Christmas Lights

We were reading scriptures last night and when we were finished I looked at something I had written into my scriptures that was penned after the verse following the last verse we had read.  That seems to be a mouthful, hope it makes sense.  Anyway, I had written the words Christmas Lights.  I am sure that at some point in the last 20+ years that I have had these scriptures I had a feeling while reading these verses that made me think about Christmas Lights and I must have figured that writing that down would automatically remind me of the thoughts I had.  Well, I am sad to report that I have no idea what was running through my mind that would cause me to write Christmas Lights. 

I wrote the words after Alma chapter 40 verse 11 which reads:

Suffer not yourself to be led away by any vain or foolish thing; suffer not the devil to lead away your heart again after those wicked harlots.  Behold, O my son, how great iniquity ye brought upon the Zoramites; for when they saw your conduct they would not believe in my words.

Truly I have no clue how I tied Christmas Lights into this verse.  It doesn't get any easier trying to find a connection in verse 12 which reads:

And now the Spirit of the Lord doth say unto me:  Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction; therefore I command you, my son, in the fear of God, that ye refrain from your iniquities. 

So, Christmas Lights, it's not real clear why that came to my mind.  I am not seeing a clear connection to either of those verses. 

Verse 11 - perhaps I was seeing a connection between commercialized Christmas being a vain and foolish thing that can lead us away from what we should really be focussed on - the birth and life of our Savior.  When we get so caught up in the worlds definition of Christmas instead of a focus on Christ, our conduct does not lead people to the Savior.  Perhaps I used Christmas lights as a representation of the commercialized Christmas though it doesn't ring bell to what I has pondering when I wrote those words.  I do feel like my thoughts above are plausible and when we get consumed the commercial Christmas instead of the Spiritual one our actions do not lead others towards Christ. 

Verse 12 - Command thy children to do good, lest they lead away the hearts of many people to destruction...  As we do good our lights shine forth in the lives of those around us.  Our good examples can lead others towards Christ.  Christmas Lights... When we lived in Florida we used to drive every night in December to visit two neighboring streets in Lakeland.  I think one was Lancelot but I could easily be wrong.  Anyway, the people that lived on these streets took Christmas lights to a higher level.  We loved it.  It was a highlight of our December evenings and lifted our spirits at Christmas time.  There were several nights in the month when the people would come out, stand in front of their homes and hand out candy canes to visitors.  There was a line of cars on more than one occassion, each was greeted warmly.  I would submit that these good people helped to bring people closer to the Savior as they let their lights shine, even their Christmas Lights. 

Well, it may be a stretch either way.  This I do know, the Savior loves us, He knows who we are.  He wants us to be obedient and to share what we have been blessed with with those around us. 

Christmas Lights... one of these days I will know exactly what that means...  Maybe...   

Brothers

Being one of six boys, it is a great blessing.  I couldn't ask for better brothers and friends.  Growing up, we were brothers and we were boys and we did the things that brothers and boys do.  We had our share of fights and disagreements.  I think that is part of growing up, part of life.  We had some pretty fantastic times together as well and some great experiences and memories.  Today I am privileged to call 5 great men my brothers.  These are men who I look up to and respect for the righteous examples they are to me.  They all honor their Priesthood and take seriously the covenants that they have made with the Lord.  I am grateful for the times I am able to be with them.  I am humbled by their goodness.  I love my brothers. 

Now, let me not close without saying something about my two fantastic sisters who are not a step behind when it comes to anything I said about my brothers.  Indeed I am blessed to call these two wonderful women sisters and yes, I love my sisters too.   

Thanksgiving 2013

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. 

Naturally it started out with some football.  Ah yes, the annual Turkey Bowl.  I debated whether I would play this year and last night I still lacked the motivation to get out there but this morning I geared up.  It was good.  The teams were pretty evenly matched and everyone got to participate.  The field was slick and my body right now is telling me I should not have played.  Anyway, a few pulled muscles never hurt anyone...

We had a great Thanksgiving Feast at the Brick House.  Pretty convenient to have all of this space for a big group.  It worked out well and I think everyone had an enjoyable time.  We ate and then we played Bunco.  I brought the Karaoke machine and Jack got on there.  He sang a few Neil Diamond songs and really did well.  I Am I Said, Love on the Rocks, America.  He was awesome.  The pictured attached is of him signing away.  Andy had a great time as a backup dancer.

So very thankful for family.  Grateful that we were together and that we enjoyed the day together.  We did something new during the meal per an invitation from Mike earlier in the week.  We went around the table and every one talked about something they were grateful for.  As Fontano's there were some moist eyes during this exercise.  It was a welcome addition to our Thanksgiving Day activities and one that we'll continue.     

On the Line

For the last while I have found myself working the line during the day.  I have not been on the line a lot for, well, a long time.  I jump on as needed but have done a number of other things up front, on the floor, pretty much wherever I am needed.  Working the line is fun.  It gets a little crazy but it is good.  I am not as fast up there as I need to be but that will come with time.  I try to stick to the grill on the Philly side as those are the sandwiches I am most comfortable with.  It sometimes can be a bit overwhelming when the board is full of orders and they just keep coming.  Every table was filled today and I think we kept up for the most part.  All you can do when it gets crazy like that is take one ticket at a time and push through it.  Same thing in life.  When we get overwhelmed with the challenges of our lives we need to press forward and tackle things one at a time.  We'll get through it. 

