Funerals: Special Times for Tributes, Celebrations of Life, and Healing

My wife and I recently attended a funeral of a good friend of ours, a father of six and only 49 years old. He died from complications of COVID-19. The events leading up to his death were sad. The family posted several times, requesting thoughts and prayers, which we gladly did. Then, early one morning, his wife posted a Facebook message came, informing all that he had passed away. 

Our hearts and minds were deluged with sadness for his family and the tumultuous time they had over the past few weeks, watching the gradual yet tragic decline of their husband and father. On Sunday evening, we went over for a candlelight vigil at their home. Many people attended, saddened and grieving, most with the question why?

We attended the funeral a week later on a beautiful Saturday morning. We thought we had arrived early, but there were so many people already there at the viewing, watching a video of his life, talking, and reminiscing. Funerals are like that. People from their past and present congregate to celebrate the life of the person who has died and give encouragement to the family and friends. 

This man’s funeral ran the gamut of many emotions—happiness, sadness, peace, spirituality, and positivity. Two of the daughters spoke about their father, their best friend, and confidant. We heard from his brother about his early life and his fight for his life at the beginning and growth and even his role as the family jokester and prankster. We learned of this man’s propensity to help people, no matter who they were or what they were doing. We cried, we laughed, we smiled, and we remembered him and the impact he had on all of our lives. 

During the funeral, I remembered my mother’s and father’s funerals and the kind words we received through music, talks, and private conversations. I remembered the poem I wrote when my mother died, and tears welled up in my eyes. At my father’s viewing, one of my childhood friends looked at me and said, “Now, we are both orphans.” Until that moment, I had not realized that true statement, now that both of my parents had passed. We talked about that and the support we had both received from so many people on that day we became orphans and the days and years since. 

Before my mother’s funeral, my little brother decided he would make my mother’s casket from oak. My brother and I helped him, and it took us a few days to construct, sand, and then stain. It was absolutely beautiful, and many people commented about how they would like one just like it. We knew she would have liked it. Constructing the casket took away some of the pain as we sanded away the bumps and other imperfections, making the wood smooth to the touch. That’s what people do at funerals. They are sometimes the sandpaper, giving us hope and smoothing out the sadness. For our family, people were so kind to us, even though we were already grown, and most of us had families of our own. 

I also remembered about two funerals that Noel Raymond and I officiated in Menan, Idaho, many years ago. The funerals were some of the saddest I had ever attended. The first one was for three children who had died instantly in a car crash as their father was rounding a corner and smashed into a cement embankment on late, dark, and chilly October evening. Hundreds of people came to the Church, sat in the pews, and were quiet, except for some crying and sniffling. I could hardly get through the conducting part because I was so sad, so devastated at the loss of my friends. 

The father could not attend because he was fighting for his life in the intensive care unit at the local hospital. The mother of the three sat stunned at the thoughts of the present and afraid for the future. One of her sons, an eight-year-old, still lay in a hospital room, with one of his legs amputated below the knee and the other one in jeopardy. The other two who survived the crash were there, confused, heads down, still wounded about the whole ordeal. 

Not a week later, we were back conducting the father’s funeral. Yet, there was a peace about it because of the overwhelming support of the friends of the family, even people who barely knew them. They had come together to support and to show peace and comfort through words, prayers, pats on the backs, hugs, and just thoughts that hovered in the air like comfort blankets. 

Overall, funerals are tributes to the deceased, celebrations of their lives, and times for healing and comfort for those who remain. Even though our friend had died, I again felt the comfort and reassurance of the plan of happiness that I so adamantly believe in, knowing that he and all the others will live again and become whole. This reassurance lifted me as I listened to the singing of hymns, the talks, the hilarious stories about him and his family, and the positivity from this family who had just lost their father and husband to the devastating COVID, which has taken millions and is not finished with us. 

Truly funerals are not supposed to be completely sad although death is a challenging concept to even understand. It is a time, though, for the family, the community, and friends to come together to remember the good and the positive and to celebrate the life of the person who has died. While sadness and sorrow still hover in the room, the glow from friends and compassion and love help dissipate the sadness and other emotions that course through the crowd. 

Funerals are like one of the daughters said, “Dad is probably laughing right now, saying, ‘Hey, it’s okay. I am fine. You are going to be fine. Besides, what it comes down to is love, true, honest love.”

Makayla Moody, Candidate, Miss Provo Competition

Makayla Moody

Interview with Makayla Moody, Candidate, Miss Provo Competition

Darrel Introduction: One of the highlights in the lives of young people is the competition in athletics, academics, drama, science fairs, and a host of other areas. One of the competitions coming up is the Miss Provo Competition, which is affiliated with the Miss America Organization.

