104 Years Ago Today

 September 10th 1920 - My mother, Bessie Jane Boyle was born.  At her funeral her minister expressed it this way, 'She bounced into the world.'  He went on to say, "her years spanned such incredible eras in our nation's history, most that radically affected her culture here where she was born and reared and later where she came back home to live.  Somewhere along the way she resolved to live out her changing times with energy and optimism. Maybe it was born of her years as a navy wife, living in Boston or Brooklyn or Providence, Rhode Island or her time living in Sicily.  Or maybe it was something just born in her to engage her life actively one day at a time.  However she came to that way of living, it served her well throughout all her days.  Moreover, it stands as a model for our own way of doing whatever it is that gives us fulfillment in life."

I know she loved being a mother.  Moma and Daddy were married almost five years before I was born and they were thrilled to be parents.  She was 33 when I was born but it was 25 years later when I think she found her greatest joy. That's when Mary was born and she became a Grandma for the first time. 

Nothing gave her more fulfillment than these 4 children! 

Holding Mary for the 1st time

And here she is in 1980 holding newborn Matt.

And when we added Jonathan in 1984

Then in 1987 with all four of her darling grandchildren.

For her there was never a more true statement than

"Happiness is being a Grandparent"

Hymn 1001

In June 2018 , our church announced a revision of the hymnbook and Children's Songbook to meet the needs of a global church.  This announcement began a multi -year project to gather and review the current music selection, new submissions and songs from other Christian faith traditions.  

In May of this year, the first 13 songs were released in English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. 

Today we finally sang one of the 'new' songs'. 

Actually it isn't a 'new' song but one that was in the pre-1985 hymnbook but left out of the most recent book.  I heard a speaker at Education Week many years ago, who had been on the committee to select hymns for the 1985 book, say that when people marched up to him with a certain glint in their eyes, he knew they were going to complain about the omission of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing".

The first hymn on the list of the new hymnbook, named Hymns for Homes and Church -

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Other hymns will be added every few months as they are translated.

Personally I love that one of my mother's favorite hymns is included. 

His Eye Is On the Sparrow

I remember her singing these words to me as a little child, 

"Why should I feel discouraged?

Why should the shadows come?

Why should my heart be lonely

And long for heav'n and home,

When Jesus is my portion?

My constant Friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me."

Moma finished this cross-stitch a few months after my Daddy died and it hung in her kitchen for many years. Now it hangs in our house as a constant reminder of Heavenly Father's love and care. 

In 2026 there will be a full release in print and digitally of all the hymns in English, Spanish,  French, German, and Portuguese, with more languages added as they become available.

In 2030, it is anticipated that the project will be complete, including a total of 50 languages in print and digital form.

Mother's Day

 One of the nice things about going through our thousands of slides is that I have a lot of new photos.  For Mother's Day, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite 'mothers' shots!

Can you tell this is from the 1980's? Frizzy hair!  Shoulder pads! The sweaters!  Even my earrings just scream 80's! 

Here is my mother the first time she held Mary.  Those two had a special bond that continued for all of my mother's life.  First grandchild and only granddaughter!

And here she is in 1987 with all four of her grandchildren.

Each one gave her so much happiness.

Of all the 1000s of slides I have scanned, this is one of my favorites!

Grandma Lewis reading to 1 year old Johnny.

My first time meeting Isabella.

Happiness is definitely being a grandmother!

And in love again!

Meeting Jackson for the first time.

The quote that our Relief Society shared with us today was

"You are something divine, more beautiful and glorious than you could possibly imagine." - Dieter F Uchtdorf

I think one could change the 'you are' to 'motherhood is' something divine, more beautiful and glorious than you could possibly imagine!

 

 

15 Years

My mother died on March 23, 2009 - 15 years ago tomorrow .  I wonder if I will ever get over the urge to to call my mother and tell her about what is happening in my life or to ask her a question.  I suspect not.   