Blah

Blah!  That is how I am feeling tonight.  Almost like I am getting sick, the pre-sick stage.  Not very fond of that stage or that feeling.  There is a lot happening and getting sick is not a good thing right now.  To make getting sick even more sad is the fact that Thanksgiving is in two days.  Oh well, we'll see if we cant avoid being ill for the holiday.  Gotta shake the blahs!

New Idea

One of our employees, Brittany, was in the mood for soup in a bread bowl today.  She was nearing the end of her shift and was looking over the soups trying to decide which one she would like.  She had a lot of interest in the chili but was not sure it would go well with the bread bowl.  Pondering on that thought for a moment I didn't think it would be bad but then asked myself what would make it fantastic?  The thought occurred to me that a lot of people like cornbread with chili so why not make a cornbread bread bowl.  I vocalized the idea and Brittany thought it would be, in her words, "epic".  Dave also quite liked the idea and he and I both were thinking the same thing - cornbread with little bits of corn in it, like the stuff you could get at Kenny Rogers Roasters way back in the day.  I haven't searched to see if anyone else does a cornbread bowl.  I'm sure somewhere someone had the same thought.  Anyway, it was a new idea today and something worth exploring a bit. 

A Rare Family Meal

There were three brothers and their respective families missing tonight from a rare family meal.  Pete, Tara and farm are in town for the Thanksgiving Holiday with Tara's family in Las Vegas and were able to come up here for the weekend.  Laura, Nigel and family came down also for the holiday and are staying at my house for a couple nights.  Unfortunately Mike and Liana won't be in town until later in the week along with Jim, Clo and fam.  Jay, Sara and the fam left yesterday morning for Carson City and a Thanksgiving Holiday with Sara's brother Steve and others of the Miner clan.  So, those of us who were in town gathered at the Brick House for a rare family meal or gathering.  It was good to be together.  The cousins all got along really well and had a great time running around and playing upstairs and around the dining area.  The adults had a good time conversing about a variety of topics.  It was good to be together. 

I was pondering the gathering as I came home and was filled with gratitude for family and the time we have together.  I am grateful for each of my siblings and for their spouses.  I am grateful for my nieces and my nephews, they are good kids with wonderful hearts and love for others.  I don't have anything real deep or profound to say.  Just a note to express thanks to my Heavenly Father for the family I was blessed with. 

The Return of Night Sledding

It is our favorite time of year when the weather turns cold and the snow begins to fall.  Okay, maybe it is not our favorite.  Regardless, the snow has been falling for the last three days.  It has not been real heavy but it has been snowing.  The accumulation on the ground is 6 to 8 inches.  Anyway, the boys were excited about the snow and wanted to get some sledding in today.  I had a busy day ahead of me and so we had to put off the sledding for a bit.  At roughly 7 PM we were in a position to go and so we did. They all had a great time back out on the hills of Cedar. 

Life of Pie

Tonight I made pies.  It was reminiscent of last November when I was making pies like a wild man in our attempt to move a bunch of pies for Thanksgiving.  We did okay with that but found it to be a lot of work.  We really haven't pushed that at all this year and to my knowledge no one has asked for a pie.  Perhaps the pies just were not that good and so we are not getting return business.  It could be early still.  We'll see what happens next week.  Anyway, tonight was a pie making night because we are out of just about all of our pies and I needed to get us caught back up.  I knocked out 16 pies in a couple hours.  Not bad I guess but really, it could be quicker.  Whilst making the Hazelcream I thought about doing them on a much larger scaled and loading up the huge commercial Hobart mixer.  The thing is the King Kong of the Kitchenaid mixer.  It is huge and would handle a few more than 16 pies at one time.  Hmmm, maybe I should look into this pie making thing after all...

Snow no no no

The first big snow of the year tonight.  I usually love the first snow but I don't know how excited I am about it tonight.  Perhaps I was simply enjoying the warmer weather last week a little too much and suddenly having snow on the ground is just, well, sudden.  I am sure when I wake up in the morning and pull out the shovel that all will be well.  I do have to say that I opened the front door and took in the sight and I do love the blanket of white and the bright night that it brings.  It is also quite peaceful.  I do enjoy that part and took it in as I stood there for a moment.  Then I felt the chill of the cold air, came to my senses and closed the door. 

Malungu!

Since last nights entry I have pondered a bit more on Habakkuk Mdolo.  This was an impressive man.  He had an understanding of truth, of right and wrong and he lived according to the truth.  He was not afraid to question tradition or to abandon tradition when he found it fundamentally wrong. 

It was custom in Xhosa life that when your family member died you put on a feast for those attending the services.  Habakkuk shared the story of his fathers passing and how the town Elders expected a great feast to be provided for them.  Habakkuk refused to provide such a feast.  He was a grieving son with his grieving mother and siblings.  Because he refused to provide the feast the Elders and others in the town refused to provide any help digging the grave and would not provide a service for his father.  Habakkuk did not care and went about digging the grave himself.  Perhaps did not care is not the right way to phrase that.  He found it wrong for his family to have to provide a feast for people who did not care about them or their father.  He chose not to participate in that tradition. 

I mentioned yesterday that Habakkuk was a boxer.  This served him well when men from other clans would come and harass him on his farm.  His farm was located quite a distance from his home and in a territory that was home to a different clan than his own.  He spoke of conflict because of it and more than once had to fight for his life.  I would not want to be on the receiving end of a blow from Habakkuk Mdolo.  His mitts were huge.  I loved listening to his stories and also enjoyed hearing him analyse boxing champ Mike Tyson.  He was determined that he could beat Tyson.  We will never know but I would have loved to see that fight. 

