thought, “Can I really die, when I fall to sleep?” So for months I worried and tried to stay awake at bedtime trying to avoid dying. I don’t know why I never talked to my parents about this, but I dealt with a lot of scary/hard things by myself. Later I talked to others who had a similar feeling about that same prayer/poem. Then I started seeing a change in the words.

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Guard me Jesus, through the night, and wake me with the morning light.

I’m sure there were other children scared by the original words or they wouldn’t have changed.

So recently my Mama responded to a request by my daughter to write about what she would tell her younger self if she could, about life and her advice in making decisions. An interesting thing she wrote in her story was how the prayer/poem that I first quoted comforted her and helped her feel safe and loved. Wow,…again! I was so surprised that something that scared me half to death was a comfort to her. If you knew us both it probably wouldn’t surprise you, because I’m a worrier and she’s as calm and steady as can be. Isn’t it interesting to see how different we are even with the same DNA.

One thing I wish I’d known or thought of or had done, was to talk to my parents. They are wonderful people and have always been. I just worried so much as a child and a lot of the time I just worked through it on my own, never asking for advice or counsel. Maybe that’s something just certain personality types go through. I know because I was a worrier, I tried to be aware of things that might be concerning to my kids when they were little. I would try to protect or help them through emotional challenges, just like making them wear shoes when they played outside, because I didn’t wear mine and got hurt on my feet. I didn’t want them to go through the things that I went through. I know you can’t always protect your kids from sorrow in life, but if I had talked to my parents when I had trouble sleeping, it wouldn’t even have been an issue.

The Living Christ

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THE LIVING CHRIST

THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

First Presidency. 1995. Signatures
January 1, 2000

THE QUORUM OF THE TWELVE

What a Wonderful World

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A professor asked his class, “Where do you live?” Answers came from around the room, starting with the dorms and various other locations around the city. The professor asked again, “Yes, but where do you live?” Someone shouts, “United States of America!” He responds, “That’s true, but where do you live?” “North America,” “Planet Earth,” and “Milky Way Galaxy,” are answers given. “That is correct,” said the professor. Even though we all live in different locations, we all live in the same place.

I love this little story that my Mama told me from her college geography class. Even though we all live in different places and have very different lives, we have much the same feelings and love for our beautiful world. I am so grateful for a loving God who created this beautiful, wonderful world.

I think He must have favorite colors much like we do. The blue sky in its many hues and the brilliant white clouds that sometimes are gray, or almost black. Clouds that are huge and puffy or whispy or even dappled. So much variation and beauty. When I was a child I loved to lay on the grass and watch the sky. The clouds make interesting shapes and I could almost feel the earth spinning as I watched the clouds go by.

What a creative thought to use water to beautify and add to the landscape in various ways to make us stop and look. A waterfall, how breathtaking, the bigger the better. The sound is deafening. A little creek or stream is so relaxing the sound is like a lullaby, tinkling with its various pitches. I had a favorite little creek that I spent time near as a child and it was magical. I would make little pools with various rocks and float leaves and sticks on the water. Hours were spent and so much happiness was experienced there. I remember feeling so much peace and love and even now slow, small water has a way of calming me and helping me to know there is a higher, bigger power that loves me and knows where I am and how I’m doing. He sends a feeling that I can’t deny. I love that different bodies of water are different colors too, depending on all kinds of things, like how deep it is, what’s in the water, etc.

The luscious greens of the many grasses, and plant life all over, from the plains to the rain forest. The golds and pale greens of the desert. The rocks that are all so very different yet the same. The Mountains that show signs of stress and upheaval while getting to where they stand now. My favorite mountain is a sentinel, a guard and protector to our city and makes my heart feel so blessed to see it and know it’s been here, watching for millennia. It is beautiful!

The majestic trees that sometime grow taller than buildings. Their strength is evident by their stature. Some of their foliage turning shades of gold, red, orange and brown, before the fall in Autumn, a witness of the cycles of life we all go through. We went to visit Vermont this fall and the scenery was so lush and speckled with so much color. Wow! I had another feeling while viewing the trees and leaves that God loves us so much to give us the seasons. Season’s give us a different way to view the same place. It is good to see things from a different perspective. It’s good to have different challenges too. We’ve been in a drought, our lawn was not the usual green, plush grass that we usually get to see and sit on, and the grand kids play on. It makes me appreciate the water. The abundance of water. I hope we can have a green lawn and flowers next summer. I am so grateful for nature.

