Helena's Viewing

Welcome to Illinois!

My mother with Helena.  Helena was beautifully dressed, but you could tell in her face that the last few months were tough.

The picture/newspaper clipping boards at Helena's viewing and funeral were lovingly put together by Sharon and brought back some good memories!

Late at night, I did go for a walk.  Details at:  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/128.html

Denver to Des Moines

The rest area near the Colorado - Nebraska border has this tribute to the Pony Express

The same rest area serves eastbound and westbound traffic on I-76.  We're leaving Colorado here, this sign is welcoming incoming visitors.

Welcome to Nebraska :)


Info on today's walk:  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/127.html

Starting the Trip to Helena's Funeral - La Verkin to Denver

Miles of unique scenery on Interstate 70 in eastern Utah

Never seen a "welcome to a state" sign quite like Colorado's

Info on today's walk ... including a picture of a classic Furr's store and a sixty year old video clip :  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/126.html

It Wasn't The Big Bad Wolf Huffing And Puffing This Morning

If you heard a lot of huffing and puffing this morning, it wasn't the big bad wolf trying to get the three little pigs.  To find out what it was, including pictures and a map, click   here:  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/125.html

"If Atheism Is A Religion, Then NOT Collecting Stamps Is A Hobby" (What Think Ye?)

I was reading Bishop Burton's April conference talk, generally talking about the Church welfare program on its 75th anniversary, and came across this paragraph,

"One of the distinguishing characteristics of this inspired gospel-centered endeavor is its emphasis on personal responsibility and self-reliance. President Marion G. Romney explained: “Many programs have been set up by well-meaning individuals to aid those who are in need. However, many of these programs are designed with the shortsighted objective of ‘helping people,’ as opposed to ‘helping people help themselves.’”

I thought this was worth sharing, so I put it out on Twitter.  Since Twitter is basically a collection of text messages (you have to condense your thoughts to 140 characters), this is how I shared the thought ...

Seriously consider: Is it enough to help people or is it important to help people help themselves?

I believe this is an important thing to consider and discuss.  But you never know what will cause a dialogue and what won't.  To my knowledge, this passed without anyone commenting on it further.  However, while I was there I saw this other comment from Seth Adam Smith:   "If atheism is a religion, then NOT collecting stamps is a hobby." 

That got my juices going.  Some of you have probably heard me express my feeling that atheistic activists are actively trying to force their beliefs on the rest of us by systematically denying us the opportunity to express our beliefs in God under the premise of separating church and state.  Whatever happened to freedom of speech?  In effect they are trying to make atheism the state religion, or at least protecting the expression of non-belief while denying the right to express belief.

After considering a non-offensive response that met the 140 character criteria, I put out the following comment:  "Atheism is a belief set, collecting stamps is not."  

Apparently my thought was a bit much for Chris Morse, who added this to the conversation, "No, it isn't a belief set. It's a single position that can be included in a number of different belief sets."

 

Not wanting to get diverted to a discussion of whether atheism is a belief set or a single position, I replied "Perhaps you would have preferred: Atheism is a belief, collecting stamps is not."

 

At that point the conversation died ...

 

What think ye?

 

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I tried to find a walk with a little more climbing to get me ready for tomorrow, and found this category 5 gem:  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/124.html.

 

(In the world of Humana Fit, there are categories 1 to 4 and HC that are meant to be the equivalent of the categories used in Le Tour De France.  Then they add a category 5 at the bottom.  Most of my walks have too little climb to have any categorization at all, so this was a pleasant surprise.)

A Date With My Sweet at Oscar's!

Willyne had the "Bill Burger" hold the onion with bacon.  I had the corned beef sandwich on rye.  Both of us were very happy with the meal and the conversation (but I couldn't convince her to get in the picture with me :)

The triple brownie dessert we shared was very nice too!  Thad, you did a great job!

The Stackhouses were at the next table, they asked me in jest to drive their car home so they could walk back (18 miles) and work off the same dessert they shared.  I didn't walk nearly enough for that, but here's what I did do:  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/123.html

Helena Danielsen Belnap (12 Oct 1908 - 8 Jun 2011)

I'd like to take a moment to reflect with you on the life of my grand aunt (my maternal grandmother's sister)Helena Danielsen Belnap, who died peacefully in her sleep at her home in DeKalb, Illinois early this morning at age 102.  Just saying that tells you something of her blessed life well lived.

She really was healthy and still able to travel to see family until the past couple months. I don't know how many 102 year olds they regularly see on Chicago to Salt Lake flights, but she would do it at least once or twice a year right to the end. For that matter, she was an ordinance worker in the Chicago temple (70 miles from her home) until a knee injury at age 95 finally forced her to stop making the icy trip regularly in the winter months.