Malungu!  Not a very nice Xhosa term for a white fella.  I am sure it was during my time in Ezibeleni with Elder Bell when we visited Habakkuk in his home.  Here we were two white boys getting out of our car to go into his yard where he greeted us - incidentally, it had a garden that was well maintained and beautiful. As we were greeting one another some youth down the street started yelling "malungu, malungu..."  Habakkuk invited us to inside and then said he would be right back.  He took off after those boys and taught them a bit of a lesson in manners I suppose.  It was the one and only time I was ever yelled at in a derogatory manner.  I don't imagine those boys ever spoke ill to missionaries again.

I don't know where Habakkuk Mdolo is today.  I don't even know if he is alive.  Perhaps he is working his farm, teaching others to be self reliant and standing for truth and right.  Someday I hope to have the chance to visit with him again.  Anyhow, I wanted to record my memories of Habakkuk Mdolo, a man of great faith, an example of hard work and determination.  Love that man.   

Yea, Cry Unto Him

I love the words of Amulek the great missionary companion to the Prophet Alma in The Book of Mormon.  In the 34th Chapter of Alma Amulek instructs the people and teaches the importance of crying unto the Lord continually.  We read these verses tonight from Alma 34 tonight in our family scripture study.

Alma 34: 17-27

17. Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you;

18. Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

19. Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him.

20. Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks.

21. Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening.

22. Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies.

23. Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.

24. Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them.

25. Cry over the flocks of you fields, that they may increase.

26. But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in you closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness.

27. Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.

As we read I shared the story of Habakkuk Mdolo from Ezibeleni, a township outside of Queenstown, South Africa.  Brother Mdolo was a faithful man who desired very much to make a difference in his community.  He was a boxer and a farmer and a man of great faith and trust in the Lord.  Brother Mdolo traveled a great distance to take care of his families farm and he used to share stories of having to use his boxing skills against rival farmers in the area.  He held his own as he protected the family farm.  That is another story. 

In Ezibeleni he started a garden in an effort to teach the people that they could grow their own crops and take better care of themselves.  He put together quite the garden on an acre or so of land there. It was impressive.  One day we as missionaries went out to work with him in the garden.  In fact, it was right around this time of year back in 1994.  I remember that because it was the same day the Queenstown Branch was having a special Thanksgiving activity.  There we were at the garden area and before we began working brother Mdolo offered up a prayer and cried unto the Lord over the crops of his fields and also for the well being of himself and those around him.  We went to work.  After a few hours we had to leave and Brother Mdolo remained.  We saw him at the activity later that day and he shared with us that a Puff Otter snake had struck out at him.  He was able to dodge the strike and take care of the snake.  Through that experience we saw some great things and our testimonies of faith were increased. 

Tonight we discussed this story and I talked to the fam about the importance of crying unto the Lord.  I talked to them about how our schooling is our current field or farm and that we can pray specifically for help over our crops or the different subjects we are studying like math, spelling, writing etc.  The Lord will bless each of us as we cry unto him and involve him in the things we do. 

Liquid Chills

Part of the diet that, scratch that.  Part of the healthier eating program I am on right now encourages a lot of water intake.  I cannot tell a lie, I don't like plain water.  It is all about having a little flavor in my beverage.  Anyhow, my lots of water has suffered a bit so today I tried to focus on getting a lot more and yes, it included a wee bit of flavoring.  Well, there are a couple of things that happen with high water intake.  Number 1, we tend to have to urinate a bit more.  Number 2, we get the liquid chills.  Maybe not "we" on that one.  It may just be me but I've got the chills and get the chills when my liquid refreshment intake gets amped up.  Time to go crawl under a blanket.   

The Cedar City Ward

Today after our regular church meetings I took the kids home and then headed out to another meeting for the formation of The Cedar City Ward.  This is a Single Adult Ward ages 31 to 45.  Yes, I qualify for that.  What I do not qualify for is that single parents with kids living at home are not allowed to move their church records to this new ward.  I wasn't planning on doing that anyway as I love the ward I am in and my children love it as well and we as a family are exactly where we need to be.  As a single adult I am invited to participate in any of the ward activities and that will be nice.  Anyhow, this was a historic day and it was good to be in the meeting.  Scott Sorenson who was released last week from our Stake Presidency was called to be the Bishop.  It actually occurred to me a few minutes before the meeting that he would likely be the Bishop.  Apparently others had already speculated on this last week when he was released.  I'm a little slow.  Ron Cardon was called as his first counselor.  Ron is a great friend and a wonderful man with tremendous faith and devotion to the Lord.  I am happy for both of these men.  The second counselor was a brother from out in Parowan and I can't remember his name.  All three of these brethren were invited to speak and they all three did a fantastic job.  It will be a great ward and will serve so many of the single adults in the area.  It is an exciting time and interesting to see what has taken place in this ward being formed.  Glad I could attend and look forward to participating in some of the activities. 

A Step Behind

Sometimes I sit and I find myself in awe at where I am at and what I have responsibility for.  Specifically the fact that I am a single dad with three children and I carry a set of feelings that I am completely inadequate to do the job.  I don't know what I am doing, I don't have all the answers, I don't have the organizational skills to manage the family the way it should be done.  I always feel like I am a step behind everyone else.  I am slow to get it and feel like a lot of things simply sail right over my head. 

