As usual, i am not beginning at the beginning. I actually arrived in South Carolina early in  December . My daughter, Elise and I pulled into Irmo, to the South Carolina, Columbia Mission Office late in the afternoon of December 14th, where I checked in with the office Sisters. They were as sweet and kind and welcoming as they could be. They gave me my key, offered refreshment, And then we were on our way. anxious to meet my new companion, and tired from almost 4 days of driving. Elise was a great driving companion. She took more that her share of the driving time, and was an awesome conversationalist to stay awake with. she was amazing in every way. She put up with my slow moving, my forgetfulness, and my crankiness when I get tired. Oh yes, and she is fun! We were pushing on to get here quickly as we could. But we did have fun. Just talking and laughing and remembering stuff was fun, but so was the taco munching carriage ride through the River Walk in San Antonio, and the lunch in the French Quarter in New Orleans. Even the detour was interesting, and the swamp that lasted for miles, and miles, and miles.

Back to meeting my companion. I'm not sure what I was expecting. I was hoping that she would not be so young that I would annoy her because of my age. I was hoping that she would not be too intellegent that I would annoy her because of my mediocrity. I hoped that she would be moderately attractive, but not so attractive that I would be totally overlooked as we conversed with folks. I never dreamed that she would be 13 years my senior, I felt I was probably at the top of the age limit. She is very lovely and intelligent. She is German born with a charming accent. She loves opera, She reminds me a bit of my Grandmother, but then the only"date" that I have had as a widow reminded me of my Grandfather. Soon after our" evening out" he married a woman 20 years younger than me.
Sis. Davidson is lovely.  She has an amazing testimony.  She does not like my choices in music, but we survive and enjoy each others company.
     I was a bit shocked at the assignments we have been given. I had assumed we would be going from place to place helping different wards with suggestions for leadership as they might have discovered difficulties in implementing church policy in their wards. Not at all! These folks are right up to par in everything. Their leadership is Spirit filled and lacks no skill nor knowledge. What they lack are warm bodies to call on folks in need. There are so many here that need financial, spiritual, emotional, mental, legal and physical help. And a ride to Church. I just pray that we are knowledgeble enough, strong enough, spiritual enough to bring some help and relief. Our Relief Society President is amazing, as they most always are!  She is on Top of every thing. Plus she's just really nice and down to earth.. No pretense, no nonsense get things done! with sweetness and a smile!!
     I was very glad for our visits today. First we went to a sister who is in a nursing facility to be cared for following some strokes . We saw her a couple of weeks ago. She was curled up against the side of her bed, with her face partially buried unto the side bars.  She listened but didn't speak as we expressed the Savior's love for her,and asked if we could pray for her?  She nodded in the affirmative.
We prayed and she smiled a big smile for us, then reached out to hold our hands. It was all sweetness as we left. So today as we arrived we found her much as the previous time, with the added aroama of old urine.When I spoke to her she said she had used the bathroom. So I went and found a nurse and asked if she could come to give her aid. She followed in a minute or two, and we stepped outside to give her privacy. A few minutes later the nurse and aid brought her out in a wheel chair, all dressed in a fresh gown looking as if she'd had a shower,  plus wearing glasses. I hardly recognized her. They wheeled her to a dining area, where she joined two other ladies. We talked with all three of them, We introduced ourselves. They introduced themselves. They were alert and well spoken. A fourth lady joined us with attitude. Wanted to know why we were here. And if we were trying to help, why we weren't here everyday? She had been there for three years!She was there to protect her friend. Sister Davis interjected that we were here teaching about Jesus. She asked, "Why you tryin' to teach her about Jesus? She don't understand "nuttin.'" At which time Carolny became upset and tried to say that she did understand. Her other two friends echoed her defense, but the newcomer continued to berate us for not being there everyday and for try to sell Carolyn something. She was patting Carolyn's arm and saying that she could "understand nothin'", but Carolyn got more agitated and was knocking away her hand and saying this lady didn't know about who Jesus was. We intervened with calming words of friendship and loving one another and they did calm down, but interloping friend walked away, still muttering to stop trying to sell Carolyn something. I followed her and explained that we were selling nothing. only trying to bring an uplifting message and she stopped muttering and went back to the table.We said our goodbyes to Carolyn and her friends and told them we would be back in a few days,
marveling at all the gumption shown by Carolyn, and her protecting friend.
I have several other eye opening and interesting stories of other single ladies here in Columbia, but since I didn't start at the beginning I think I'll add them in sparingly in future posts.For now just know that Just loves you and I and every other one of his creations, regardless of how much of his gospel we understand.