One of our church leaders once spoke about the 'tender mercies of the Lord'.  The circumstances surrounding her death are among my most cherished 'tender mercies'.  The 5 months between my Aunt Mary Finch's death and my mothers were very difficult ones for her.  She and Mary had been inseparable for many years.  They shopped together, ate together, went to the movies together and saw each other every single day; often multiple times a day.  In October 2008, I spent 6 weeks in Arkansas when Mary was sick.  My mother visited us in Idaho for Christmas.  (I asked her to come for Thanksgiving and stay through the new year and she looked at me like I was crazy.  She never was away from home for that long).   In March I made the trip to visit her in Lonoke.  After arriving on Thursday night we spent the next few days enjoying time together.  She did water aerobics while I ran.  We went out to eat with family and friends. On Saturday we shopped from one end of the mall to the other looking for the perfect bathing suit for her and a new wallet.  She ordered a new TV and a new chair. My cousin Janie and her husband Pat had us over for dinner that evening.  The only hint that all was not  well is when I suggested we go visit my Uncle Dick and she said she was too tired.  She wasn't too tired to make me another batch of black eyed peas since I had finished the ones she made before I came.

On Sunday morning I heard her get up about 7:00 but I didn't get up for another hour.  When I walked into the living room, she was in her chair and I thought she had drifted back to sleep.  I got the paper which was folded at her feet, fixed my breakfast and sat down to eat.  Suddenly she started making a strange snoring noise.  It was unusual enough that I went over to check on her and found that I couldn't wake her up.  I called an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital in North Little Rock.  A CT scan showed a massive bleed on her brain with no hope for a meaningful recovery.  She died the next day, having never regained consciousness.  Had I not been in Arkansas, I would not have had time to get there before she passed away.  We would not have had those perfect few days together.  I will forever be grateful for the 'tender mercy' of that time together and of holding her hand while she passed through the veil to eternity.

In her honor and memory, I'd like to share some quotes about mothers and some photos of our last Christmas together plus some photos of early times with her.  Moma and Daddy had been married for 4 years before she got pregnant with me.  I know that I was an answer to their prayers.  My childhood was blessed by their constant love for me; my adult life by their  unending support.

"What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes part of us."– Helen Keller

Time may move on, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss my mother. The day she died is not just a date on a calendar, it was the day my very existence changed forever

“Whenever I am missing you, I also remember how fortunate I was that you were in my life. I wouldn’t trade those moments for the world” – Cindy Adkins

"The mother memories that are closest to my heart are the small gentle ones that I have carried over from the days of my childhood. They are not profound, but they have stayed with me through life, and when I am very old, they will still be near."– Margaret Sanger

I wish heaven had visiting hours so I could see and speak to my mom again. I miss her so much.

“Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark. To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever.”– J.K. Rowling

“Grief and love are conjoined, you don’t get one without the other. All I can do is love her, and love the world, emulate her by living with daring and spirit and joy” – Jandy Nelson

 To my mother in heaven, thank you for always loving me and guiding me. Even though you are no longer here with me I can still feel your love guiding me. You are always in my heart. I love you and miss you dearly

There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart."– Mahatma Gandhi

“There is something about losing a mother that is permanent and inexpressible—a wound that will never quite heal.”– Susan Wiggs

“My Mother is a never-ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune” – Graycie Harmon

 

Snowy Lonoke

 Since my last post was all about a snow day in Lonoke when I was a child, I was thrilled when I saw these photos on Facebook of Lonoke recently after a big snow.  They are a snowy walk through my childhood, teen years and into adulthood.

The building where I attended junior and senior high school was torn down but when they built the new school,  they kept the arches that were at the front entrance.

The new school is beautiful and I realize how much a new building was needed.  I have finally come to terms with the need to tear down the very old school and construct a new state of the art building but it still makes me feel sad. 

The Methodist Church that is just across the street from the Presbyterian Church that I attended.

The beautiful Presbyterian Church founded by two sets of my great-great grandparents.

Presbyterian Church stained glass windows

Lonoke County Court House 

Our first home was on the street just behind the courthouse

The walk I described in the previous post was down the street that is just on the other side.

The sidewalks around the various monuments on the courthouse grounds were perfect for bike riding or skating when I was a little girl.  Not with the snow of course!