This is not something new.  I was kneeling at Andy's bedside a bit ago and was pondering the matter.  When I was in kindergarten I didn't say a word all year.  As a result I ended up in a two year first grade class.  Perhaps it was the two year first grade class that left me feeling a bit slow.  I wasn't up to speed with the other kids my age so I had to go to a special class.  Anyhow, just a thought as I really cannot pinpoint a time or an event that would lead me to believe I was always a step behind.  That was 34 short years ago when I started that special first grade class with Mrs. May.  That was the only event that I could really think of and it may have nothing to do with it.  Maybe I am not the only one who feels this way. 

Does it really matter?  I mean, regardless of what I might feel I have a job to do and I have to do it the very best that I can.  The great part is that I am judged according to what I am capable of and not what someone else is.  Truly there are some super parents out there that have it all together and my goodness I could beat myself up all day for not measuring up to their standard.  I don't need to worry about that.  I need to go forth each day with a fixed determination to do the very best that I can do and not spend a lot of time worrying about whether I am in or out of step with those around me. 

Sorry, I have rambled on a bit about nothing.  That's what you do sometimes when you are a step behind...

Life Happens

Isn't life a wonderful thing?  Everyday is so unpredictable.  We go throughout our day not really knowing what is going to happen next.  Perhaps we plan and plan and plan and we have a pretty good idea what our day will be like based on the schedule we have before us but we do not control the encounters we have or the correspondence we have with other people.  Sometimes those conversations can throw us for a loop and sometimes they bring great joy and sometimes they bring great sorrow.  Sometimes tragedy strikes and we find ourselves hurting or sad or lonely.  Sometimes we find ourselves in a position to serve others around us in a spontaneous way.  Sometimes we might feel our world crashing down upon us.  Sometimes we simply find ourselves enjoying what we have been blessed with and sit in awe at the gifts our Heavenly Father so willingly gives us.  Whatever the case may be, life happens and life is wonderful.  Life is wonderful because we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and a Savior who died that we might live again.  I am ever grateful for the plan of salvation and for the peace it brings to my heart as I navigate through both the calm and turbulent waters of my life.  And that is all I have to say about that right now... 

Dirty Kitchens

I am a fan of Kitchen Nightmares.  I find it quite interesting and informative especially since we are running a restaurant of our own.  One of the things that is typical on the show is the amount of filth that is discovered in the establishments being visited.  Lots of nastiness and lots of rotten food.  The scary thing is people are eating there.  We just moved in to our third location.  The first was the old bakery that we renovated.  It was so caked in grease I had to pressure wash the walls, ceilings and floors.  We sprayed degreaser on the ceiling and then used a squeegee on it, grease would drip like crazy and a white streak would be left on the ceiling while the rest of the ceiling remained a lovely brown color.  Disgusting.  The next place was cleaner but still had some issues and then the place we just moved into, wow.  I was shoveling grease off of the hood exhaust duct system.  It was nasty beyond belief.  I cleaned an ansul fire suppression system the other day that was likewise caked in grease so bad that the stainless steel system looked as if it were bronze.  That is just gross and that is all there is to it.  I took on a 4 burner stove today and ended up working on it for some time because it was completely caked in grease.  It was left by the last outfit and was in serious need of a cleaning.  We are planning to start using it and don't want to use it in the condition it was in. So I cleaned and while I cleaned I thought about establishments and wondered about how clean our restaurants really are?  How does a place that is filthy pass a health inspection?  I think we hope the place is clean and that our food is being prepared in a healthy environment.  I do wonder though how many places out there just don't care.  I don't like dirty kitchens and can only hope that it is the majority of food establishments that keep them clean.  Our experience moving in to places indicates that story may be different.  Let's hope not. 

An Hour Early

Yesterday the realtor for our landlord asked if they could show the house today, I agreed.  What am I going to do tell them no?  Let me say this, it is a lot more motivating to clean like a mad man when it is your house that is being sold and not the house you are renting, especially when the house selling means you are quite possibly out on the street.  I don't have it in me to allow someone to come into my home and find it in poor order.  Anyway, they were on schedule for a showing between 11 AM and noon today.  I had everything ready with the exception of a little laundry situation involving three baskets of clean clothes that I have yet to fold and a pile of dirty clothes that needed a basket.  I was in the process of emptying one basket and was actually shirtless getting ready to jump into the shower when there was a knock at the door.  I figured it was the nephews or nieces over to borrow something.  I threw on a shirt and went to the door.  It was the realtor with her client.  "Hi, we're an hour early!  Brett said to just knock on the door and see if you were home..."  Um, thanks Brett.  Well, whatever.  I let them in, decided my room was just going to have to stay like it was, grabbed my smoothie that I had waiting for me to grab when I left for work and I headed next door for 20 minutes or so. 

To all my realtor friends out there, this is not cool.  Seriously, I'm busting my back side to try and make it a good showing for you and then get surprised at my door when you show up an hour early.  Should there not at least be an attempt to call and find out if it is okay?  Two more minutes and I would have been in the shower then what?  She would have opened the door and come on in with her client and I would have been showering away.  Talk about making it awkward for everyone, "And this is the master bedroom and that is his naked butt...".  "Oh sweet, we'll take it!"   

Dessert Gum

When you are on a strict sugar free diet and have a need, yes I believe need is the right word there, you have a need for something sweet, something dessert like, it can be torturous.  I have no idea if I punctuated that even remotely close to how it should be punctuated.  Just pause a bit after every comma, for effect.  Anyways, I sat down with a pack of Extra Dessert Delights Sugar free Gum - Root Beer Float flavor.  I am on my second piece already and since the flavor is fading I may need a third.  It is almost like I am drinking a delicious root beer beverage right now.  Well, not quite.  I mean the chewing of the gum kind of takes me away from a root beer float.  Regardless, there will be no legitimate Root Beer Floats so this dessert gum will have to do.  It is a treat and we do take simple pleasure in the simple things.       