Fresh tomatoes from the garden are a favorite of ours. We eat them almost every day in the summer. It is amazing to see the gardens full of vegetables and the trees full of fruits. What bounty. Flowers are my favorite though. I love to look at the tiniest detail of each flower. While hiking with my sweetie, we found a tiny little white flower on the trail as I stopped to look, I noticed that the petals were shaped like hearts. I felt His love right then. A little testimony of Gods love. Flowers gladden the heart. They bring a smile to your face. You can feel a warmth and amazement for the tiny details. The colors are so wonderful. The smell is the best. When I worked at the flower shop I was amazed that the best smelling flower to me was called Stock. Just a random average name for something that smell amazing. I think God loves hearts, and stars.

Stars when you’re camping are the best. You’re out away from city lights. Sometimes you can even see our Milky Way Galaxy. It makes you feel small in the immenseness of space. Small, but loved and significant. The Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Orion, the North Star. I have a soft spot for the North Star, because it reminds me of my Daddy. He’s a light in my life and following him has always lead to good things, good decisions and happiness. It’s because he has always followed our Savior.

Animals are precious. Even big ferocious animals like lions and hippos are so soft and gentle with their babies. Some animals are majestic. Watching a tiger or giraffe walking is a sight to see. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t smile when they are holding a puppy or a kitten. Our silly little pup is so fun, and annoying, she wants to come sit by me, and when I call her to come up, she just looks at me. It’s funny and she cracks me up. I call her my therapy dog, because she loves me and I love her, and snuggles are very nice. All of the different species of animals, rodents, birds, fish, reptiles are so interesting and fun to see and learn about.

The Sun is the most important. It gives us light and warms us. I struggle with the shorter days in the winter. In fact as we get closer to the Winter Solstice, I am even more grateful for light. There is a sweet hymn that encourages sharing the light you have inside you.

When the days are gloomy, Sing some happy song; Meet the world’s repining With a courage strong. Go with faith undaunted Thru the ills of life; Scatter smiles and sunshine O’er its toil and strife.

Sometimes living on this beautiful world, our earth is tough. Even though it’s hard, I am ever grateful for the opportunity to live here and have the experiences that life gives me. Focusing on that is best. If you think about it, the whole world testifies of Gods Infinite love for us. I am so grateful for this wonderful world.

How It All Began!

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I want to tell you a story that began at this amazing bridge.

But first I have to tell you about a very spiritual young man who was born in Minnesota. The family moved to Washington State, where they lived when he was drafted into the army. After training he was stationed at the Presidio, an army base that is right at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. He met a man who introduced him to the gospel and he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Another person who came to this beautiful Bay Area was a sweet young lady who was ready for an adventure. She came from Salt Lake City and moved to San Francisco for a job and to live with her girlfriends. 

These two precious souls met at church. They became friends, and then fell in love. 

They were married in the Salt Lake Temple, and started their life together in Logan. He went to school and a little over a year after they married she had a baby boy. Then two years later another baby boy. Then a move to a new home and another year later another baby boy. This family was having so much fun with these energetic boys, but wondered if they would ever get a girl. 

On a crisp fall evening this young father and his boys were at a football game at the local college, when over the loudspeaker came an announcement that the new baby was coming and they needed to head for home.

Then the most exciting, wonderful, fantastic and happy thing happened… I was born!! 

This is the beginning of my story! 

The bridge is where the story of my parents’ love began. But it brought them together so that our family could begin, and my story could start.

Use Trees!

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It’s been three years since my Daddy passed on. He has been missed. I think of him often and miss having a Daddy Daughter date once a month.

When he passed, and we were planning his funeral, we wanted to do something that had special meaning for the flowers. I had recently worked at a flower shop and knew how to design flowers, and could potentially do all the arrangements for his funeral.

As I was sitting at the kitchen table thinking about this, a thought came to my mind very clear, use trees! Yes! That was the answer. My daddy loved trees! It might have been him giving me the message from the other side.

My Daddy was a big fan or trees, all kinds. He bought many trees in his lifetime. I think Weeping Willow trees were his favorite. He would buy trees that reminded you of a Charlie Brown tree. Very crooked or an unusual angle on one side. He died traveling with family and one of their destinations on the trip was the Redwoods in California. He would often quote the poem by Joyce Kilmer called Trees.

I also love the- Advice from a Tree: Stand tall and proud, Go out on limb, Remember your roots, Drink plenty of water, Be content with your natural beauty, Enjoy the view.-Ilan Shamir

We decided we could buy trees for each of the children of my parents, and after the funeral we could plant them in our yards. We spent time looking and choosing the trees we felt would best serve the purpose. I have a beautiful flowering Pear tree that sits right outside my office window. I love it! When I look out the window at it I remember my Dad and his love of trees. It was a great idea, and I’m so grateful we did it.