The football field at Lonoke High School - home of the Jackrabbits

Memories of marching band and so many football games

The Dairy Bar 

A common phrase during my teen years - "Let's go circle the Dairy Bar"

They still have yummy cheese dip! 

The Grumpy Rabbit is a new restaurant that has become quite well known throughout the state.  I read one review that said, "I never thought I would say that I was going to Lonoke for dinner but the meal I had there was excellent."

When I was a child, my mother worked at the Abstract Office that was on the right of the building that houses the Grumpy Rabbit. There were two doors then. One to the right that led to her office and the other to "Helen's Dress Shop".  I remember when I was finally old enough to shop at Helen's. 

The Lonoke Depot and looking down Front Street, the main street in town.

For many years, a train track went right through downtown Lonoke.  

The train track was what put Lonoke on the map more than 100 years ago.

This gas station has been on this corner in Lonoke for as long as I can remember.

It is now owned by a classmate and her husband.

This statue, or one similar to it, has been in a small fountain at one of the large homes in Lonoke for all of my life.

The Lonoke Community Center is a new building that has a swimming pool, community rooms, a gym,  an indoor track and basketball courts.  My mother went here several times a week to do water aerobics and almost every day to walk on the track.  It is a great addition to Lonoke!

This was the office of Dr. B E Holmes, long time physician in Lonoke.  After extensive renovations, it  now is for sale as a home.  

I will always love my home town!

.

Perfect Love

When we got back from Kenya in October, I discovered that the memory on my computer was so full that I couldn't download my photos so I have been diligently deleting photos that were stored in two places, organizing documents, and putting some downloads in the 'trash'.  One of the documents I found was a talk I gave to the Young Women in our Ward about 10 years ago.  

This week we had a snow day and more snow is expected so it seemed a perfect time to share my thoughts on snow and love!  The photos are not from a snowstorm in Lonoke.  Some are from Providence, Rhode Island and others from Port Deposit, Maryland, both places we lived when my Daddy was in the Navy.

"I love snow!!!  I love the way it looks on the trees and shrubs.  I love the crunchy way it sounds when you walk on it. I love the smell and the feel in the air….I love snowmen!  When my children were little and we lived in Colorado, those snowy days seemed almost magical to me.  Schools would be closed, Dads would be home from work and our neighborhood would become a fairyland of white, glistening snow filled with the excited voices of snowsuit clad children!  In spite of all the damp mittens and coats and boots that littered my laundry room, those days were filled with fun.  Snowmen!  Hot chocolate and toasted cheese!  Snow forts and snowball fights!  I loved it!  I always felt sad when it melted enough that the normal life of school and work started again.

I think my love of snow comes from growing up in Arkansas.  In Lonoke, Arkansas it does occasionally snow.  Lonoke is a small town.

When I was a child, the population was less than 2000. .  Lonoke has no snow removal equipment, no snowplows, people don’t have chains for their cars, and most people have little or no experience driving in snow so when it snows in Lonoke, even an inch or two, the town essentially shuts down.  No one goes to work, no one drives anywhere, school is closed….I remember the excitement of going to bed when it was snowing and wondering all night if it was just a little flurry that wouldn't stick or would it  stick so the next day would be a snow day.  Snow days yippee!!!

Last year I read this in a magazine

 

“Once, after dinner, my father hitched up the horse and took my mother and me for a sleigh ride.  The winter stars were very bright.  The sleigh bells made a lovely sound. I was bundled up to the nose, between my father and my mother, where nothing, not even the cold, could get at me.  The very perfection of happiness. “ from Later Novels and Stories by William Maxwell. 

 

This little paragraph brought back a memory so strong and clear that I could feel the moment in time.  

