Sustaining

A solemn assembly is a sacred meeting held by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, most often at a general conference after a new Church president begins his service. In these meetings, Latter-day Saints around the world gather to show support for the new Church president and others included in the Church’s worldwide governing body including general membership from age eight and older.  Today was a solemn assembly and a most powerful meeting.  I never even contemplated the feelingsI would have, of standing and sustaining our Prophet like that, nor seeing him sustain his presidency and the apostles.  It was a very moving experience and I do sustain him as the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Proud Of These Girls

Strategic Infrastructure

Kristi Styers dishes up a holistic view of her hometown’s economy while bouncing her daughter Alfie on her knees at Fishermen’s Daughter, the restaurant she opened in 2011.

“Everyone has to eat,” says Styers. “[So] we really see how the economy is doing. When fishing is good, we feel it. When it is great weather or a full cruise ship is in town, we feel it.”

Styers also felt it when Hoonah secured federal economic development agency grants and state legislative grants to invest $5.5 million in a boat haul-out that attracted more outside revenue.

“[Now] the boatyard stays full in the spring and the fall. It really stretched out our season,” says Styers, who keeps Fishermen’s Daughter open May to November, three months longer than during her first year. And when Huna Totem Corporation and the city installed a $22 million deep-water dock, more cruise companies could stop in Hoonah, and Styers saw even more diners.

That’s no accident. According to Gray, the city invests purposefully in infrastructure that catalyzes far-reaching economic impact in town for new industries like boat repair, old industries like fishing, and ancillary businesses like Fishermen’s Daughter.

Kristi Styers returned to her hometown to open the Fisherman’s Daughter. Tourism created an economic window where she saw her and her family’s future. When asked her twenty-year vision for Hoonah, she stressed the relationship between prosperity and pride.

The Ladybug

“We are not all cut from the same cloth, but together we make a beautiful quilt.”  This quote came alive as I listened to Kyla reflect upon her eavesdropping conversation between her boys.  Blaze found a ladybug on their deck and gently whispered to Maverick, “don’t touch it, leave it alone. . .”  Just then Maverick grabbed the lady bug and threw it.  Case in point – these little souls are all so different and yet they are brothers and will be raised by good parents and they will go forth and do good things.  Poor little ladybug.

 

They Are My Daughters

Ok, this is creepy and weird.  Kyla face timed this morning as I was sitting at my stool putting on a little makeup when she realized we had dressed alike.  We both had white shirts, black top (mine was a dress) and a burgundy cardigan.  Twins and we didn’t even plan it.   It took me a few minutes to get this picture done but I did it.  I give Micah my hand-me-downs which she so lovingly wears and that is kind of weird too when she wore a pinky/purple rope skirt with her jean jacket last Sunday which is exactly what I used to wear with it.  We must have matching clothes DNA.

Melt Baby Melt

Just a day to be thankful.  I am thankful that Lane is on day two of eating the Cafe Rio leftovers in the fridge.  He says he will do one more day.  I am thankful that dirt is showing on the sides of the road between Big Lake and Wasilla.  Hallelujah we have sun and higher temps.   I am thankful my hairdresser bumped up my hair appointment by one day.  She has a way of turning my hair into an artistic masterpiece, at least for a day or so.  Being thankful isn’t just for Thanksgiving.

 

Bret Will Be Back With The Boat

Brag, brag.  Rhea and I broiled salmon on our baby George tonight.   It was sooooo good.  We talked about her essentials for college – a baby George, a bottle of “the seasoning” and salmon.    In the middle of our conversation, after a quick google, I laid out the most important reason our meal was so divine.

1.) Salmon is loaded with protein and muscle-building amino acids.
2.) Salmon is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which help your body make anti-inflammatory compounds that soothe body aches and pains, as well as support fat-loss. Omega-3’s also help skin recover from skin damage from UV rays.
3.) Salmon is high in Vitamin D, which supports strong bones and can help ward off colan cancer.
4.) Salmon is high in Selenium, which can help lower your risk of prostate cancer.

Ok Rhea, number four doesn’t apply but I think you get the picture.

It Is All In The Signature

I notice signatures and nice handwriting.  I am slow when I do my signature because I like it to be uniform and tidy.  Today I noticed three signatures that caught my eye, not only because they look uniform and well written but these men are in their eighty’s and ninety’s.  The first is Russell M. Nelson, a well reknowned heart surgeon and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  He is ninety-three.  The second is Dallin H. Oaks, who served on the Supreme Court and is now first counselor to President Nelson.  He is eighty-five.   The last is Henry B. Eyring, an educational administrator who is now second counselor to President Nelson.  He is eighty-four.  Well done men.  Not only have you shown great penmanship, but classy cursive flair and extreme articulateness and I am so very enthralled with them all.

 

 

Me

I got my Ancestry.com DNA results back and I am looking pretty well how I thought I would look.  I have the European and British percentages which is quite predictable for how our family line is.  I was kind of hoping I would be like 5% African American or 5% Polynesian just to know somewhere down the line we had a family member that strayed off a little.  .  .

I Am A Slug

Let’s sum up my day.  Kind of tired.  Mailed Mike his prescription medicines which he forgot and is now in Fairbanks for a few weeks.  That was an illegal move but I had to.  Still kind of tired.  Watched from the window the drips coming down – I like breakup and I don’t like breakup.  Still kind of tired.  Blogged a little and did a little paperwork.  Still kind of tired.  Wow Rhea was home for a bit – we talked.  Rhea left for the evening.  I decided to watch a movie because I deserved a break.  Then I watched a second movie and rolled over – I was so flipping lazy today but it felt soooooo good.

Six And A Half Hour Drive For David

It was just a day.  A day to go to Costco, get food and prepare for our activity tonight.  I got a call from Micah saying David was still stuck in traffic from the guy who drove his 18-wheeler under an overpass or rather “through” the overpass.  When our highway is cut off our civilization might as well be over.   I told Micah that I was sure the traffic would be mostly through by the time I arrived.  Wrong.  I endured the stand still traffic for two hours, ate my only food source, one granola bar and slowly sipped on my only source of liquid, a mostly downed Diet Pepsi.   I purposely did not take an exit knowing I would make it to Costco, do or die.  Wrong.  After another forty-five minutes I took the Emergency U-Turn that I was not supposed to take and headed back to the valley.  Not the best of days but the action on Facebook this evening made up for all reflection time in my car.