Christmas 2012

 Christmas Day 2012

The most wonderful evening in the home of Rod Curry

in Richlands, Tazewell County, Virginia

[C.E. friends--do you recognize the Frank Lloyd Wright windows behind the tree?]

 This is Rod with Elder Theurer (pronounced "Tyre") from Tremonton, Boxelder County, Utah.

Prior to his mission, Elder Tyre studied as a political science major
and was a race horse "personal trainer."  Now he is our mission District Leader.

Rod is intelligent, kind, and a friend to everyone.

He is so good to all our young missionaries, and we feel welcome and loved in his home.

Christmas Dinner

Formal dining...fine china...table linens...centerpieces...stemware...

all the details of culture and elegance.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal together, shared Christmas memories, music,

and ended the evening reading Luke 2 followed by Robert Munch's book:

I'll Love You Forever, I'll Like You For Always.

It was a perfect evening....if you overlook my attempt at lemon pie that turned out to be soup.

Evening In Excellence

Arise and Shine Forth, that thy Light May be a Standard to the Nations:
Doctrine and Covenants 115:5

Cassie and Tara

Rosalyn continues to be a silent partner in our mission.

She mailed her block temple from Arizona for us to use in our Young Women's

Evening of Excellence!

Each of our four girls took turns adding blocks and sharing experiences they had this year.

The temple spires were girls camp, temple trips, and scriptures!
Jill Hellstrom, our Pembroke stake YW President love it.

Cassie earned her Young Womanhood Medallion!

Tara was awarded her first value ribbon, and

Nikki and Rita [both new this year] received torch necklaces.

 Tara requested we sing "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God"

so Rosalyn sent a Mp3 link to download it onto CDs for the girls to learn.

Angie McClure came to play piano for the program, and the song definitely brought the Spirit!

"Right now I have a prayer deep within my heart,

A prayer for each of you there is a special part.

That you remember who you are and He who lives above,

Please seek for Him and live his way, you'll feel His love.

Walk tall, you're a daughter, a child of God.

Be strong--please remember who you are--

Try to understand, you're part of His great plan.

He's closer than you know--reach up, He'll take your plan.

Long before the time you can remember,

Our Father held you in His arms so tender.

Those loving arms released you as He sent you down to earth.

He said, "My child, I love you, Don't forget your great worth."

Chorus

This life on earth we knew would not be easy.

At times we lose our way, His path we may not see.

But please remember always that you are not alone.

He'll take your hand. He loves you! He will guide you home.

Chorus

[Teri....if you really are reading this...you know how long I've been singing and loving this song!]

 Cassie's parents with "MaMaw" Betty Clifton

This family guaranteed elegant success and hospitality with finishing touches on the event

by providing the perfect assortment of food and decor.  Thank you! Thank you!

Left to Right:

Cassie Clifton, "Sister Hunt", Nikki Silcox, and Ritta Stevenson
[plus Tara Call at top of post.]

Richlands Branch Young Women

Paul and Cleo VanDyke

50th Wedding Anniversary

December 7, 2012
Richlands, Virginia LDS Building
50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration for Paul and Cleo VanDyke

Food - Friends - Fun
What a celebration!
Cathy McClanahan, Pat Brannon, Kaula VanDyke and I decorated for days.
Cathy cut cedar from her hills to smell fresh and festive.
Debbie Clifton organized the Hors D'Oeuvres to guarantee a beautiful display.
It was advertised "come and go" -- people came...but no one left.  Great party.

Paul Van Dyke

Three brain surgeries...radiation every morning and chemo every night

doesn't keep this man from smiling and finding the good in life!
He asked everyone he met, "Are you coming to my surprise party?"

There is not a more generous or hard working woman anywhere!

Cleo Van Dyke
Paul and Cleo are our landlords, and made our apartment over their garage into a doll house!
We love them dearly.

Celebrating 50 years together...

Jan McClure made a signature friendship quilt for everyone to sign.
Treasured friends - Lifelong memories.
The block I signed is blue.

Kudzu

 

Kudzu is an aggressive vine that has the ability to grow a foot a day and smother everything in its path. This native of Asia is a legume and was introduced to the United States in 1876, and now covers more than 2.8 million square km of the South.  Some sources call it "the vegetable form of cancer!"    http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/

Our Relief Society President, Cathy McClanahan, had the brilliant idea of making wreaths out of kudzu vines... an economical resource [FREE] consistent with our theme of "provident living."

