Memorial Day

I love that our scouts set out flags for holidays...and especially that they display flags for Memorial Day and Flag Day. My heart swells with pride seeing the flag wave in a breeze and when the entire neighborhood has a flag in the yards, it just brings a smile...then quiet reflection.

I am so grateful to those who serve our nation; to their families and their friends. Those who have given their all to serve are owed a debt of remembrance and respect. I am grateful we have this day to honor their service, and their sacrifice. I am grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and the opportunities available to us as U. S. citizens.

I love the red, white, and blue!

Full Moon on a Clear Night

The winter sky was so amazingly beautiful last night. I am grateful for moonlight - especially from a full moon. I am grateful for clear skies even though the temperature is lower without cloud cover. I am grateful for arms that reach out to embrace another and share warmth or just a fleeting moment. Hugs from others, hugs for others or just being able to embrace myself and ward off the evening chill while gazing at the sky.

I am grateful for unexpected calls from loved ones, recognizing a voice and sharing a smile. I am grateful for friends and neighbors who call on one another when help is needed and share with others when there is plenty. I am grateful for priesthood blessings and the comfort provided.

Opportunities and Appreciation

I am grateful for the opportunities I have to serve others and to learn from others. It is quite a humbling process to realize there is so much turmoil in the world yet I can enjoy so many blessings. I am grateful for all those things I enjoy, for my family and the challenges encountered which help me become a better person.

NY Philharmonic

Never in my lifetime would I have imagined seeing and hearing the New York Philharmonic Orchestra performing in North Korea! Yet sure enough, there they are! I am watching a live performance in Pyongyang, North Korea and am fascinated by every sight and sound being broadcast!

Broadcast? That alone is just amazing - journalists, news media and broadcast media being allowed into that nation. It is just stunning to see.

I am captivated by the faces throughout the audience, too. As the music plays and the camera pans, it is more and more evident how closed off that society has been over all these decades. It has been more than 50 years their nation has isolated itself from the rest of the world. Faces are stoic. there is no emotion. There are no smiles, no sense of familiarity of the music (classics) although, it is also being reported the NK national orchestra will visit Britain in September and Eric Clapton will visit NK next year. Just imagine, Rock
'n Roll in North Korea!

Just a short while back, Quentin and I had talked about the state of affairs between the US and Korea. Just after he returned from his mission things were really testy between our two nations with North Korea threatening nuclear expansion, and worse. The situation was really looking dire. And now, here we are today with the philharmonic playing in that nation/ I am so grateful diplomatic efforts and concessions have worked and that we are no longer facing a crisis standoff with that nation.

Grateful

I am so grateful for the many blessings that touch my life on a daily basis and for the friends, family and even strangers who make each day special and unique. I'm grateful that my family has been able to travel, trip after trip, year after year, and arrive safely at their destinations. I am grateful for my husband and the love and security he has given me and our family over the years. I'm grateful for my brothers and their committment to their families. I am especially grateful for my sisters and the way we can bridge years and miles through simple words. I am grateful for my children and the time we are able to share and I'm consumed with love for the blessings of my little grandchildren.

I am grateful to Heavenly Father for the generous gifts He has given me directly and through His Son, Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the atonement and the love and opportunity Christ bestowed through His sacrfice.

I am grateful for this day, for this moment.