Tuesday, June 10, 2008

On the Newsstands June 9, 2008

Art: "Art and Beauty with Spiritual Eyes" by Gaynell Parker

I was gazing out at my back yard which is decked out in green to celebrate the onset of summer, when it occurred to me -- A lot of what we view as art is sometimes a spiritual thing.

We've all heard the phrase that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I think it goes even deeper than that. How many times have you been listening to a classical, instrumental or vocal piece of music and been moved to tears?

It's not a visual thing. It's not something that has to be held in your hands. It's in the spirit. -- Read More

Books: "Jaroldeen Ssplund Edwards" by Alison Palmer

Have you ever heard of the Daffodil Principle? I’d almost be surprised if you hadn’t. Just for fun I did a quick internet search for just those words and came up with 165,000 results. The Daffodil Principle is a way of looking at our lives and goals. It helps us see what we can accomplish with just two hands and two feet. It helps us see the beauty of what we do accomplish every day. I love daffodils and I love the principle behind this message.

I was first introduced to the Daffodil Principle in its smaller form as a sweet chapter in Sister Edward’s book Celebration! As a young mother, it was one of the few resources I read that actually made me feel good about where I was on my journey of life and my ability to do just exactly what the Lord needed me to do. I picked it up at the bookstore in a moment of discouragement thinking, “If a woman with 12 children can find ways to celebrate every day, I want to know her secret.” -- Read More

Clothing: "Is Modesty a Thing of the Past" by Candace E. Salima

We live in a world where modesty seems to be a thing of the past. I look around, even in bastians of Christian communities where it would seem the standards are higher, and still, the skirts grow shorter, the shirts skimpier and the daughters of God look more and more like the women of the world, even, one might say, ancient Babylon. And yet, it grows more difficult to find clothing one considers modest, yet attractive.

With the latest brouhaha over Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photo shoot it has brought a few points home to me. -- Read More

Home and Family: "Brothers Fight Back to Back" by Muriel Sluyter

A mother of my acquaintance, in an attempt to keep her twin sons from fighting, told them that brothers only fight back to back. The boys tried mightily to follow her instructions. Soon, in a state of extreme frustration, they returned. Turning their backs to each other, they demonstrated the impossibility of landing a blow no matter how they tried, and, oh, how they tried!

Even though we all had a good chuckle, the principle remains intact. Brothers should never fight, except back to back. To whom does this apply? Obviously, it applies to siblings and, yes, their parents as well. All homes would benefit from parents who never fight with, but only for, each other even though that principle (a correct one) has little credibility these days. -- Read More

Jewelry: "Historical Treasures" by Nichole Giles

Last weekend we finally took our kids to see “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.” Only our oldest son had seen even a portion of any of the previous three, and so none of the kids had any expectations for the outcome of this one. Gary and I were not so fortunate. Sadly, I found myself disappointed.

However, as in all of the great Indiana Jones stories, there were a handful of scenes in which the main characters come across a horde of treasure. Now, part of the reason people love Indiana Jones so much is because of the way he reacts when he sees the treasures. He doesn’t look at the piles of gold and jewels as his chance to be rich. On this point, I wasn’t disappointed. When Indy entered the treasure filled cavern, he walked around in wonder, recognizing the pottery, sculptures, artwork, and jewelry as an archeologists dream come true. -- Read More

LDS Department Store/Gardening & Landscaping: "Planning Your Landscape" by Heather Justesen

I mentioned last week that I've had the opportunity to landscape two yards from the beginning—actually, we didn't finish the first yard before we moved, but I had my plans.

Whether you're starting a new yard from dirt and rocks (or rocks, rocks, more rocks, and a little dirt in the cracks as my current yard is made of), or you want to make some changes to only a small section of your property, it's important to start with an all-over plan. -- Read More

LDS Department Store/Preparedness: "Some Bewareness Needed for Evacuation Kits" by Barbara Salsbury

With so much going on in the world that affects the level of panic we have toward whether or not we are prepared, I thought it time to give you a few hints about 72-hour kits.