First we stripped the leaves off kudzu vine and wrapped it around re-bar stakes to form various shapes: ovals, hearts, and stars.  We let the vine dry for two weeks and during this time gathered embellishments found in nature:  Sugar cane seed, teasel, cucumber tree pods, walnut hulls, pine cones, and chestnuts.

When we finished decorating our wreaths, we were very pleased.  This is mine...now hanging on our front door.  Each element has a history and fond memory:

• The Sugar cane seeds were gathered at The Breaks Interstate Park the day Cathy took me to the annual molasses stir-off.
• Cucumber tree seed pods picked up on a day hike in Burke's Garden when John Thomas visited from BYU-Idaho to research his Heninger family history.
• Chestnuts from the church parking lot
• Teasel, found in abundance everywhere-- whose root is recommended as treatment for Lyme disease
• Walnuts from Cathy's front yard
• The bow donated and tied by Teresa Reynolds...Debbie Clifton's mother

-- I love Autumn and all the colors of fall --

October Surprise...

October 30, 2012

We awoke this morning to our southwest Virginia's response to

"Superstorm Sandy" that slammed the east coast overnight.

Cold air coming east from the jet stream collided with the warm winds of the tropical storm

and dumped more than 10 inches of snow on our doorstep  in a rare October blizzard.

A winter wonderland for this Arizona boy.

The mission told all of us to stay indoors, so our Young Elders helped

us call Branch members to check on status of power and heat.

Only those living on mountain tops lost electricity initially:  Keen Mountain,

Compton Mountain and Horne Mountain folks.

However, at 8:44 PM power went out in our neighborhood and we cuddled in layers of clothes
to keep warm all night. We awoke Halloween day...32 degrees outside, 53 degrees inside.

Cleo Van Dyke, our landlord, left her husband's bedside
 who is convalescing from three brain cancer surgeries, to bring us a propane space heater.
What wonderful people they are.
Much to our relief, central heat and running hot water returned 24 hours later.

Hurricane Sandy is being dubbed the "Storm of the Century" and has left millions

without power, transportation, and normalcy.  New Jersey and New York hit the hardest.

We feel so protected.

Our apartment deck railing is about as wide as a gymnastic balance beam

and this is the most snow accumulation we have seen in the 13 months we have been in Virginia.

[ We hoped Elder Butler was able to make his snow angel that eluded him all last winter! ]

Yesterday was autumn

Today is winter

Tomorrow we hope for sunshine!

The Late Unpleasantness...

Our mission travels take us all over southwest Virginia.

We marvel at the number of monuments we find honoring the Confederate effort in what is known as:

"The Northern Aggression"

"The War Between the States"

or most Southernly tactful of all...

"The Late Unpleasantness"

Never is it referred to as "Civil War"...because as one southern belle put it,

there was nothing "civil" about it!

Honaker, Russell County, Virginia

Town center

480 miles...

Look what 480 miles and a determined, dedicated daughter brought to our house!

Caroline Ruth .. 7 months of happiness



President Pitt invited Kimberly to participate in Zone Conference,
dedicated to the topic of "Divine Companionships."
Jonah thought the Pembroke Stake nursery was fun too.

After missionary training, we built sand castles at Cedar Bluff Critterville.

Jonah demonstrated his balance and skill as a tight rope artist.

Lots of fun chatter with Grandpa...and then ... 
another 480 miles and a very tired momma took everyone back to Tuscaloosa.
Hugs and smiles...never to be forgotten.
Thank-you, Kimberly!

Burke's Garden...

 

 This week Cathy McClanahan took me for a day hike on the Appalachian Trail in Tazwell County above Burke's Garden.  We found vivid tree fungi of the brightest orange.

Some history of the church in this area

The Church News reported 175 members of the church living in Burke's Garden in 1843, with Jedediah M. Grant appointed to preside over the Virginia Conference--as mission districts were then known. Missionaries serving in Virginia during this time usually traveled without "purse or scrip," meaning that they had to rely on the hospitality of the local people for food and lodging. Missionaries found it easier to live this principle in the rural areas rather than in the cities because of the hospitality of the country people, resulting in a predominantly rural membership.

In 1857 missionary David O. Rideout reported that "'Mormonism' is spreading in this county [Tazewell County] fast amidst great persecution." He reported being tarred and feathered while attempting to spread the gospel. Missionary work stopped at the outset of the Civil War in 1861 and did not resume until the Reconstruction era.