You've probably heard me say that much before. But when my second cousin Hank Peterson reminded me today of what Helena and her husband Ralph meant to the establishment of the church in the Chicago exurbs 50-60 years ago, and how many of the people who were touched as a result will be at her funeral, it is worth some reflection. They served as missionaries, as district president, and other similar callings for many years. Most of the wards in the counties west of Chicago have their roots in mission branches they worked to organize all those years ago, and many people there still love and remember Helena and Ralph for what they did.
Hank's brother Mark, and Mark's wife Sharon have lived with Helena the past 4-5 years and helped care for her. Mark is meeting with their bishop today to work out funeral details, which are expected to be in her ward building, possibly as soon as this Saturday. She will be buried next to her husband in a Council Bluffs, Iowa cemetery and near her parents and siblings. She was the youngest child in her family and the last of her generation to pass. (In fact, most of the next generation, my mother's, has also passed).

Her viewing will be Wednesday, June 15 in a mortuary (sorry, I don't know which one yet), her funeral will be Thursday, June 16 in her local ward chapel, and the dedication of her grave in Iowa will be Saturday, June 18.

I will tell you more as I learn it.

I did a short walk with Terreeeblay ... http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/122.html

I liked this quote in the Sunday morning April 2011 general conference talk by President Uchtdorf that I read today,

"By becoming the answer to someone's prayer, we often find the answer to our own."

Breakfast With My Great Niece Hannah

I think she liked the fruit loops better than the marshmallow mateys.  I couldn't talk her into a banana, they were a little too ripe, but Jared and I both enjoyed one.  Hope you had a good trip with your family to Grandmas after our breakfast together!

By comparison lunch was very quiet.  But I did have the June Ensign magazine to keep me company, and that was very nice too.

I did the same walk as yesterday, but I was feeling a little better and somehow that meant I did it three minutes faster.  Who said tortoises couldn't have a spring to their step?  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/121.html

Jared, Amie, and Crew Come to Visit!

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We had a wonderful time!  Thanks for coming, Jared, Amie, Sam, Hannah, Lillie, and Danielle!  We had fun playing with toys, eating pizza and root beer floats, and talking together.  And Jared is WAY better than I am at killer sudoku :)

After we got everyone in bed, I headed out for a walk ...

http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/120.html

Arnold Approved?

You never know what you'll see on one of my walks ...

From front to rear:  SPACE TROOPER serving the universe .
.. alien driver licenses mobile unit (Arnold approved)
Emergency Only (with the nuclear radiation symbol)
Crop Circle Designers (after hours only)

Why would you want to buy your jerky anywhere else???

If you'd like to see more pictures or you share my love of numbers, it's all there at http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/119.html

My thought for today is:

"Being happily..married is..not so much a matter of marrying the right person as it is being the right person." - President Howard W. Hunter

Say that five times and see if it doesn't get you thinking!

2 Jun 11

I was careful with my back all day.  It was sore.  The last thing I did tonight was stretch it out with a walk on a sidewalk, not a moving walkway.  It helped ... http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/117.html

Other than that, it was a typical busy workday, check a dozen or so items off the list.  Yea! 

What If They Held A War (OK, a Public Hearing on Spending $1,500,000) and Nobody Came ...

A short walk on a flat surface.  Not feeling so good tonight, but I am the tortoise we will persist and do what we can ...  http://terreeeblay.blogspot.com/2011/06/116.html

City Council met tonight.  We had a first, at least in the seven years I have been there.  We had the final public hearing for the budget for the 2011-12 year that begins July 1.  No one from the public came, it was opened and closed without comment.  It is the best budget we can do with the resources we have - just under $1.5 million for a town of 4300 people (2009 Census estimate is the latest available) or under $350 per person per year.  Compare that to what it takes to run your town.  We are very efficient here.

I actually think that's why nobody came.  If we were raising taxes or doing something controversial, the room would be full.  I've seen that too ...

Still, I'm on record in several meetings earlier in the year as we prepared for this ... I did actually want to raise the property tax an average of $60 per family so we would be better funded for maintenance.  Nothing huge, it would have increased our budget 5% overall, but directed to maintenance it would have made a much larger difference.

I am concerned we have trimmed so well we took off a little of the bone with the fat.  Put it this way.  You can postpone your oil changes in your car for a time and not notice much of a difference.  Eventually if you keep trying to stretch each oil change too far, you will pay more in the end for engine repairs.

It became evident a few weeks ago that those who said this isn't the time for that had the majority, so I began working for where we would direct what money we do have ...

Doug Jr., that was for you -- you like these updates.  Benjamin, I imagine I have shocked you again, I know you are opposed to all tax increases for any reason.  I've given my reasons and I respect yours :)

Until tomorrow ... I am the passionately smiling tortoise!  Happy birthday, cousin Margo!