I had the privilege of connecting with one of the candidates, Makayla Moody, from Provo, Utah. She was one of our missionaries who served in the California Riverside Mission.

Darrel: Makayla, I am so excited to talk to you to hear about and share your story. We enjoyed watching you grow and develop on your mission, and now you are extending yourself even more. Congratulations! What an exciting opportunity you have before you! For those who do not know you, please tell them a little about yourself.

Makayla: Thank you! I am currently a student at BYU studying psychology. I grew up Kaysville, Utah. I’m the second oldest of five children. I love listening to music as well as singing and playing the piano. In my free time, I can be found baking or sleeping. I have a major sweet tooth and almost always have some sort of sugar on hand. One day, I hope to own a horse, but first I have to learn how to actually ride it. My main goal in life is to find ways to help and serve others.

Darrel: What is the name of the competition you are a contestant in?

Makayla: The Miss Provo Competition.

Darrel: What is the history of this competition?

Makayla: The Miss Provo competition is part of the Miss America organization. Recently (I believe in 2018) they made a few changes, and now rather than being called a pageant, they call it a competition!

According to the Miss American website (https://www.missamerica.org/ ), “The Miss America Competition has a 100-year history of looking ahead! Miss America was the first competition to offer a talent category and soon after scholarship awards for young women to be able to go to college and further their education….The organization stands for empowering young women across the country to be the best they can be through leadership, talent, communication skills, and smarts.”

Darrel: I love the focus on “empowering young women across the country to be the best they can be through leadership, talent, communication skills, and smarts.” Is there a website where people can learn more about the Miss Utah Competition?

 

Makayla: Definitely! You can also check out the Miss Utah website although it doesn’t have as much information. https://missutah.org/

Darrel: What motivated you to decide to participate in the Miss Provo Competition?

Makayla: Recently, I have been trying to push myself and do things outside my comfort zone. This has been something I’ve thought about trying for the past few years but never actually went through with. After talking to a friend, who is the current Miss Provo, I decided that it could be a really great learning experience for me and a great opportunity to go outside my comfort zone.

Darrel: How does your family feel about you participating?

Makayla: My family is very excited about and supportive of my participation. They encourage me every day. When I initially talked to my mom about participating in the competition, she said, “I think that will be really good for you!” From then on, she has been very encouraging and helpful. I also talk to my mom periodically about my impact initiative and my plans about what I am going to do. I love running my ideas by her to capture her input.

Darrel: What does it take to become a participant? Paperwork? Interviews?

Makayla: There is not really too much to it. Anyone can participate as long as they meet the age and residency requirements. After that, you just need to show up to workshops and prepare for the events.

Darrel: Speaking of the events, what are the various components/events of the Miss Provo Competition?

Makayla: There are four main events in the competition. The first is a private interview with the judges that happens during the day of the competition. They ask questions based on your résumé and social impact initiative as well as current affairs. To start off the evening events, there is a big dance number with all contestants involved. Then, the first event of the evening is the talent portion where each candidate performs a 90-second talent of their choice. The next event is the on-stage question and answer, which, in reality, is a continuation of the interview we had during the day. Plus, during this onstage question period, the contestants discuss their social impact initiative. The final event is the red carpet. This is where you get to dress up and show the judges how well you present yourself.

Darrel: Sound pretty intense. Which of the components do you feel the most comfortable doing? Why

Makayla: I feel most comfortable with the talent portion. I have spent a lot of time practicing and performing over the years, so it is something that I am pretty used to.

Darrel: What about the event you feel least comfortable with? Why?

Makayla: I feel least comfortable with the interview and onstage question. This is an area where I feel very underqualified, and it gives me the most anxiety.

Darrel: How are you preparing for this event?

Makayla: I am preparing by staying up to date on current issues, practicing interviews, and practicing my talent.

Darrel: How much time are you dedicating to the competition and is the preparation a daily routine

Makayla: First of all, I dedicate about 7-8 hours a week. And, yes, preparation is a daily routine. I practice piano daily and work on interview prep every day.

Darrel: How do the Miss Provo Competition organizers help prepare you to participate?

Makayla: They hold weekly workshops that help all the candidates prepare for each of the events. They teach us interview skills, help us refine our resumes and social impact statements, and make sure we are prepared for the event.

Darrel: Please tell us a little about the participants.