J. Golden Kimball was called as president of the Southern States Mission from 1891 to 1894 and labored in several rural Virginia counties. http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/print/58732/United-States-Information-Virginia.ht...

Cathy is making great effort to take me on this hike in all four seasons so I can see the change and beauties of nature.  In winter the trees were bare, the ground covered with ice and snow.

[See blog post:  December 22, 2011]

Luna moth with a five inch wing span that I brought home from girl's camp.

Another beautiful speciman of the south.

Cathy McClanahan

Stalwart Relief Soceity President of Richlands Branch.

Born in Buchanan County...daughter of a coal miner.

Professional educator and life long learner...who loves her dogs, history, and hiking.

Indeed, one of the brightest and yet most humble people I have ever met.

What a priviledge it is to have become her friend.

Sage Hill Road, Virginia

  

Summer blooms...

 Outside our apartment we have three flowering trees.

First came forsythia...busting with bright yellow blooms right before Easter.

In May the snowball tree was in full bloom with clusters of white orbs.

And now...in late July the Rose of Sharon takes center stage.

Needless to say, I am facinated with all the flowers and greenery of the South.

What a privilege it is to be in Virginia,

where women "look like cream puffs and get things done like Sherman tanks!"

Certainly, they know "how to cope!"

[Excerpts from Maryln Schwartz' book: A Southern Belle Primer]

Knowing my facination with flowers, a dear friend, Cathy McClanahan,

brought me this "dinner plate dahlia" from her sister's garden.

And this bloom, she tells me, is only a medium sized one!

Transfer Day...

Elder Nathan Stoven from Sandy, UT left us on July 11th

to support the singles ward in Roanoak. He served in Richlands four transfers...

which is about six months.  The night before he left

he asked Elder Hunt for a special blessing...sort of like a Grandfather's blessing.

It is amazing how close we become to these young Elders,

and how much we appreciate their energy and dedication to the work.

Honaker Festival...

 Elder Green, pictured in center is an artist.

He and his wife are Senior Missionaries in Princeton, WV and he volunteers his talent to invite others to learn about Christ by painting pictures of the Restoration at local fairs.

 Elders Cannole and Stoven

Honaker, Russel County, VA

4th of July Festival, 2012

 Elder Green spent the day painting this picture of Joseph Smith

receiving answer to his prayer:  James 1:5

Many people were drawn into our booth to watch and learn the stories behind the pictures on display:
Jesus Christ... Daniel in the Lion's Den... Mormon abridging the Nephite history on gold plates...
Moroni burying the gold plates in a hillside... etc.

 At the end of the guided tour visitors were offered a copy of the Book of Mormon,

a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible and a record of God's dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas.  We gave away 20 copies in 3 hours!

Of course there were a few other displays at the festival that caught the attention of Elder Hunt.

Family fun...

 Kimberly and Josh surprised us with a weekend visit.

They brought energy, insights, and tons of fun.

Little did we know our air conditioner would go on the blink the first night they were here,

but they never complained.

They didn't complain about the dimples in their car from the hail storm either.

 Four year old Jonah...on a walk with Grandma exploring the woods.

Nothing like picking your own blueberries in VanDyke's garden.

 All too soon it was time to say good-by...and get special hugs from Grandpa.

We feel Oh-So-Loved!

Isn't it wonderful Alabama and Virginia are only "one day" away!

Girl's Camp...

Girls Camp - June 18-23, 2012 - Camp Roland, Bland County, VA

Celebrating 100 years of Church Girl's Camp!

S.T.A.R.S.

"Standing Tall as Righteous Sisters"

Rachael, Grace, Cassy and Tara

3rd year girls ready for their 12 mile overnight hike.  This prepares them for next year

when they do the high adventure 27 mile (three day/two night) trek along the Appalachian Trail.

Jill Hellstrom, Pembroke Stake YW President in center.

Grace Braden, Rachel Goode (our Welch girls) on left.

Joyce Hendricks..high adventure leader in red.

Standing behind...Tara Call and Cassie Clifton...our awesome Richlands Girls!

Look at those happy faces!

Debbie Clifton...camp "Mom" and head cook.

Never have I met a woman with greater understanding and unconditional love.

Never complaining, always working, and forever loving.