FHE - Family Home Experiment

We belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We love it.  One of the things we have been counseled to do is to hold a weekly Family Home Evening.  Monday evenings are set aside for this purpose.  It can be a wonderful time together as a family and it can also provide an experience that must be similar in nature to walking through the very depths of hell.  It is a journey worth taking.  It is time together as a family and a fantastic oppotunity to teach the gospel and inspire rigtheousness.  As I alluded to, it can be a painful experience and there are times when you wonder why you are even bothering with it.  Well, we press forward doing what we have been asked to do and though there are some tough challenges that come our way we know that the Lord will see us through. 

Sometimes we simply have a ball as we learn from one another.  Such was the case tonight as Jack wanted to take charge of the activity.  His activity - drag racing hot wheels.  He came up with it and decided it needed to happen so that is what we did.  We each picked out two cars and then we raced them against each other to find a winner.  I ended up winning.  Beginners luck I think.  We had a good time.

As Jack was participating I asked him to say the opening prayer.  He did so and prayed that we would have a good Family Home Experiment.  I kind of chuckled to myself and thought it an appropriate title.   

Family History - James Clifford Griffin

A few days ago my mom sent out an email to the family where she shared the life history of her father, my grandfather, James Clifford Griffin.  I had not had a chance to read it.  I was deleting some junk mail today when Andy came in and asked if he could play a game.  I clicked on the email and told him he could after we read the email.  It probably took a little longer to get through than Andy was hoping for but it was a wonderful treat for me.  Naturally I cried a few times and Andy would look at my face and pat me on the back some.  I learned a number of things that I had not realized and also felt a connection with Grandpa Jim that I had not recognized until today.  He knows what it is like to be a single father working tirelessly to care for his children.  I was moved by his work ethic and his love for his family.  There were a couple of things I remember about Grandpa Jim that were not included.  I will add them at the end.  Anyway, thanks mom for taking the time to record this history and for sharing it.  James Clifford Griffin, my grandfather and a wonderful man. 

My dad, James Clifford Griffin, was born on December 19, 1911 in Oakland, California. His mother was Meta Leithoff and his father was John Henry Griffin.

There were 8 children in his family:
William Francis who only lived to be 3 years old and died before my dad was born

Raymond John who was born in 1904 and died at the age of 19 in 1923
Florence Kathryn who married Albert Hager and lived in San Francisco and San Mateo, California for most of her life. I remember visiting her in both places and playing with her grandchildren. We played lots of games at her house. She was born in 1905 and died in 1981. I remember that she always gave me pajamas for Christmas!
Evelyn Marie was born in 1905 and she married Frank Holecek. They had one son Robert and they lived in Oakland. They had a dog named Rusty. My family lived with them for about a year when I was in first grade. The neighborhood kids made a fort in her basement and we called it the Basement club. My Aunt Evy used to take my sister and I to Catholic Mass (Church) when we would come and visit her. I like to go there because I had to wear a hat when I went. We always had Christmas Eve at my Aunt Evy's house - someday I'll tell you about Christmas eve there... it was magical.
John Henry (Jack) was born in 1909 to 1953. I don't remember him although I was 3 when he died. My dad really loved this brother. I know he was very kind. He was crippled and had a hard time getting around. He never married. If I had been a boy my name would have also been John Henry for my uncle Jack and my Grandfather.
James Clifford is my dad. He was born on December 19, 19ll and died in February of 1993. I will tell you more about him later.
Edna Irene was born August 25, 1914. She married Bill Danska, they weren't able to have any children. We called her Auntie Perk. I loved to go to here house in Orinda because you had to travel through the Oakland Tunnel to get there and they had a swimming pool and basketball court in their backyard... plus they had a gulley down below where we could play in the little stream. My Auntie Perk died when I was only 8 years old on June 16, 1958 of a heart attack. I still remember staying overnight at her house and how kind she always was to me.
Grace Margaret is the aunt I remember the best. She was always lots of fun. She travelled all over the world (Germany, France, Japan) because her husband George was in the Army. She was born on July 25, 1916 and died on May 25, 1996. She had two daughters Gayle and Diane. I spent a lot of time with them. Auntie Gay was always so good to me and I love her so much.

My grandmother Meta died before I was born so I never knew her but I know that everyone loved her. She was born on April 3, 1883 in Hamburg, Germany and died on January 16, 1939 in Oakland, California. She was a widow for many years and raised my dad and his younger siblings alone. Her father was a sea captain and came to the United States after Meta was born.

My grandfather John Henry was born in San Francisco, California on November 20, 1971 and he died in August 1923. I never realized until writing this for you that he was a lot older than my grandmother. I don't know a lot about him except that my dad told me that he was a "promoter" in San Francisco and they named a street (Griffin Street) after him. I saw the street once but it is no longer there - I really don't know if my dad was kidding me or not. I was always told that my Grandfather was an orphan although I believe that from the 1880 census he is listed as a child of James Griffin which would have made him 8 years old at that time.

