Fleeting Moments

Sunsets, storm clouds, the lacy pattern of water droplets shimmering in the sunlight – these are the fleeting images from the last 24 hours that are forever burned into my memory. Oh, how I wish I had a camera at the ready to capture them forever! But alas, I did not. And so I must try to capture their essence with wholly inadequate words, to paint their delightful flavor on the canvas of my computer screen so that their awe-inspiring beauty can be enjoyed over and over again in life’s dark and dismal moments.

Yesterday’s sunset danced atop the trees with a beauty such as I’ve never witnessed before. The setting sun was enormous – seemingly twice as big as it should have been – with a deep tangerine hue. It teased my eyes with exquisite grace as it quickly slipped below the treeline, almost as if it were playing a game of hide and seek with me as I drove towards it. I raced around turn after turn, hoping to get past the treeline in time to see it again, and I did! It hovered at the end of the highway, stretched fully from one side of the two-lane road to the other, dancing along the blacktop with merry abandon. I tried to catch a picture on my cell phone, but – darn! – there was a truck in between me and the undulating tangerine orb. I drove with my cell phone camera focused on the sun, waiting for the vehicle in my way to turn; but the opportunity for a clear shot never presented itself before my brilliant dancing sun slipped from view in front of my outstretched hand.

Though I missed capturing the beauty of that sunset on film, God wasn’t finished with His artistic endeavors for the day. Another bend in the road opened my view to a sky full of towering cumulus clouds, reflecting the rosy glow of the sun. Shades of blue, yellow and pink adorned the edges of the puffy clouds, moving and changing as the sun continued her gradual westward journey and the night sky crept in from the east.

With this morning’s dew settled deep on my car windows, I sleepily headed out to work. As I turned a corner and the rising sun hit my dew-covered side window, I noticed that little droplets of water had started an uphill journey across the window from the force of the passing wind. Droplet followed droplet, each taking a slightly different yet similar path, forming trails of clear glass amid the dew-covered pane. As I passed through shadows, where the sun hid behind trees, the window just appeared wet and fogged and streaked. But every now and then, as I passed a meadow where the rising sun shone brightly, the window sparkled with thousands of white light reflections of undulating furrows, with busy droplets of water etching more before my very eyes.

I can’t help but wonder how many other beautiful, God-given moments I’ve missed because I was too preoccupied with the mundane tasks of every day life to notice them.

No-Sew Baby Blanket

I found myself in need of a baby gift, and I wanted to give the new mother something handmade. I was behind the barn door when sewing talents were distributed, so whipping something up that way was out of the question. Having just seen a delightful no-sew baby blanket on http://partiesandholidays.blogspot.com, I decided to try my hand at making one.

The local Hobby Lobby happened to be having a 30% off sale on fleece, so I picked up a yard of pink plaid fleece. The first thing I did was lay it out on the dining room table and cut off the selvage (the edge that prevents it from unraveling). Then I straightened out the uneven cuts the sales lady had made, following along the pattern of the squares.

Next, I cut a three-inch square piece of paper to use as a pattern for my corners. I laid the paper in each corner and cut out the square.

Then I laid my a four-foot metal ruler from along the edge I would be cutting into strips. The ruler kept the lengths of the cuts the same (at 3”) and helped me keep the cuts to about one inch apart along the length of the blanket. I repeated this step on all four sides.

Next I tied each strip into a knot, being careful not to pull it too tightly so it wouldn’t pucker the blanket edges or stretch the fleece. I found it was easier to make the knots if I folded the strip in half before looping it around itself.

I think the only thing I would do differently next time is to change the size of the corner square cutout (and therefore, the fringe) to three-and-a-half inches. I found the three-inch-long strips a little difficult to maneuver into knots at times. I think the extra half inch would make it easier.

All in all, it was a quick (at a little over an hour from start to finish) and fun project that I look forward to doing again.

Frugal Living Tips

Some years ago, as a new Relief Society President, I taught a lesson on frugal living. I ran across the lesson recently and thought that with the current economic conditions, there was much that could be re-learned from that old lesson. So here it is, presented pretty much as it was presented back in 1999. I’ve removed references to games we played as a learning experience, but decided to leave in the names of the dear friends who gave me their best frugal living tips to include in the lesson.

President Gordon B. Hinckley had much to say on the topic of “thrift” and I’d like to share some of those things with you before we start the lesson so we can see that there is a prophetic basis to learning to live frugally.

“I commend to you the virtues of thrift and industry,” said President Hinckley. “In doing so, I do not wish you to be a ‘tightwad,’ if you will pardon that expression, or to be a freeloader, or anything of the kind. But it is the labor and the thrift of people that make a nation strong. It is work and thrift that make the family independent. Debt can be a terrible thing. It is so easy to incur and so difficult to repay. Borrowed money is had only at a price, and that price can be burdensome. Bankruptcy generally is the bitter fruit of debt.”

The Prophet has also said, “I deplore waste. I deplore extravagance. I value thrift. I believe in prudence and conservatism.”

President Hinckley has also said, “We live in an age of persuasive advertising and of skillful salesmanship, all designed to entice us to spend. An extravagant husband or wife can jeopardize any marriage. I think it is a good principle that each have some freedom and independence with everyday, necessary expenditures, while at the same time always discussing and consulting and agreeing on large expenditures. There would be fewer rash decisions, fewer unwise investments, fewer consequent losses, fewer bankruptcies if husbands and wives would counsel together on such matters and seek counsel from others.”

It is with that thought in mind – seeking counsel from others – that I begin with my grandmother’s favorite saying and our first category of the evening:  Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do or Do Without

• Take care of what you have. It will last longer.

• Check clothes for stains before washing and drying; because once the stain is heat set, it’s there permanently.

• For a grease stain, spray it with a small amount of WD40 before washing.

• Don’t throw away those little scraps of soap. Instead, after you’ve used them for the last “useable” shower, piggyback them onto a new bar of soap by pressing firmly. They will adhere as the soap dries and you’ll extend the use by a couple of showers.

• Another soap trick that I learned from my Mom – store your year’s supply in a container under the sink, but take the bars out of their wrappers. Being exposed to the air makes the soap harder, so it lasts longer.

• Teresa Hina says to rinse out containers such as laundry soap or shampoo with a small amount of water to get another use out of the product.

• Sonya Brantley cuts open toothpaste tubes to squeeze out the last few drops.

• Sonya also re-uses paper towels to spot clean the floor before throwing them out.

• Karen Bearce mends clothes rather than replacing them. She also cuts off jeans that the knees are out of to make shorts.

• Monique Bayes suggests wearing clothing that isn’t dirty a second time before throwing it in the wash. It will not only save on utility bills, it will also extend the life of the clothing.

• Jennifer McCafferty recommends learning how to fix it yourself. Read up on home repairs, auto repairs and other simple repairs, or ask someone who is familiar with what you’re trying to do for help and guidance.