Many Thoughts

I have to say, I really enjoy listening to my blog music. Those songs are ones that have some affect on me, mostly nostalgic. Certain music elicits very distinct feelings and images in me. Does that happen to you? Do any of my songs affect you in any way? I think it's interesting to know how others experience and perceive and process. If I had a career, learning about those things would be high on my list of career choices. At one time, I even planned on being a brain scientist of some type. First I wanted to be a horse trainer and, later on, I wanted to be a veterinarian. Then a psychologist (somewhat close to my second choice). I've added in writer (including humorous writing), and that was my second major (to psychology) in school. I would also love anthropology. Another one that is really up there is historian, especially interviewing elderly people, relating their memories to the homes where they've lived, and tying their lives to the history of their communities. I love 20th century American social history, especially women's. I get a kick out of collecting old how-to books for women, the ones that emphasize the science of domesticity, or the earlier Victorian how-tos. Old women's magazines, especially The Ladies Home Journal, are rich with great pictures and information about the era they were published in. Old magazines are also a lesson in how fleeting and frivolous were the wants being foisted off on their readers. Some were just fun fads, but some ads and articles told women what was required of them to be worthy, wholesome, stylish, and up-to-date, with an insistence that I would have kicked my heels at. I have never liked being pressured. I remember when hair had to be a certain way, and clothing, makeup, shoes, jewelry, purses, even school bags, were in or they were OUT! There was a real devaluation of anyone who didn't toe the line, bordering on hatred. Isn't that crazy? The strength of the feeling indicates a deep-seated fear (to me, the great psych. major). We were more isolated culturally back then, and that may have been part of that. It's all interesting, isn't it? I found out that our neighbor and hometeacher, Mr. Ray Coles, was in Patton's Third Army during WWII. His wife says he never talks about the war, but he does to me. He said Paton told them that with a traincar-full of their dogtags and a boatload full of their blood, and his guts, they'd "win this war!" He was in the war in France, and later Germany, but not into Berlin until the war in Europe was over. They wanted the Russians to have that honor, courtesy of Stalin. Anyway, Bro. Coles spent three weeks in the hospital after freezing his feet in the mountains of France. That winter was inordinately cold. They skipped the Battle of the Bulge because the 101st Airborne division came in to help up by Bastogne. Bro. Coles also told me something amazing: he was the head of the motor pool later on, and one day he was driving a colonel somewhere and they passed Patton's car that was stopped. Patton was lying on the ground and around twelve personnel were there around him. He's just been in the accident that paralysed him from the neck down. Twelve days later, he died of a lung embolism. (You can read about this in Patton's Last Days.) Bro. Coles was told by his commander to drive on, so they didn't stop. Can you believe that he saw such an historic event? I even read conspiracy theorists' claims that the accident was staged on the base. Bro. Coles' testimony says otherwise. I want to ask him more, and he's offered to talk to me. I want to document his war experiences, to the extent that he's comfortable. He said that there are many things you don't talk about, that give you nightmares. I can imagine, and I don't want to press him about those, although he says he's pretty much gotten over the nightmares. When he even mentions those things, his demeanor changes and a heaviness descends on the room. Phillip says the same thing about his war experiences. That's typical for those who live through such times and events...they just don't want to remember. I don't blame them. On a lighter note, I think we should be taking down, documenting, and recording what our elders can tell us about other times and places. They are living history! That is so exciting to me. It goes along with doing family histories and geneology, too. Speaking of geneology, I found some names that I don't think we had, back on my mother's Farnsworth line. I'm so excited, and want to pursue getting those names to the temple, if not already done (have to find out). Finding them is such a thrill! Enos C. Farnsworth is Enos Charles Farnsworth, and there's a Morgan/Farnsworth cemetary in Woodstock, Vt.! (I thought maybe that was the Woodstock of Woodstock Festival fame, but that was probably in New York.) Finding that out, I have his father and grandfather's name as well. Wow!!! Mark and I have been watching It Came From Outer Space, from Netflix, but we have to take breaks from it, 'cause it's kind of dry. The movie has cool music and sound effects, at least. : ) I love old movies, even when they are flawed. There are so many oldies, but goodies. Leto went by me the other day, just innocently passing on his way. I had Tut and was petting him, and Tut just attacked Leto! He was afraid I'd pet Leto, too. That was so funny! And Leto got out of the way without any injury, except to his World Order. Poor Leto! Kattie is off her mission and I can't wait to see her and, also, Megan and Brooks hope to visit this summer, along with Phillip. Wowee! It will be great to see everybody! Mother's Day was wonderful. Ben and Linda were able to bring Josh by, and he was so cute (as you can see in the last post). He was laughing, not crying, in the pictures with Leto. He loves dogs! Megan sent some beautiful handmade towels (I'll get a picture posted as soon as I can get one), Ben and Linda gave me a yellow with pink edging rose - it was half-unfurled and so gorgeous! Haley and Dallin gave me truffles, Mark made me caramel corn - yum! And I understand I have some more coming, but by far the best thing about Mother's Day is thinking about our families.. I love that we take the time to do those things. I thought about my mother's devotion to her children. It was so strong. And her mother showed the same devotion. They were women of great strength who loved being mothers, and they also had great romances with their husbands, which means so much to me. As Mrs. Walter Mathau said, after watching Wuthering Heights over and over again at the theater, I don't want to live if I can't experience a great romance like the one portrayed between Heathcliff and Catherine. My mom loved that movie. I do too. Catherine is fickle, but realizes and returns to the love she has for her childhood companion. Their love also endures beyond death, like the love in Somewhere in Time. Ahhh...so romantic! I know many don't believe that there is just one right person for them, but I think sometimes that is the case. Either way, it's wonderful when a man and a wife are devoted to each other. Which brings me back to mothers. I'm so happy for my grandchildren, because they have wonderful, gentle mothers who fill their lives with truth and love. My grandchildren are blessed. Happy Mother's Day to their mothers, all through the year! I was feeling so sentimental on Mother's Day and the day after. I thought about all of you kids, too. I'll be sooo happy when we can all be together with our friends and families, never to part again. When we feel those yearnings, we must also be missing our Heavenly home and our Heavenly parents. We don't know what it is that's so strong, with such pull, because our memories of before our veiled, but I can imagine how we would miss our parents and our lives with our family there. An eternity of memories, and our experiences here, together give us the capacity to love more fully, and to feel such a deep gratitude. I love you all! xoxoxo