I am telling you about my dad's family because they were very important to him. I never heard him say a harsh or unkind word about any of his siblings. He was raised in a home full of family and he worked hard to help his mother after his father died. At a young age he would get up early in the morning and get newspapers that he sold on the street corners of Oakland. He also worked as a golf caddie. I don't really know a lot about his early years until he married my mother, Eileen Cockayne in January 16, 1943. He had been married before that to May Schultz but he never talked about that time with me... infact I was over 10 years old before I knew that he had been married before he married my mother.

During World War ll my father worked in the ship yards where he helped build and repair war ships. He had vericose veins and could not serve in the regular armed services.

I think my dad and my mother met in Lodi, California and I believe my dad was a milkman at the time. They were married somewhere in California and then lived in Lodi. My mother already had two boys, Steven Arthur and Carl Michael. I was not born for 7 1/2 years after they were married. I was born in Lodi, California on July 9, 1950 and my sister, Colleen (Kelly) was born on October 20, 1952. My dad was a policeman at that time.

After my sister was born my dad became sick with Polio. It did not cripple him or anything which was a great blessing.

My dad quit the police force sometime in the early 50's and went to work as a fireman. He did not like working as a fireman because there was too much "down time" where he had nothing to do. He liked being a policeman but was never able to do that again since he was in his 40's and too old in those days to work like that.

When I was 4 we sold our house in Lodi and moved to Salt Lake City. My dad worked at several jobs there including an insurance salesman. My mother's family was from Utah and so I think that is why they moved there. I do not think my dad liked the snow and ice and infact he fell on the ice and hurt something or other. He also had mumps while we lived there.

We moved back to California when I was in first grade. We lived with my Aunt Evy and Uncle Frank for a few months before we found a house in Berkeley. My dad worked first for Hertz Truck Rental and then transferred over to Hertz Car Rental. He stayed with Hertz until he retired in 1970 something. He started as a book keeper and was promoted to an assistant manager in Oakland then to San Francisco as an assistant manager and finally as a General manager in Oakland.

When I turned 7 my Auntie Perk died and so we moved to Orinda to live with and help my Uncle Bill. We lived there for a year and we loved it but my Uncle remarried and so we moved to Berkeley on Solano Avenue. I remember my dad teaching me about work. I would mow the strip of lawn and help pull weeds. We would enter my earnings on a log book and he tried to teach me about book-keeping. During this time I remember that my dad also worked at a second job painting CF on Certified Trucks. I thought he was brilliant being able to do that so perfectly because I never realized that he probably had a stencil to work with. My dad worked many long hard hours so that my mom could stay home with Kelly and me. I have always been grateful for that because by the time I was 14 and Kelly was 12 my mother died of cancer. I am so thankful that we had as much time as we did with her.

Another thing that was a great blessing to me is that my father borrowed money one year so that our family could take a trip across the country to New Jersey to visit with my brother Mike and his wife Kathy. We also visited in Washington DC with my mother's sister Alice and her family. It was a most wonderful trip that I have never forgotten but also knowing that within a year my mom would be sick and then die, I am so grateful that my dad spent that money on our family so that we could share that time, but also so that my mom could have that chance to see her sister and her son again.

After my mother died October 19, 1964 my dad, my sister, and I moved to Castro Valley, California to live nearer my Auntie Gay. My dad did a good job raising my sister and I during this time. It was not easy for him to be a single parent. He made sure that we were provided for. He took us on several trips and day trips. One I remember was to Lake Tahoe so we could see the snow (we loved the snow in those days and we didn't get snow where we lived). Another was to Seattle, Washington and then down through Idaho and to see our mother's family in Salt Lake.

I also remember several trips when my mom was alive. We went to Disneyland one year when I was 8 and we also visited Catalina Island and some other sites in Los Angelas. When I was a little older we went to Tucson, Arizona one year and also visited the Grand Canyon.

The Oakland Temple was dedicated the same year that my mother died and during the week she died we went to see the temple together. I think it was a comfort to my father. Although he never joined the church he was very supportive. He always made sure that we got to church and seminary and our mutual activities. He helped me memorize my Articles of Faith. He attended all of our programs and frequently came to Sacrament meetings.

My dad had several activities that he enjoyed. He played baseball with our Orinda Ward team and had such a great time. He would be so sore at night after he had played but he would go back the next week and play again! He especially loved to play golf and played with a group weekly until he had a stroke in 1989. One of his golfing buddies put some golf balls with him in his casket (just in case the play golf in heaven). He also watched Friday Night Fights (or maybe it was Wednesday Night Fights) every week.

My dad was very good to his little girls. He loved to sing songs in the car with my mom but also liked to sing songs and dance with us having us stand on his feet. In our Berkeley 2^ndward we had a Primary Girls dance every year. My dad would buy us a corsage and take us to dinner and then to the dance. It was a special evening!

After we moved to Castro Valley we lived in an apartment house for a couple of years. In 1967 my dad married Marie and we lived in a house close by your Grandpa Jim. My dad and Marie were married for over 25 years. They also lived in Alameda and San Leandro, California. My dad was a very friendly person and he had a lot of friends in those areas.

My dad and Marie came to visit our family when we moved to Carson City and then later when we moved to Salt Lake City and also to Honolulu, Hawaii. They were always good to their grandchildren and never forgot a birthday or Christmas presents.

When my dad was about 78 he had a stroke and had to stay in a wheelchair after that. We (meaning Grandpa Jim and me and our family) got to see him when we came back from living in Honolulu. We got to visit a few times before he died in 1993.

He was a very kind man and he taught me many things about being honest and trying to do my best. One year he asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and although I was just 8 I thought I might like to become the first woman president of the United States. I remember that he didn’t even laugh at that but encouraged me to do whatever I set my mind to. I decided later to just be a mom and when you are a mom of 8 active children I think you just might work as hard or harder than the President of the United States.