First, most likely, the title or name that has been accepted as “The Name” for these kits is incorrect or at least a misnomer. As you consider putting together a “72-hour Kit” you must recognize that the kit most likely will need to contain supplies and foods for a situation that can extend much longer than three days. -- Read More

LDS Outlets/Dutch Oven: "Easy Cobbler or Faking Your Way Into Fame" by Keith Fisher

Last time, we talked about having fun while you cook for large groups. One of the ways it can be more fun is to make it easy on yourself. There are many shortcuts and cheats you can use, and I’m going to tell you one.

How many of you have been to an event where somebody makes Dutch oven cobbler and it’s delicious? Have you noticed how many people rave over it and don’t care how it’s made? Did you also know that most of those cobblers are really what we should call dump cake? -- Read More

LDS Outlets/Humor: "Finding New Canyon Lake" by C.L. Beck

In the 23 years we’ve lived in Utah, we’ve never found the local fishing hole named New Canyon Lake. The last time we tried, we had a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and we still ended up light years away.

The time before that was even more interesting. It went something like this:

“Did you bring the map?” I asked my husband, Russ. -- Read More

Missionary: "Ideas to Assist Missionaries" by Rebecca Talley

When Elder and Sister Vaughan J. Featherstone were serving a mission in Texas, Sister Featherstone was feeling frustrated that she couldn’t find any time for herself. She was so busy with her mission duties, she couldn’t find any time to devote to herself. She prayed about it, and the answer came that this was not her time, it was the Lord’s time. She then realized that she needed to focus completely on her mission and not worry about herself. (Ensign, Nov. 1978, pg. 26). -- Read More

New Neighbors: "Scotland Forever. . ." by Cheri Crane

Ah yes, it is time to discuss a bit of culture. Since my Scottish roots go extremely deep, I decided to begin with some fun tidbits about my heritage. At an early age I was told by my mother that we had Scottish ancestors. Her grandmother, Agnes Colston, was a native of Scotland. Agnes and her mother were intrigued by the LDS Church, an interest not shared by Agnes' father. My second-great grandmother possessed a feisty, independent nature, and when her husband forbad her to have anything to do with the LDS Church, she sent their daughter (Agnes) with the Mormon missionaries who were on their way back to the United States. This did not set well with my second great-grandfather. =) Soon both mother and daughter were on their way to the States. They eventually linked up with the Church and journeyed West. Thanks to their courage we have a strong link to a wonderful legacy. -- Read More

Scrapbooking: "Summertime Fun" by Kim Thompson

Are your kids out of school and looking for something fun to do? There are tons of amazing kids scrapbooking and craft activities you can sign up for at local craft stores. I checked out three stores in the Utah area to see what they offered to help keep your kids busy this summer. Look what I found: -- Read More

Service: "Small Random Acts of Kindness" by Liz Adair

My guest blogger today is Dr. Ron Shook, Associate Professor of English at Utah State University. He's also my brother. When I told him I was yourLDSneighborhood's blogger on service, he began telling me his theory of the Good Samaritan. "Don't tell me," I interrupted. "Blog it." So he did.

This is his blog: One evening I’m standing in the regular line at the grocery story with one item. I think I had a loaf of bread. It was a Saturday, which meant that all the families in the area were loading up for the weekend; -- Read More

Sports & Recreation/Movies: "Movies, Scriptures and Prophecy" by Linda Scanlan

This past week I underwent an emergency surgical procedure, which has left me with a little more time on my hands than usual; hence more research has occurred. This blog is a result of that research and thought process.

Have all of you seen "I am Legend" with Will Smith? A Sci Fi adventure film about New York City being annihilated and left with only mutated beings in control. Then there is Will Smith struggling to survive by day, and locked in tight at night. -- Read More

Sports & Recreation: "Sports, Sports and More Sports" by Candace E. Salima

I live in a house with a husband, nephew and a "missionary son*." I'm surrounded by men, no question and it's a unique experience. You can probably guess where I'm headed with this. Two of the three men in my home love sports. Especially the Lakers. Me, I'm a Jazz fan. But unlike BYU football, I never miss a game, I've had to listen to these Lakers fans hoot and holler because their team is taking it all the way to the top. Which is completely besides the point, because I do actually have one.

I'm a wife. That's my calling. I'm a writer. That's my profession. I'm a homemaker . . . that's my curse. (I really hate to clean. Hate it! Hate it! Hate it!) -- Read More



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