Tuesday, July 1, 2008

On the Newsstands June 30, 2008

Art: "The Beauty Inside" by Gaynell Parker


In the world of an artist, things are not what most people would see.

Every moment I'm outside in my yard taking in the greens, the trees, the bushes, I'm captivated by all I see. The sound of birds constantly chirping, the breeze rustling through the pine and willow trees; it causes my soul to take a deep breath and for a moment I'm glad to be alive.

When life's stresses fill your world so that things look gray and bleak, it's a time for reflection and gathering of the beauty around you. I've had a kind of bad week, so I've been on an emotional roller coaster. Today I sat with my son and we ate Popsicles together in the back yard, rocking gently on our big porch swing. -- Read More

Books: "Can’t Wait to GBlogger: yourLDSNeighborhood Newsstand - Create Postet to Heaven by Fannie Flag" by Alison Palmer


I’m taking a break from LDS titles today to share a rare gem I found. I hardly ever pick up titles off of the adult fiction section of the library, I blush far too easily. So that’s why this book really surprised and pleased me. Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven, written by Fannie Flagg of Fried Green Tomatoes fame is just a fun, feel good story. The title caught my eye and I didn’t realize that it was actually part of a series until I went to look up its information for this blog. I never suspected or felt cheated while reading Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven because I hadn’t read the other volumes. I just got caught up in the story and let it sweep me away. Now that I know I can re-visit the characters in other volumes they’ve definitely been added to my “to-read” list. -- Read More

Home & Family: "Life is Never Fair" by Muriel Sluyter


This earth life will never mete out much fairness, so things work out better if we just stop whining and go to work. Each of us will get a raw deal from time to time, as does every other person on this planet. Whiners not only make themselves miserable, but everyone who has to live around them.

Heavenly Father has put us on a fallen planet. He would not have done that to us, unless He knew it would be good for us. When we whimper and whine, complain and bellyache, we are telling Him that He just does not measure up to our idea of a loving father. We want smooth sailing, and He has given us storms and wild tempests. -- Read More

Jewelry: "Renaissance Romance" by Nichole Giles


Since the Byzantine style of jewelry was basically an imitation of early Roman jewelry, we’re going to skip over that period and area and move onto the Renaissance.

Even the word Renaissance sounds interesting to me. I imagine myself dressing every morning in bustles and corsets and…okay, they sound terribly uncomfortable. Still, the whole idea of the time period—of knights and squires and women in long, full dresses—is romantic to me. It was the time of Shakespeare, and Marlow, and so many other classic works of literature. And the culture was one of extremes. Extreme society, extreme suppression, extreme opinions. -- Read More

LDS Department Store/Gardening & Landscaping: "Trees: The Backbone of Your Yard" by Heather Justesen


Once you have a general landscaping plan in place and know where you want to put trees and garden beds, you still have to pick out specific plants. Trees are the backbone to any landscape. They add interest, provide welcome shade in the heat of summer, can help you keep your house cool if positioned properly, and can add spring and/or fall color.

The evergreen is in a class of it's own, but the options range from ground- hugging shrubs to hundred-foot giants, from haphazard arrangements with branches sticking out every which way, to plants compact enough to make topiaries out of--or at least with the ability to be shaped. The obvious advantage to the evergreen is the fact that it is . . . always green, but don't just run out and buy the first thing you see. I visited several places that sold trees before I found one with one that would be the shape I wanted, with the color and type of needles, and that wouldn't grow so large that I would eventually have to cut it down because of space. As I mentioned, many evergreens grow to be real giants, and though that little tree may look lovely for the next few years, choosing wrong can mean a major hassle later to have it removed.


LDS Department Store/Preparedness: "Where Have You Buried Your Kit" by Barbara Salsbury


Perhaps you, like a lot of other people lately, have had a renewed interest in having or obtaining a 72-hour kit.

First may I remind you that you must keep in mind that that kit may have to provide for you a lot longer than 72-hours.

There is one point about evacuation kits that sometimes gets buried or pushed aside once the kit supplies are gathered together and you think that all is well. Your kit is useless unless you can get to it! Make sure you can get to your kits at all times!

LDS Outlets/Dutch Oven: "Making a Molehill Out of a Dutch Oven" by Keith Fisher


In all the classes, demos, and cook offs I’ve done over the years, one of the questions I always receive is, "How do I clean a Dutch oven?" The question came up again this week, so I decided to answer the question here.

I told the inquirer that cleaning a Dutch oven is quick and easy, but she didn’t agree.