Makayla: There are ten of us right now. All of us had to fill out an application. The amazing part of the application process is that anyone who wants to participate can as long as they meet the criteria such as being single, being between 18 years up to 24 years old, and meeting the Provo residency requirement. Some of the candidates have gone to school; others have graduated from college; some are working; and others are still attending school. Overall, it is definitely a commitment, and all ten of these young women are very committed.

Darrel: How are you feeling right now about the Miss Provo Competition?

Makayla: I am feeling kind of nervous and overwhelmed but excited at the same time.

Darrel: What excites you most and the least about the pageant Why?

Makayla: I’m excited to try something that I have always wanted to do. I think it will be a great learning and growing experience and will be something that will bless my life. The least has to be because I’m not excited for the nerves and doubt that I know will come up throughout this process.

Darrel: Makayla, knowing you have lots of talents, which one are you going to use for your talent in this competition?

Makayla: I will be performing Chopin’s Etude in c minor on the piano.

Darrel: What do you hope to gain and/or learn from participating?

Makayla: I hope to gain confidence and new life skills such as interviewing and presenting myself in professional situations. Through this process, I am gaining more confidence. Sometimes I wonder whether I am really qualified to do this. Sometimes I think I need to be a certain way or a certain person. What I have really discovered is that I just need to be myself, and that’s what I am trying to do.

Darrel: What leadership qualities come from participating?

Makayla: One of the leadership skills I am learning is how to present myself in a professional manner. Plus, we all learn how to interact with others and how to share what you believe and support. Another important aspect of participating is learning how to look at a certain political situation and see both sides of it.

Darrel: Everyone talks about winning this or that and that winning is important in everything. What would it mean to you to “win”? This question really gets to the heart of “what is winning” in your eyes.

Makayla: To win the title of Miss Provo would be amazing! It is a wonderful opportunity to serve in the community and promote something that you are passionate about. However, I think that just being able to participate is a big win for me. A win for me would be to take away the new skill sets and friendships associated with the process. My biggest win would be being able to challenge myself and face some of my fears and overcoming them. Being able to look back and be able to say that I did it will be worth more than any crown.

Darrel: One of the events is your social impact initiative. What does that entail for you and why did you decide to choose your topic?

Makayla: The title of my social impact initiative is “Embracing Imperfection.” I would like to focus on helping people escape the “shoulds” and “shouldn’ts” we place on ourselves in order to be seen as perfect within the societal definitions of perfect. I want to help people feel like they can truly be themselves without constantly worrying about keeping up appearances or what others might think. I chose this because it is something that affects many people and something that really resonates with me as someone who struggles with perfectionism.

Darrel: What would you say to all the young women who think they would like to participate in this or other pageants/competitions but feel they “do not have what it takes”?

Makayla: What I would say to all of the young women who may be contemplating participating in something similar or participating in anything new is this: If you want to do it, then go for it! Not all of us will “win” the competition, but I know, like I said before, that when we face our challenges and fears and overcome them, that’s what is the most important to me and should be the most important to anyone who participates.

Darrel: When is this competition scheduled and where?

Makayla: It is scheduled for September 24, 2021, 7:00 p.m. at the Covey Center, which is located in beautiful downtown Provo.

Darrel: Makayla, so many thanks for sharing with us your thoughts and feelings about being one of the candidates in the Miss Provo Competition. We wish you and all the candidates good luck. We know you will do well.

Makayla: Thank you! I am looking forward to it.

“From Sharing Trinkets to Building Homes and Schools: A New Strategic View”

From sharing trinkets to building homes and schools in the Dominican Republic tells an enlightening and miraculous story of Louise ZoBell from Stirling, Alberta, Canada, and her Dominican Starfish Foundation.

The Dominican Starfish Foundation

Louise initiated all this after earning a vacation trip with a network marketing company to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic, with a few other people in 2006. Despite not knowing at first where the Dominican Republic was, Louise fell in love with it. For several years, she returned to Puerta Plata to enjoy the beaches, turquoise water, and the gorgeous sunsets with her family and friends. As she returned, she began seeing the needs of the people living and working there and with family and friends started taking items of clothing, shoes, and hygiene and school supplies to assist those who suffer in poverty.

Louise and Jack ZoBell

After sharing these items with the Dominican people over some years, she realized that this was not enough, especially when she walked out of the resort and across the street and discovered the stark contrast between the four-star resort and the poverty level of those just a couple of hundred yards from the resort. It was then she decided she needed to do more.

Consequently, she and close family and friends created and registered a charity in the Dominican Republic, and the Dominican Starfish Foundation was born, using the starfish and its five arms as its logo. The five arms represent the five humanitarian areas, including shelter/housing, health/well-being, employment, education, and food/clothing. Over time, the Dominican Starfish Foundation’s work has grown significantly, through building homes and schools and supporting and cooperating with other foundations to help the Dominican people.