Well, yes, it has been a while. And true, much has happened. But I am still here, the same NanaB, now widow of Bob. grandmother of Kristin, Lisa, Michael, Sean, Stacy, Brianne, Brigitte, Lauren, Emma, Levi, Kas, Antionette, Ana Zophia, Boston, Mason, Sidney, Tabitha, Ian, Brecken, Karsten, Cullen, Eliza, Arianna, Hannah, Catcher, Whitman, Olive, Bennett, Amelia, Callahan.  I am great grandmother of Cerenity, Rhea, Alex, Carter, Jackson, Danian, and soon to be little girl Bogle, of Brigitte, and Rogier  Bogle Van Geel. My focus has changed from being a wife and mom to being a person searching for identity. I love being the mom of adult children. I am amazed at the accomplishments of my children in their successes.  I am saddened when my children suffer hardship and failure, but having faith in God, and having been through many trying circumstances, I know that these things shall be but fleeting. I love my role of grandmother, am a bit bewildered by my role as great-grandmother. The grandparents of the great grand babies on our side of those families both died young, leaving a gap , that I sometimes fill, but not completely. I guess my new name, NanaB, helps ease that transition. Still my own identity seems to flutter somewhere just out of my reach. I know that I am a child of my Heavenly Father. As such I enjoy serving in callings in my Ward. I also love serving in the Gilbert Arizona Temple, where I stretch my learning capacity, try to improve my abilities to be helpful and kind and strive to become as close to my Heavenly Father as I can here on earth.   Oops, sorry for the interruption, I apparently love flooding my back courtyard and my dirt and gravel back driveway. At least it seem so to my older brother, Steve, who lives with me and uses that area to indulge his smoking habit. Yes, sometimes I am still the farmer's wife, gardening, raising chickens, rounding up cattle, and cooking everything from fresh ingredients. I suppose that would be enough activity to fill my days if I had a bank account to support those indulgences without concern. Well I don't quite have the funds to maintain this lifestyle indefinately. I'd like to supplement my retirement with some endeavor of my own.

A Dress for Baby Olive

On May 12, 2012 a precious little girl was born into the Reuben and Megan Craghead family.  I claim her mother,  Megan, as my baby daughter,  so I just naturally claim Olive Reu as part of my family. Yes,  I realize that I am just a grandmother,  and have no first rights claim on this dear child,  any more than I do on the other 25 adorable,  wonderful adults,  children and babies that I call Grandchildren.  I do however, have one privledge, when granted by  the mommies and daddies of these divine creatures, and that is to make blessing attire for them. I always consult with the moms as to the design, fabric, color etc. of these tiny outfits.  Since Olive"s Blessing is fast approaching, I am in the middle of sewing a special dress for this little darlin'. Megan has chosen "MOM"
as her career. She is good at it. She studies the latest research on health and nutrition for wee ones. She delves into theories of discipline and training. She is up on the latest in educational theory, and she has strong opinion on style.I am proud of her and admire her tenacity and dedication to her job It is amazing, however,  that a mother and daughter who care deeply for one another and agree on so many things, even things pertaining to style, can have such different opinions on the tiny detail stuff like ruffles and bows. I like them both in large quantities. Megan doesn't really love either. I have known this since she was two, when she started dressing herself in her brother's hand-me-down cut-off jeans and T shirts,  rejecting the adorable pink or lavender ruffled and bow covered togs that I and her older sisters chose for her.  So I should not have been surprised that she rejected the gorgeous lace embroidered with bows, or the lace edged ruffle that I attempted to use on the hem of Olive's dress. Ok,  I was not surprised,  but thought I could get by with using them anyway. Megan was  as kind as a kitten as she explained that no. she didn't love the "bow lace", and well the ruffle was just too much. She didn't want me to have to go to the trouble of picking out the stitches from the netting
the dress was made of, or go to the expense of ordering additional lace. "After all in fifty years I'll just be grateful that Olive had a lovely dress made by her grandmother". But, she didn't love those hem treatments, and I want her to love the dress I am making for her daughter.  I love Megan and little Olive, and I respect my daughter as Mom. My hope is that Olive Reu's dress will wrap her in the garb of affection I feel for them both.