During one of those rare Lonoke snowstorms when I was probably 8 or 9, my parents and I went for a walk down Court Street towards town. The snow was crisp and crunched under our feet.  It was getting a bit dark so it was late afternoon. I remember that my mother had on the long brownish coat with a hood that I never liked once I was old enough to be concerned about my mother looking “cool” so that I would be “cool”.  That day though I was just thrilled with the snow, with no school plus having Moma and Daddy both home during the day. I’m sure that the snowy roads had closed not only school but all other businesses. I was holding both of their hands and would slide along on the icy roads as we walked.  Sometimes they would lift me up in the air ahead of them.  It was cold but I felt like the man in the preceding  paragraph…..safe “between my father and my mother where nothing, not even the cold could get at me.  The very perfection of happiness.”

My father and mother are both dead now but I still can feel that same safety and peace because I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me. The YW theme starts out, “We are daughters of our Heavenly Father who loves us…..”

 

President Uchtdorf spoke of this love so eloquently last conference….I don’t want to paraphrase his words but read them to you….I hope in your minds you can hear the distinctive accented voice of this prophet of God….

 

"Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount—that is the measure of God’s love for you.

God does not look on the outward appearance. I believe that He doesn’t care one bit if we live in a castle or a cottage, if we are handsome or homely, if we are famous or forgotten. Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely.

He loves us because He is filled with an infinite measure of holy, pure, and indescribable love. We are important to God not because of our résumé but because we are His children. He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken. God’s love is so great that He loves even the proud, the selfish, the arrogant, and the wicked.

What this means is that, regardless of our current state, there is hope for us. No matter our distress, no matter our sorrow, no matter our mistakes, our infinitely compassionate Heavenly Father desires that we draw near to Him so that He can draw near to us."

 

It is my prayer that each of you young women that I love so much can feel the love of our Heavenly Father ….& that because of that love you feel safe where nothing, not the cold or sadness or depression can get you…..and that you feel the very perfection of happiness."

And today in 2024, that is still my prayer - that we all feel the love of our Heavenly Father and experience a moment of perfect happiness.

 

Mary and Jackson's Epic Adventure

Mary told me several months ago that she had planned a trip so that she and Jackson could drive from West Virginia to Boise.  Her itinerary was so thorough,  that she even knew where she wanted to eat lunch each day.  I love her spirit!  3000+ miles alone with a 5 year old.  Lots of memories made!

Here they are starting out from Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. 

First stop was a safari park in Virginia.

Everyone got a basket of food for the animals to have in their cars as they drove along.

The llama was very interested!

A yak actually stuck his whole head in the car.  No photo of that!  I think it was kind of scary.

Finally an aggressive ostrich just reached in and took the whole basket of food.

I think feeding the giraffes was a lot more tame!

First night was in Gatlinburg, Tennessee which is a big resort town.

Mary and Jackson enjoyed the aquarium there.

Next night was in Jackson, Tennessee before spending a few hours driving around my little hometown of Lonoke, Arkansas.

I loved watching her on 'Find my Friends' as she explored.  First by my mother's house, by the school, Aunt Mary's house....the park, the church, and finally a lunch at the Grumpy Rabbit, which is a new and very popular restaurant in town.

Here's Jackson on the steps of the Presbyterian Church where his 4th Great Grandparents were the 1st couple married and where his great grandparents were also married. It's the church that I attended every single Sunday of all my growing up years.   They are about to tear it down.  That breaks my heart.

Next a trip to the cemetery where he played horsey on my parents grave.  

I hope they were amused watching their great-grandson!

I think they were.

The next few nights were spent with his cousins, aunt and uncle in the Fort Worth area in a town called Burleson.

With Aunt Amanda at the children's museum.

Exploring the Fort Worth Stockyards with cousin Izzy.

Hanging out at home with cousin Lilly.

I know the break to play with cousins and not drive hours and hours each day was a welcome change before the push to Albuquerque and Monticello.

Mary found some really child friendly places to explore along the way. 

Have you heard of Cadillac Ranch?

30 years ago 10 cars were partially buried in the sand.

Now you can go and see them but best of all, spray paint them.

What kid wouldn't enjoy that??

After a night in Albuquerque and a quick and very cold stop at Mesa Verde National Park, they joined us in Monticello.

I think Mary is already planning another cross country drive to see us, this time taking the northern route and stopping by Chicago.

Maybe I should fly back to West Virginia and join them!