Since April 2013 when she began her foray into the charity world, the Dominican Starfish Foundation has helped build, renovate, and save 161 homes. According to Louise, “Over the past couple of years, our home-building has really ramped up. Just since August 2020, we have increased from one team of homebuilders to three. This has made an enormous difference to people there who are now improving their skills and providing employment to support their families.” 

Before and after photos

Education is one of the five arms; consequently, the Dominican Starfish Foundation began to support a school for refugee children by partnering with its director, a young Canadian woman from Montreal. Because of this young woman’s work with refugee children in the Dominican Republic, she was awarded the Governor General’s Award, a very prestigious Canadian award for her service.

The five arms of the Dominican Starfish Foundation

In early 2020, Louise and her Board invited this young woman to Canada to attend a fund-raising event for her and her school. The event netted fifty monthly sponsorships for fifty children to attend the school. But for Louise, that was still not enough. She personally made a commitment that one of the Foundation’s focuses in 2020 would be to purchase a new school and property for the refugees because their school was rundown and extremely overcrowded.

School children in their uniforms. Louise is peeking out from among them!

Louise returned to the Dominican Republic and began in earnest to find property for a new school for the 140 refugee children. She was in the Dominican Republic from January 10 to March 12, 2020. Louise hosted ten separate groups at the resort where they stay in Puerta Plata, and every group visited the school. Through these visits, she hoped she could find donors to help with the purchase of property and potentially a building.

On the final visit to the old school, Amarilis, the Foundation’s Dominican director, suddenly stopped just a couple of blocks from the school, saw two of her math students, and asked them if they knew about any property for sale. Surprisingly, they knew of a piece of property with a large building that would be just perfect. Now, the challenge was to find the money to purchase it.

Amarilis and Louise

Amarilis told Louise about the property, and she made a couple of quick calls. Within a short time, she received a comforting call from a Wade Payne who had been with her at the school that morning. He had just talked to Steve and Kay Clegg who had visited the school the week before, and they said they would fund all of it. “Because of one donor,” Louise stated, “we were able to purchase a beautiful property with a building to house the school on March 7, 2020.”

Steve and Kay Clegg at the school

Breathing a sigh of relief, Louise left the Dominican Republic on March 11, and on March 14, everything was shut down in Canada because of COVID, and on March 18 , the Dominican Republic shut down, too. Louise’s response was powerful: “What an amazing miracle!”

Thinking that the world situation would make donations dwindle in 2020-2021 during the pandemic, Louise said, “Surprisingly, the foundations in both Canada and USA more than doubled their donations. In addition to housing projects and more, we raised over $200,000 just to feed the unemployed, starving citizens of the Dominican Republic.”

Food stuffs to be given to the people

In June 2021, Louise felt an urgent need to expand their reach and create greater sustainability. Consequently, the Foundation members and others went through a robust strategic planning process to increase their capacity and ability to serve others through their five arms. According to Louise, the strategic planning session was “miraculous.” This process has helped the members of the Dominican Starfish Foundation in Canada and its two sister foundations, PAL Humanitarian in the United States and Estrella de Mar. Es Amor in the Dominican Republic to meet each other and come together for the same cause and mission.

One of the families helped

She said, “So many wonderful ideas came from our strategic planning session and from the sessions of the various committees that were organized to develop goals and objectives. One of the ideas was to create a home-building club with an initial goal of having $15,000 in monthly donations, which would be enough to build a home monthly without the usual fundraising for every project. So, we created the ‘Home-Building Club’ and have begun receiving donations towards our goal. Plus, we created committees to help us to move forward in other areas.”

The Home Building Club

One of the outcomes that Louise hoped would occur from strategic planning was the emergence of future leaders to guide the Foundation forward. Louise was pleased with this outcome of the planning process: “The committees have already produced future leaders. People have just stood up and taken charge, doing things that they might have never done. Of course, working together as one big team has created comradery, new innovative ideas, and a progressive group with like-minded goals and vision.”

University students who came to teach English

Over the next three to five years, there will be “explosive growth in every aspect of the foundation,” said Louise. “Our home-building program, which is our biggest arm, is expected to grow and increase to include many more teams, thus employing and training additional construction workers. Our biggest growth will be in the area of education and employment as we creatively help train and create jobs. We will be partnering with other organizations to provide much needed education programming in career and technical education. It will change even more lives than it ever has.”

