Beautiful Mind...

<sup>I photographed this road sign on one of our many travels to Bluefield, West Virginia (a town about 35 miles north-east of where we currently live) which is recognized as the birthplace of John Forbes Nash, Jr.   Or in his own words, "My beginning as a legally recognized individual occurred on June 13 1928 in Bluefield, West Virginia, in the Bluefield Sanitarium, a hospital that no longer exists."  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash,_Jr.)

Anyone who saw the movie Beautiful Mind will recognize the name of John Nash.  Anyone who knows our family well understands why this movie and this person is so endeared to my heart.  When I first saw the movie, I thought I had cried my life-time quota of tears that comes from the pain of mental illness. But alas! Not true.  I feel a kinship to this community. One more reason I feel so at home in these mountains.  I love the hills, I love the trees, the flowers, the thunder that echos through the mountains.... but most of all, it is the people and their life stories of survival that has captured my heart.  I am forever changed....forever enriched...forever blessed, for the experience of living in Southwest Virginia these past 18 months.</sup>

Southern Belle Primer

1.  Euphemisms
According to Dictionary.com, euphemism is "the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt."  Here, in the South, no one every "dies".  They go to their eternal rest, they pass on, or they depart this life.  We have even heard "they fell out."

2. Cuisine
A true Southern Belle will use only real mayonnaise, and will put only white meat in chicken salad... dark meat is "tacky."  She will own at least one egg plate, and is an expert in making deviled eggs, pineapple upside down cake, baked beans, and of course grits, biscuits and gravy!  Green beans are served with every meal, and cabbage is a part of all casseroles and soups.

3.  It's "Tacky" 
If found chewing gum in public
Not having matching silverware
If you serve pink lemonade... (it has Communist overtones)
Potato salad is for construction workers...not ladies , however a modern belle will eat potato salad, but she doesn't put it on good china.

4. Double names
It doesn't seem to matter where you go in the south, the entire South seems to be married to one another.
The use of double names, usually given to honor both grandmothers, creates what some people call walking family trees.  Common names are Rebecca Ann, and Martha Jane.

5.  Word Choice:  As mentioned in number one, no Southern lady would ever utter a word that is harsh.  Here are the six basic words that are the heart and soul of any belle's vocabulary:

•  Lovely:  "She comes from a lovely family.  Her people are lovely."  Etc.

•  Precious:  A high complement.  "You are so precious to think of me." or "Where did you get that precious dress?"
  
•  Darlin':  Also a high complement, to be used along with precious for better emphasis.  "Your daughter is darlin' and she wears the most precious clothes."  or "What a precious idea. It will make the most darling' project."
  
• Cute:  Not exactly a high compliment, but not a complete put-down either.
•  Sweet:  The kiss of death.
•  Nice:  The kiss of death with the coffin sealed.
  
  
  
  

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!