5 May 2021, Wednesday

5 May 2021, Wednesday

Prioritized Daily Tasks

The boys are on their schedule, Ethan at school, and Luke, Owen, and Bordy in zoom class.   I gave Brett another Cold Ezz this morning.  After breakfast, Brett had scripture reading with Rae Lynn and the boys, he went to work.  Rae Lynn went to the gym while the 3 boys were on zoom class at school.  Owen called for me to help him with Weston.  He was on zoom trying to listen to his teacher in class and Weston would not leave him alone.  Weston was trying to turn off his computer so Owen would play with him.  I took Weston and Covy, the dog, and went to the park with Weston screaming.  Later when I got back, I fixed bacon, eggs, toast with guacamole and peeled an orange, blessed the food, and set down at the counter in the kitchen to eat.  Weston climbed up the stool and set on the counter next to my plate and started eating.  He ate about half or more of my breakfast.  

The boys had friends over to play in the pool after school this afternoon.

Sister Jane Haws, who Brother Roger Harmon minister to, sent me an email asking for a blessing.  I called Brother Harmon and explained the situation to him.  I called Sister Haws and told her I was in California and will not be back for a couple of days but Brother Harmon will be by with another brother from the Ward to administer to you.  I will come by when I get back home.

As the day slowed down, Brett took me to get an hour deep tissue massage.  Rae Lynn picked me up at 8 PM and we went to a subdivision park where food court vendors, maybe 25 or so, were set up.  She bought dinner for the family and bought me a Rio Acai Bowl (soft frozen Oasis Brazil Palm tree fruit, with strawberries, bananas, and granola).  When we got home and everyone had finished dinner we had family prayer.  Later I had prayer with Debbie in Shelly, Idaho on the phone.  I had my personal pray and got to bed about 10:30 PM.

I wrote Sister Alexandra "Alex" McAlpin an email today.

Dear Alex,

Thank you for your emails.  I thought I would share a thought or two of things that affected my life as a child.

The average annual income for a family during the Great Depression in the 1930s was $1,368.00.  Though life was difficult, and money was tight, some entertainment options still grew in popularity during the 1930s – particularly the radio.  Many found a way to purchase a radio set, knowing it would provide unlimited free entertainment. The whole family could sit together around the radio at home and enjoy big band music, sporting events, and comedy programs, such as Amos ‘n’ Andy.  The effects were felt not only in the United States but in virtually every country of the world. 

The Dust Bowl compounded the effects of the Great Depression. To counteract these effects, President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced The New Deal, a series of programs, projects, and reforms intended to help Americans get back on their feet. One of the notable projects of the New Deal was the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which provided jobs to the unemployed. My Dad, Olin McAlpin, worked on one of these infrastructure projects.  He said the name the people gave for WPA, was We Piddle Around. The Social Security Act was also introduced in the New Deal.

The 1930s was the decade before I was born (1944) but I remember many of the effects carried over to the 1940s.  We had no TV or video games in our home.  We had little time for playing, most of the day was spent working.  A couple of old adages carried over that I heard from my father, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” and “If it ain't broke, don’t fix it”.  These adages reflect the spirit of the times.  My mother (the children called her Grannybug) transformed flour and feed sacks (made out of cotton) into dresses for my sisters, shirts for me, underwear, dish towels, curtains, and other items for the home. Manufacturers had noticed the trend and were still creating flour and feed sacks with appealing, colorful designs so the sacks could be multi-purposed as attractive clothing fabric.  When I was in the first grade, I wore one of these shirts to school.  I still remember the shirt with the large buttons, the only ones mother had.  The children laughed at me and wanted to know why I was wearing my pajama top to school.

I am so thankful to you Sister Alexandra “Alex” McAlpin for the example you are setting for our family.  You are very special, and we are not where we are in life by accident. It is mostly from the consequences of our choices.  The Lord’s hand has been upon you and all of our family from before we came to this earth.

We love you and you and your companion are in our prayers daily,

Grandpa and Grandma Debbie

Another thought in likening the scriptures unto ourselves, from this week's Come Follow Me lesson in D&C 46. 3, 6-9                                              Instead of saying this is what you are doing wrong – let me impart to you a little wisdom.                                                                                                Then while you are thinking about it, let me put my arm around you and assist you.                                                                                                        If mom and dads and teachers in the world would act like this with their children.  It would be a different world we live in. 

3 Nevertheless ye are commanded never to cast any one out from your public meetings which are held before the world.

6  ……that if there be any that are not of the church, that are earnestly seeking after the kingdom, ye shall not cast them out.

7 But ye are commanded in all things to ask of God, who giveth liberally; and that which the Spirit testifies unto you even so I would that ye should do in all holiness of heart, walking uprightly before me, considering the end of your salvation, doing all things with prayer and thanksgiving, that ye may not be seduced by evil spirits, or doctrines of devils, or the commandments of men; for some are of men, and others of devils.

8 Wherefore, beware lest ye are deceived; and that ye may not be deceived seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;

9 For verily I say unto you, they are given for the benefit of those who love me and keep all my commandments, and him that seeketh so to do; that all may be benefited that seek or that ask of me,……