Constructing a home in the Dominican Republic 

Construction workers

The planning process has shown Louise and the Foundation that it has many friends, family, and new contacts  who “have stepped up to help, to plan, and to instigate new ideas for growth! The plan gave us a new view of what we could accomplish. So many people had numerous goals and aspirations for the Foundation, some that opened all of our eyes of what we could accomplish.”

New distribution center 

Louise is one of those inspirational leaders who constantly exudes humility and gratitude for everyone who has helped the Foundation. She states, “I am thankful to be the hands of the Lord in this project. I am thankful my health has allowed me to spend more than full time the past 10 years working in this foundation. I am thankful that I have the drive to continue. I am so thankful for those who have donated. So far, our donors have been mostly friends and family with no large endowments or business supporters. I am so grateful for all of these people who have shared our dream and mission.”

The Louise and Jack ZoBell family--all living in Alberta, Canada

The future for the Dominican Starfish Foundation is bright. Louise sees the Foundation’s future based on its generous supporters continuing to align with its mission to help each individual starfish: “As more get involved with our vision, the little grass-roots foundation we started from our home in Stirling, Alberta, Canada, will make an amazing difference, one family at a time, one community at a time, and more.” 

The new school for the refuge children

We invite all those who possess a passion for helping people who are in great need. Please go to the Dominican Starfish Foundation’s webpage at https://dominicanstarfish.com/ or email Louise at dominicanstarfish@gmail.com.

Making your school year spectacular! 12 principles to help you become more successful in school

It was a bit nippy this morning, a precursor to fall and school beginning. While some schools across the nation have already begun, I suspect many of you are still anxiously anticipating school and what it all means this year—shopping for new school clothes, except those of you who wear uniforms; wondering what it is going to be like being in school in new classes with new teachers; and being in classes, face to face, some with masks, other without. Oh, the excitement of it all!

While you are trying to contain your excitement for another school year, let me share a dozen simple principles to help you to become even more successful in school this year. All these principles I have learned over the past several years, working with all levels of students and from my own experience as a lifelong learner. No matter if you are in fourth grade, a freshman, a senior in high school, or even a college student, they all apply, some more than others, depending on where you are in the school process.

Principle 1: Surround yourself with a great support group and seek out supportive friends.

They should be the ones who cheer you on, motivate your, not drag you down or convince you to do reckless or foolish things that may impede your progress or shove you down life’s paths that will lead to sad things. They will be your lifelines. 

Principle 2: Establish great relationships and rapport with your teachers.

You will need letters of recommendation. It may surprise you, but a good letter of recommendation goes a long way in helping college reviewers look favorably on your application. Teachers are very good at writing excellent recommendations—if they are warranted.

Principle 3: Become friends with the higher school counselor or scholarship coordinator.

This one may be a new one, especially for those of you entering juniors and seniors. It’s time to be thinking about graduation and all the stuff that needs to be done prior to graduation, particularly scholarships and college applications.

Principle 4: Do your very best.

This goes without saying. You have heard this from your parents and teachers since the day you began school. Doing your best every day will help you move forward. Granted, some days will be downright challenging. That’s just the way school is, especially high school. The key is just plowing forward every day, every day, every day

Principle 5: Learn to love learning.

If I had a dollar for every time someone said: “I hate school. It’s so boring,” I would be a semi-rich man. We study so we can learn to pass the quiz or exam. The key to learning, though, is that it never ends. If we do not continue to learn, we will end up in jobs and lives that are really boring and that don’t earn us enough money to do what we had hoped. Learning is the key to success in the long run, and you are the puppeteer of your own learning, meaning you are responsible for your success in school.

Principle 6: Always be prepared and do your homework first.

Part of doing your best is doing your homework first. Yes, it is easy to put off. There’s that favorite YouTube video you have been dying to see or the video game you have been playing all summer. Don’t put off the inevitable. Just do your homework first. It will definitely reduce your stress and not make you panic when you get up in the morning and realize your homework isn’t done. Your grades will definitely reflect how you do your homework and the preparations you make each day. Plus, your parents will be very happy!

Principle 7: Reinvent yourself and become who you need to become to reach your goals.

If you haven’t been doing very well and have wanted to change forever, now is the time to reinvent yourself. It can be done. You may have to change your way of thinking and doing. Some of the changes will be challenging. But changes must happen if you want to become your best self.

Principle 8: Find some service to do to help others.

I know your schedules are full but find someone or some organization to help. Most scholarship applications want to know if you have done service and how much. Plus, many companies today have a humanitarian/service component in their mission. Service will help you grow and develop in ways you never thought possible. Instead of becoming selfish, you actually become selfless—all part of that reinvention thing.