Just saw that my daughter, Merilee, commented on my last post, and it gave me the umph I needed to post again.. Alot has happened . Little things, like 12 hens just wasn't quite exciting enough, even though they have been laying eggs like crazy! They average 10 a day. Last Friday I went with Megan, Reuben and their boys to a feed store where we bought 10 baby chicks. They are Dixie Rainbow chicks. They are doing very well in their cage inside the coup. The hens are curious about them, but are getting used to all their hopping around. Ty and Shanda's dear little Amelia was blessed a few weeks ago. She looked adorable in her sweet little dress. And I must confess, her dress was adorable, even if I did make it! Now I am on to making a pink spring dress for the precious little Eliza Jane, Tom and Natalie's youngest and only girl. She is a blossoming 1 year old, brimming with new skills daily. I must finish her dress very soon, and then start on a blessing outfit for little Olive. Olive is our next precious little one to soon make an entrance into earth life. I am so anxious to see this little cutie, but not half so anxious as her Mom and Dad.
And lastly, two dear and lovely ladies hve passed, I am sure into Heaven, Audry Ryan, and Judy Hearn. Both of these women gave generously to their communities as well as to their families. " Thank you" just isn't enough to express the positive impact that either of these ladies
had on my life. God bless and speed you to life eternal.

Ups and Downs

Hi friends, this is Betty. It has been one of those up and down days. It was up when I drove to get Omega 3 feed for my 12 chickens. I got a few other things for them as well, like oyster shell calcium and grit to clean their gullets. Ha Ha, that strikes me funny! But kind of down tonight when I could not remember how long ago Bob Had his stroke. Was it three years ago or Four years ago? Lets see. I think Monique's family moved here in the summer of , oh goodness , I think a year and a half ago, so it was 2010? My brain just could not wrap around the fact that Bob has been in this hospital bed for almost 4 years. But yes, Tom and Natalie lived here for two years after Bob's stroke, and then Mo and David came. The day was up again when I taped a few stones to be soldered into my project. Playing the piano was nice, but I struggle to play well enough for our Ward choir. We have extremely patient choir leaders! I loved taking Whit out to see the cows with Jacob, our choir director, Hiedi Whipples' adorable little boy. Sometimes my mind seems whirley, and I just want it to be clear. Sometimes I am just fine. Love you all.

This is "the first day of the rest of my life". The picture you see is the first step of a joint project my son, Chris, and I are undertaking. Chris, this is the sort of typical, frilly, feminine type of smocking that I normally do. I am not sure that this is what you want, but I need to give you a starting point. So, you can tell me"this is good, just what I want" or "yuk, way too childish and pink!" I did it in pink cause I had this fabric and it was sitting by my machine when I got the glass piece to practice on. I have lots of other ideas, but I needed to start somewhere and get feedback from you. I am so excited to do a project with Chris. I think of him as being amazingly creative, an artist, so it makes me giddy to think that I can do something creative with him, me, the homemaker, the mom, the caregiver. Do I really feel up to this? Well I may not be"up" to it, but I am over the top excited about trying. Thank you for suggesting that we try!

Blessings come in many sizes and shapes. Some are giant size, like our lives, our spouses, our health. Some are tiny like our babies, butterflies, chocolate candy. Some are intangible, like kindness from others, and a spiritual awakening. Some are breathtaking like a rainbow or a mountain meadow. Some are just everyday things like having a clean house or enjoying a hobby. One is a special day in the life of a wee one, just come from Heaven to sojourn on earth. In my church we introduce these new little ones with a formal"Blessing" pronounced most often by Dad in front of the Congregation. A name is given as well as a blessing pronounced under the guidance of the Holy Ghost. The tiny little cherub receiving this blessing is not required to wear anything in particular, but it is often family tradition for baby to wear a white dress or romper to represent the purity of these little ones in the eyes of God. When my youngest daughter was four years old, I learned a sewing technique called smocking. Aw come on, you remember, all those cute little Polly Flinders dresses, so cute, and so expensive! Anyway smocking led to Heirloom Sewing which led to Christening gowns and rompers. Which leads to another blessing for me. I have lots of hours to fill as I stay with my husband who is pretty much bed bound with a severe stroke. When my fingers get itchie for something to do, I pick up my smocking and work on a dress or other smocking project. I also had the chance to help my oldest daughter make a Christening gown for her firstborn. Yes, blessings come in all sizes, I think maybe the ones I like best come in size Newborn. Thank you.