In every Dutch oven event, you will find a group of hard-liners that will tell you never to use soap on a Dutch oven. There are others who invert the cast iron over a campfire and burn out the remains of a meal. I have a friend who listened to all the advice on the subject, shook his head, and tossed his Dutch oven in the dishwasher. I’ve also seen another, more experienced cook use a big tub of soapy water to clean hers. -- Read More

LDS Outlets/Humor: "Moan Day" by C.L. Beck


Monday is misnamed. It should be called Moan-day. Why? Because if anything’s going to go wrong, you can bet it’ll happen on that day.

On this particular Moan-day, it all started with gargantuan weeds in the driveway, near our front sidewalk. I dusted the cobwebs off the old weed-eater, pleaded with it to start and begged it to run long enough to whack everything ... including the grass in the rose bed.

It started. Thirty seconds later, the line disappeared. I spent 45 minutes—with the hot sun beating on my head and sweat dripping down my neck—trying to figure out how to pop the spool out to put in new line. -- Read More

Missionary: "Opportunities for Couples" by Rebecca Talley


"Along with the need for young elders and sisters, there is a growing need for couples in the mission field. Older married couples are doing a wonderful work in the missions. Many more are needed. . . . With an increasing number of people retiring while they are still possessed of health and vitality, there are many who can fill a tremendous need in the work of the Lord." -- President Gordon B. Hinckley

The Church is in need of couple missionaries. While the minimum age for serving a mission as a couple is 40, there is no maximum age as long as both the husband and the wife are in good health and can financially afford a mission. Many couples in their seventies are successfully serving missions. Couples who desire to serve missions may not have any dependent children at home and are not allowed to bring pets. If a couple has the responsibility to care for aging parents, they will need to make arrangements for the care of their parents while they are away. -- Read More

New Neighbors: "The Long and Winding Road" by Cheri Crane


For some reason the Beatles' hit, The Long and Winding Road, keeps going through my head this afternoon. The lyrics are as follows:

The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to your door.

The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day.
Why leave me standing here?
Let me know the way.

-- Read More

Scrapbooking: "Handmade Cards for all Occasions" by Kim Thompson


I think it's sad that because of advanced technology, the handwritten word, has pretty much gone by the wayside. Because of email it is rare to receive a handwritten letter in the mail anymore. You can even send greeting cards by email now.

There is something sentimental about receiving a letter or card that has the personal touch of being handwritten. One of my favorite things to do with my scrapbooking supplies is to make handmade cards. I suppose, because it's something creative I can do without having to take a lot of time.

I've included a few simple instructions and ideas below (along with lots of sample pictures) to get you started creating cards of your own: -- Read More

Services: "Leprosy Bandages" by Liz Adair


I have been a maker of leprosy bandages for many years. I first heard about them decades ago when they were on the list of things you could do for humanitarian service. Knitted or crocheted, leprosy bandages are like a cross between an ace bandage and gauze, about three inches wide and four feet long. They are breathable and let air in, but are sturdy enough to be washed, sterilized, and used again. Also, they have more bulk than gauze and so cushion a stump so the afflicted member can still be used. You can see a leprosy bandage by clicking here. You can also read about a group who deliver them to a leper colony in Viet Nam. The LDS Humanitarian department also still accepts leprosy bandages, although they’re not listed on their web site as things that they need. -- Read More

Sports & Recreation: "Backyard Sports for Kids" by Rachelle Christensen


We’re entering the sweltering season of summer heat now and I wanted to share a few ideas to keep the kids entertained while beating the heat.

It’s summer so kids want to be outside, even if it is 100 degrees. We bought a kiddie pool for our girls last year for about forty dollars and it has a little slide built into it. They love it and I laughed pretty hard when my 2 ½ year old went down the slide for the first time into the chilly water and sucked in her breath. You know that feeling when the cold water gets on your stomach—don’t you?

That little pool has offered hours of great fun. It’s usually just for an hour at a time and we always make sure to slather the kids in sunscreen first. So I’ve already gone over what a great summer sport swimming is, what else is there to do? -- Read More

Sports & Recreation/Movies: "10,000 BC" by Linda Scanlan


In researching comments and facts about this movie, I found several negative comments. It would appear as if the majority of comment posters thought this movie was a waste of money.

10,000 BC is "A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe." Source. Most of the negative comments center around inaccuracies in the plot. Time line seems to be a favorite with the building of the pyramids.

A movie is a movie is a movie. It is usually fictional which means anything goes. Okay, for movie buffs some of the things have to line up, like time lines. A writers interpretation on a fictional film does not always have to be accurate. -- Read More


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