Principle 9: Be kind, gracious, and compassionate. 

Unfortunately, bullying has become a rampant problem in our schools and in our society. People pick on the weak and the less fortunate. Rise up and be kind, gracious, and compassionate. Don’t allow others to be bullied. Make sure you and your group are ones who champion those who need championing.

Principle 10: Be a cheerleader, mentor, and leader.

All of you possess leadership qualities, some hidden within your personality. As you reinvent yourself, allow your leadership quality to emerge and embrace it. Part of being a leader is being a positive and a motivating example, someone who inspires others to do good things. Some may see this as too much responsibility. Interestingly, it is all of our responsible to be good examples.

Principle 11: Practice resilience.

Resilience is the ability to overcome challenges. In today’s world, the challenges seem to come in waves, washing over us at times. Sometimes, we even feel like we are drowning. The amazing thing is that you have an incredible support group, family, and friends. Reach out to them. Just remember who you are and what you are capable of doing. You can do this!

Principle 12: Challenging and hard things teach us lifelong principles. 

You have heard this before, and your eyes have rolled to the back of your head. The irony is this: Today may be full of challenging things that cause you great grief and consternation. In the long run, though, you will learn important principles that will help you in the future, short term and long term.

Overall, school should be a challenging yet marvelous time to learn something that will stick with you throughout your life, make new friends, challenge yourself, become better than you thought, grow up, and have fun. All of these can be done simultaneously if you plan and go and do. Promise!

Good luck this year! Make this the best year ever!

Lifelong Learning: Truly An Art Form

Lifelong Learning: Truly An Art Form

“Yes, I’m done with school,” said a young bridegroom to me when I asked him about his educational status and future.

My response was spontaneous and swift: “Well, now the education really begins because learning is a lifelong process.”

No matter where you are, you need to learn something from the experience!

I’m sure he wasn’t ready for me to say that. He was marrying a beautiful young woman who was finishing her baccalaureate degree, had a pretty good job as a chef, and figured his life couldn’t get any better. But I had to plant the seed because metaphorically I am an educational farmer and entrepreneur, one who sees the wide-open stretches of fertile minds of people, young and old, employed and unemployed, and figures everyone should be doing something to enhance his or her capacity to learn and enhance their capabilities and skill sets.

Many years ago as I was driving home after the wedding, I couldn’t help but think about the 81-year-old GED graduate who haltingly crawled out of her wheelchair, grabbed her walker, and shuffled cautiously across the stage at a Lewis-Clark State College General Educational Development (GED) graduation to receive her GED certificate. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I watched her walk back to her wheelchair and sit back down. The crowd gave her a standing ovation.

I also thought about the 78-year-old GED graduate at Eastern Idaho Technical College (EITC) some years ago who said, “I am getting my GED because I know I will be a good example to my grandchildren.” Donned in traditional cap and gown, she, too, received a standing ovation as she walked across the stage and waved to her family.

Often our experiences are reflected in what we learn
from what you are doing!

Often, I also think about the  many “more mature adults” who participate in so many educational and cultural activities around the world but especially in their own communities. They attend plays, participate in arts classes, learn how to play pickle ball, and attend lectures about history and a plethora of other topics. Their education may have ended several decades ago, but their learning has never stopped. Instead, they seek opportunities to learn because, as one of them commented, “I love to learn. It stimulates my mind.”

I simply marvel at people who love to learn, no matter what age they are. Simultaneously, I often wondered how we could instill this progressive, albeit simple, philosophy in young people in grade school or junior or senior high school—and others who continuously wonder what they are going to do with their lives. These young people’s repetitious phrase is diametrically opposed to the senior citizens’: “I can’t wait to get out of school. I’m so burned out.”

When I hear this phrase, I want to literally scream: “Don’t say that! Don’t quit the process now! Your foundation has already been laid. Courage, and on to the victory.” After I calm down, I find solace in the fact that they will go on. I have watched them do this. Many of them just need to experience the jolt of menial labor or no job at all to open their eyes to learning and the prospects of an enhanced life and maybe earning some real money along the way.

Over the years, I often used the Jaime Escalante’s phrase, “Free, free, free, knowledge; bring you own containers.” Life is all about that phrase. Knowledge oozes out of every corner and crack of our lives and in places we do not expect. Often it just seeps by us or hangs from luscious baskets within our reach, but, unfortunately, we do not take advantage of the proliferation of knowledge. Or we fail to pack around our own containers, our buckets. Or worse, just the bottoms of our buckets are covered, and we say, “I’ve got all the knowledge I want or need.”