He always worked hard and made sure he did a good job. When he was living in San Leandro he had a little garden that was on his property and he liked to show the kids (your Aunts and Uncles) what he was growing.

My dad was also very artistic. He painted Christmas pictures on our house windows several times when I was growing up. I thought they were fantastic. He also had the most beautiful handwriting I have ever seen. No one has ever matched his ability to have such beautiful penmenship. I will try and find something he has written so you can see how perfect and beautiful it was. He was also a perfect bow tier and my mother would always have him tie bows for my sister and my dresses when we were growing up!

I know there are other things I would like to tell you about my father. I will work on that so that you can get to know him better. Lots of things I do not know because he didn’t talk a lot and I wasn’t smart enough to ask the right questions. I am glad that your mom has asked you to find out more about your ancestors so that you can have a closer feeling to them. I can tell you that if you grow up to be as fine a man as your great-grandpa Jim… you will have done well in your life. I know you will look forward to the day when you can meet him in Heaven.


I mentioned I would add a couple of things and so I will.  Grandpa loved to watch baseball.  It was common to find a game on the tv when we went to visit.  He loved the game.  I have in my possession still today a handkerchief that has the A's logo in the middle and says Beat the Yankees! on it.  It is great.  I remember playing catch with him in the street in front of his house - that is baseball catch and we could have done it for hours and it was a regular part of our visits. 

Mom mentioned the garden.  He did love it and he did walk us around out back to show us the planter boxes that were always well maintained.  I don't recall anything he grew in that garden with the exception of strawberries.  Beautiful red strawberries ready to be eaten.  I am sure there were plenty of other things growing in his garden but it was hard for me to get beyond those strawberries. 

During our garden visits Grandpa Jim would often take those opportunities to sneak a little smoke.  Grandma Marie was not a fan of his smoking and so that was his secret smoke time.  On that same note let me just say that during my last visit with him before he passed I stood at his bedside with Jim.  Jim had just returned home from his mission and I was just getting ready to leave.  He gave us some council that day that involved our obstaining from alchohol and tobacco.  He talked about those as regrets in his life and was very clear that we should not touch it and that we should take care of ourselves.  I have ever remembered that council. 

I would like to include that recently my brother Jim had the opportunity to perform the temple work on behalf of Grandpa Jim.  That was a real treat for him and for all of us.  So very grateful for that and the small miracles that allowed for that to happen. 

Anyway, I love James Clifford Griffin.  I am grateful for his life, for his love of family, for his intergrity.  Thank you mom for sharing this peice of our family history. 
       

It Hurts!

I really have no idea what my tolerance for pain is.  I don't know if I am a wuss or if I actually have a higher than average tolerance for pain.  None of that really matters.  What I am getting at is that my lower back is killing me.   Oh my goodness does it hurt.  I was in some serious pain earlier today and periodically throughout the day.  Pain to the point that there is no way to be comfortable.  It isn't much fun I can tell you that. 

Scent Memory

I believe it was Old Spice that used to run commercials where they referenced the power of scent and how it can bring back memories.  Not in those exact terms mind you, just the idea that scent is tied to memory.  This morning I got out of the shower and when I smelled my towel I immediately saw myself in the middle of an ABC Store in Waikiki when I went there on vacation with the folks and Jim way back in 1985.  We're talking 28 years ago and I can remember being there, looking at monkey's carved into coconuts, little bags of sand, shells and ocean water, flip flops, beach mats and much more.  That is a pretty crazy thing to experience in such a sudden way.  Pretty cool.  I do know one thing for certain - it's about time to wash my towel. 

DA EYE EH TAH

The diet, we're always on one.  Just what kind of diet are you on?  I have been on the eat what ever I want diet for the last while and decided that I need to get back on a slightly stricter one.  Cutting out sugar, breads and other things while also cutting down on the portions.  This along with increased water intake.  That would be a quick summary.  Dave and I are doing it together and should draw to a close right at Thanksgiving.  To a close - not really, just to the next stage.  Gotta love a good diet. 

Mr. Degreaser

I earned the nickname Mr. Degreaser a couple of years ago when we began converting over the old Ron and Chris Bakery into The Little Brick House.  I went through quite a bit of degreaser on that occasion and put my pressure washer to the test.  Grease is a nasty part of the restaraunt industry.  It is a part of it though.  We have some pretty fantastic chemicals through one of our suppliers.  One is called Greaselift and it works very well.  I had decided there were a few things that needed to be cleaned and went for it.  The ducting for the exhaust hood is pretty nasty.  It isn't super bad on the sides but on top of it I was laterally shoveling grease off the top.  I got a pretty good section done but still have a long way to go.  I prefer to have things clean and don't mind putting in some effort to help keep them that way.  They call me Mr. Degreaser!

Voting

I was driving home tonight and stopped by South Elementary so I could cast my vote for the next Mayor or Cedar City and to vote for City Council members as well.  I was just looking at the results and noticed that Maile Wilson appears to have won the race with 100% reporting completed.  The results however are not official so I don't know that she has officially been declared the winner.  Anyhow, I voted for Maile and feel she will do a great job.  I am hopeful of that anyway.  The interesting thing to me was looking at the total number of votes cast.  It was quite low.  The report says that we have 13,059 registered voters and the number of cards cast was only 3,926.  That is well under 50% of registered voters casting a vote.  If my quick math is right that is less than 30%.  That is sad in my opinion.  Very sad. 