Our learning may be challenging and cause us great consternation,
but in the end, it is glorious to behold!

Sometimes our buckets are like the old wire baskets I used to pick potatoes (a.k.a. “spuds”) in Eastern Idaho. They did not fill up by themselves. In order to pick a sack full of hardy Russets, my partner—most of the time my brother—and I had to bend over our baskets and reach for the potatoes. After dumping our full baskets in the gunny sack, we set the sack in the furrow between us and began again. Then, the truck would come by and take the sack to the spud cellar where they stored them until they were ready to sell.

Our gathering of knowledge parallels spud picking. It takes a bit of effort to fill our buckets. We may have to bend our backs, stretch our minds, work midst wind and snowstorms, tauntings of others, and maybe even make a few sacrifices. But in the end, it’s all worth it. Like spuds in the cellar, knowledge stores easily in our minds until we need to use it. But we also need to couple it with everyday experiences so we can make the appropriate connections.

Learning is an investment, one that yields high benefits and interest. Because of the many ongoing and dynamic changes in the world and the workplace, you may need to withdraw these resources at any given time.

Invest now and often and keep your mind and bank account growing.

Sometimes, you have to just cling on and wait for the high tide!

 

Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat--A Haven for Quilters

Amy Wright Boyer has been a quilter since before she can remember. She firmly believes her quilting love stems from genetics since her great-grand mother Laura was quilting in the early 1900s. Although her great-grandmother died when Amy was just five weeks old, her first recollection of loving quilts was when she used to read to her little sisters in bed under the comfort of great-grandma’s Double Wedding Ring quilt. She and her sisters would spend hours mesmerized by the many patterns they found in the quilts, surprised at the variety of materials their great-grandmother used, probably from scraps from old dresses, aprons, and other pieces of clothing from raising six sons and a daughter on a farm in Idaho.

The many nights of reading and looking over the quilt instilled in Amy a love of quilts, especially after her mother gave her a little Lone Star baby quilt that great-grandmother Laura had made her when she was born—quite possibly the last quilt she made before she passed away. Amy reminisces, “I still have it and treasure it.”

Over the years, the quilting bug continued to be stitched into Amy’s life. Her mother rented motel rooms and set up card tables to work on quilts when they attended a quilt show/conference every summer as part of the Festival of the American West in Logan, Utah. Teachers gathered there to teach classes. Making quilts was what they did in their spare time, usually after the conference. The women stayed in a hotel on the campus of Utah State University and worked until late into the night working on their quilt projects. Not only did they quilt, but they also developed a camaraderie that connects people forever.

When Amy was a young mother with babies, she would spend just a day or two with her mother. She recalled those incredible times with her mother: “We could both leave behind a few cares of our busy families and enjoy this special time together, sewing, quilting, and talking.”

About 10 years ago, Amy learned about a quilt retreat house just a few hours from where she was living. Eight members of the family and friends gathered at the quilt retreat house and had, according to Amy, “…such a wonderful time that it has become a tradition ever since.”

From her experiences growing up and having five children of her own, Amy knows that it is a challenge to find sufficient time in one’s day to work on hobbies. She jokes she has been quilting for 35 years but “took off 25 years to raise children.” She knows that quilters who are busy are challenged with space and then setting up and taking down quilting equipment.

Amy lamented that she had to finagle time to quilt: “I found that unless I had some time set aside and could get away for a couple of days, quilts just weren’t getting done very quickly. None of the homes or apartments that I lived in had a designated sewing room or even a place I could leave my equipment set up, so getting it all out was just too much work and took too much time to set it up very often, and baby’s nap times were never long enough.”

Thus, the concept for Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat stewed for many years, especially during the time Amy and her friends participated in quilting retreats over the past several years. When her mother passed away six years ago, she thought about those wonderful times around card tables and quilting until wee hours in the morning, not caring about anything except taking pieces of cloth and creating magical quilts, full of memories, stitch by stitch. She decided that she was going to do something about it.

But something always seemed to stand in her way of making her dream become reality. Part of the challenge of establishing a quilting retreat was her situation. She was divorced, living in an extremely rural area in Wyoming, managing a business, and trying to balance all of the associated responsibilities. Then, something magical happened.

She attended her high school reunion, met one of her former classmates, married this wonderful man who was willing to help her with her entrepreneurial ideas, and moved to Utah. At that point, Amy said, “Everything aligned and was the right time, place and season of life to create this quilting retreat.” One of the things that spurred her on was the thought that “Any time you can combine a passion you have with a business, it’s a great recipe for success.” Then, she added this caveat: “I hope so, anyway.”

Once she decided to create it, she jumped in with all of her business acumen and passion for quilting and creating, with a heavy dose of inspiration that came from her mother Jane and her great-grandmother Laura—all of which propelled her forward with this great project.

Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat was born in a beautifully renovated home, located in a fairly secluded area near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon and in the shadows of Maple Mountain. It is extremely convenient to restaurants and shops in Spanish Fork. Plus, if you want to walk or just take a break, a beautiful walking trail, just outside the front door, follows the river and the golf course across the street.

When a group or family books Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat, the entire home is theirs. Warm, inviting, and spacious with incredible outside views, Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat boasts of a fully equipped kitchen (except for the food), a beautiful dining room table which seats 10 comfortably, a cozy living room with plenty of seating, a large outdoor patio, six private quilt-themed bedrooms, four with queen beds, one with twin beds, and a suite with two double beds and a private bathroom with a shower and a large tub. Each guest receives a set of towels and a washcloth-color coded to their room/bathroom. Guests may use the laundry room with a washer and dryer.

While you sleep and eat upstairs, the downstairs workroom will cause giddiness and a delight in everyone and become the place where you will want to spend most of the time. Amy calls the workroom, “the star of the show”—eight individual workstations, all complete with spacious desks with pull-out extensions and a power strip at each station. The room is well-lit with LED canned lighting, and the floors are laden with brand new vinyl wood plank, allowing the easy pick up of pins and needles.

Additionally, there are large design walls to build your projects on for your convenience. Plus, you will have adjustable height cutting tables with large cutting mats and long rulers provided. Two ironing boards with large toppers and irons stand ready for your convenience in the workroom.

Guests will bring their own machines, notions, rotary cutters, and fabrics needed to create the project of their choice. If travel prohibits bringing your own sewing machine or if there is a sewing machine emergency (we hope that doesn’t happen, but we know that things happen!), Amy has a couple sewing machines available to rent.

One of her great epiphanies came when naming each of the bedrooms, mostly from her quilting experiences. When she attended a quilting retreat with her friends, she decided to make a difficult quilt for a twin-sized bed. The challenge came when she discovered the pattern for this quilt had been accidently packed in a moving truck on its way to her new home in Utah. Not wanting to sit around for five days worrying about the pattern in the moving truck, she opted to develop a whole new view of the quilt with new pieces of material.

As she began this exciting, yet arduous task of creating a quilt with a new pattern,  she thought to herself: “Quilters are crazy! Why do we do this? We cut up beautiful, perfectly good pieces of fabric and sew them back together again.” At that precise moment, she decided that when she started a quilt retreat, her theme for the first room would be “Quilters are Crazy.”

All of the other rooms also have stories and follow similar themes from her many and varied experiences with family and traveling. 

"Grandma’s Attic” originated from the love Amy has for her great-grandmother’s quilts, which used 1930s era fabrics, and from her own collection of the ‘30s replica fabrics, which she used to make a sampler quilt for the bed in the room.

"The Cabin” is the theme for the largest room because of her love of cabins. Her grandparents had one, and many of the quilt patterns have a frontier feeling.

"Sweet Amish Dreams” became the theme of another room because of Amy’s love of Amish quilts.

"Land That I Love” came to her because patriotism runs deep within Amy. “Besides,” she said, “I am a history nerd and who doesn’t love patriotic quilts?” Who can argue with that?

Because of her love for star quilts she really wanted a star-themed room, based on Van Gogh’s “Starry, Starry Night” painting. Even the closet knobs in the “Starry, Starry Night” room are stars.

Everyone will be pleasantly surprised that even the bathrooms have themes and are adorned with quilt-related art.

So, if you love to work on quilts in a quilting-theme retreat all day while enjoying chatting, eating, laughing, and having a great time without having to worry about work and home, then Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat is the perfect place for you.

Amy is sure you will be enlightened when you come because of the hours and years of preparation and its personalized touch. She said, “It’s been a really great creative outlet for me in preparing Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat, furnishing it, and making all of the quilts. I pay close attention to detail and love to add special unique touches to every room.”

Come join us at the Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat. As Amy would say, “Women (and lots of men) also love to get together and talk, laugh, eat and have fun. THIS is the reason for a quilt retreat. Taking home a beautiful creation is just a bonus.”

Of course, though, the Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat can be used for so many other retreats—crafts, stamping, watercolor or other art classes, scrapbooking, leadership, family history, family reunions, golfing, or just getting away for a few days.

For more information about the Maple Mountain Quilt Retreat, go to this website: https://maplemountainquiltretreat.com/.

See you soon!