I wonder what the outcry would be if the right to vote was taken away?  Alas, that will not happen.  We live in a wonderful Country that guarantees us that right and I guess it guarantees us the right not to vote as well.  Unfortunately there are many who do not vote but are filled with discontent and are quite vocal at there displeasure with the goings on in our government.  When you elect not to vote do you really have a platform?  I wish we would see a greater turnout. 

I can't help but think about the 1994 Elections in South Africa.  I was serving as a Missionary in the South Africa Capetown Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints at the time.  These elections were the first time that all South Africans could vote the vast majority took seriously that responsibility.  Nelson Mandela was elected president and it was a time of great change in the country.  That right to vote was not taken lightly.  No, it was cherished.    

A Dizzy Mess

When I got up this morning I could hardly function.  I was extremely dizzy and had a hard time trying to focus.  I had to take several time outs as I got the boys ready for school and somehow managed to walk Andy to school and make it back home with out killing over.  That is a huge relief as I am sure you can imagine.  I mean just killing over suddenly is one of the big worries of my life.  Not really.  I did however return home, make a call to Dave about not coming in for a while and then I passed out for a solid three hours.  I am still not feeling all that well but I am no longer a dizzy mess so that is a good thing.  I managed to go in for a bit this afternoon and discussed some of our breakfast recipes as we open for breakfast in the morning.  I suppose I should post something about that but I think we are short a couple of things and probably don't want to broadcast it out. 

Anyhow, we had a wonderful evening here at home.  Chocolate chip pancakes for dinner, great Family Home Evening lesson on the blessings of paying tithing and an examination of the conference talk by Elder Bednar, lots of laughs looking at funny pictures online and reading a chapter of The Great Brain.  We had a good time and now I am completely wiped out and ready for bed.  Hopefully I will wake up feeling much better and ready to go tomorrow.  There is much to do. 

The Boy has Faith

There was a time a few years ago when Jack would not allow me to give him a fathers blessing.  The night before school as we gathered for back to school blessings he refused and so Natty and Andy received blessings and we passed on Jack.  I wondered that night if we would ever reach a point where he would allow me to give him a blessing.  This is not because he was angry with me or because he was anti church.  He simply has sensory issues and I am assume that he was scared of having hands placed on his head. 

Over the last few years he has become much more comfortable with Priesthood blessings and has occasionally requested one.  Over the last couple months since returning home from Alaska he has requested blessings much more frequently.  When he sees something or reads something that frightens him he asks for a blessing.  When he simply wants to be comforted he asks for a blessing.  He is not afraid to ask.  He has a testimony of the Priesthood.  I am grateful for that testimony.  I am grateful for his faith.  I am grateful to be his father and to have the opportunity to lay my hands on his head often.  I am grateful for the example he is to me and to Natty and Andy.  His faith in the Priesthood helps me to want to live worthy to exercise it on behalf of each of my children and others who would call. 

Kick Em in the Ice Hole

We have a little joke in the family about how to catch a Polar Bear.  I don't know if I have shared it on the blog previously or not and since I am not about to look through every post I am just going to share it again. 

Do you know how to catch a Polar Bear?
Well, first you cut a hole in the ice.
Then you put peas around the hole.
Next you hide and wait.
When a Polar Bear comes along and bends over to take a pea...
You kick him in the ice hole. 

Such a great joke and it has a spin off on how to catch a Grizzly Bear but I will save that for another time.  Okay, we'll do it now. 

Do you know how to catch a Grizzly Bear?
Well, first you build a bonfire.
Then you dig a big hole. 
After the bonfire goes out you put the ashes in the hole.
Put peas around the outside of the hole.
Next you hide and wait.
When a Grizzly Bear comes along and bends over to take a pea...
You kick him in the ash hole.

Can it get any better than that?  Okay fine, bad jokes but we love them. 

I spent a bit of time today in the ice hole we call a walk in freezer at the Brick House.  There was a little problem with how it was set up and on defrost mode we had water spilling all over the floor, freezing and building up.  In a month it had reached 3 inches thick in some areas and it was only getting worse.  I turned on the defrost mode and went to work.   I had to make a change to the drain, pull out some frozen crates and bucket and then I went about trying to de-ice the floor.  That ended up being a bit of a chore that involved salting, sledge hammering, scraping, dock brushing and squeegie-ing if there is such a word.  There was an old, beat up linoleum on the floor that shattered and came out with the ice.  The freezer room is just a room that was insulated and had some plastic wall panels put up and the air handler mounted inside.  It is old and has fallen apart some but it stays plenty cold and the unit works great.  While working on it I figured it will be a bigger project for another day or two when I can empty it out, fix the ceiling, walls and light fixture then install a new floor.

Anyhow, it was a good project.  I got just about all of the ice off the floor and out of there, established a new system for taking out the condensate, adjusted the drain set up and cleaned out other items that were not needed in the room.  It went pretty well especially since I kept my laser beam focus and didn't get distracted by delicious peas surrounding some random hole. 

Elbow Grease

I don't know about you but I think that grease is pretty nasty stuff.  I'm not real sure what this elbow grease is but it doesn't sound real pleasant.  Is that grease that randomly drips out of you elbow and can be used in a variety of ways?  Obviously it is just an expression that means to put some extra effort into it.  Anyhow, I used as much elbow grease today as I could muster.  Had a few greasy things that needed some attention and degreasing is one of those things that I just like to do I guess.