Thoughts and stories, by Pal

These are beautiful new works of art that you will enjoy. New LDS Art that Will Change How You See the Gospel (& the Stories Behind Them) LDS LIVING STAFF - On LDS Living November 13, 2014 We Latter-day Saints love filling our homes with faithful and beautiful artwork, from pictures of temples to depictions of Christ’s life. Other images representing scripture stories and LDS values are also just as inspiring. Read on to find new favorite paintings and sculptures for your home, and learn the significance behind each of these 12 stunning pieces of art that bring light and truth into our lives. Ruth SANDRA RAST It took close to a year of on-and-off work for LDS painter Sandra Rast to complete  Ruth , but the end result was worth the wait.  About the stunning painting, Rast says, “I put the beauty and softness in her eyes to represent the beauty of her inner attributes, that she’s good and gracious with dignity and charity on the inside. You  hav...

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013, I DECIDED TO START A BLOG.  MY IDEA WAS TO HOPEFULLY POST STORIES MY POSTERITY WOULD WANT TO READ THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND ALSO PUT DOWN SOME OF MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.  I ALSO HOPED IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT OF A MISSIONARY TOOL, AND HOPEFULLY THAT HAS HAPPENED, AS I LOVE TO SEE THE MANY COUNTRIES WHERE SOMEONE HAS READ THIS BLOG.  SOME OF THOSE COUNTRIES ARE: United States, Canada, Sweden, France, Germany, India, Russia, Poland, Turkey, Belarus, Ukraine, Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, Netherlands, and United Kingdom.  (I hope I haven't missed yours).  I hope you use the "translate" button, and that it works!  The "Popular Posts" I have listed today are the all-time favorites. TODAY I WILL PUT IN MY BLOG THE LIST OF THE ENTRIES FROM # 101 TO # 200.  I HAVEN'T GOT THE LIST UP TO # 285, WHICH THIS IS, AND THAT WILL COME AFTER I GET TO # 300.  I PLAN TO LIST THE TOPICS I HAVE WRITTEN EACH TIME I CO...

This is an interesting sequel to blog # 278 about floating islands.  It gives insight into how some people live today, without modern technology. By Daris Howard  · November 11, 2014, in Meridian Magazine Ancient And Modern Technology We had just finished touring the first of the floating islands of Lake Titicaca, with the rest of the day ahead of us to visit others. As we gathered back to our boat, some Peruvian men rowed up in a boat they had made from the same reeds as the islands. It was designed in the same Peruvian style as their ancestors had done for thousands of years. For only ten sol each (about $3.50) they offered to transport anyone around the lake to the other islands that we planned to visit. Our whole group was fascinated by the boat and gathered around it. It was an incredible feat of ancient engineering with tightly interwoven reeds, even boasting a second story. It was rowed by two men who also steered it. When the men...

Sorry, I inserted this by accident.  I hope you enjoyed reading it again!  As of today, I am about back to normal with my arm recovered from rotator cuff surgery, and 6 weeks of physical therapy.  This was first published on June 4, 2014, before I even knew I would have surgery on August 25, 2014. ---------I am so grateful today that I am finally feeling almost back to normal!  For almost 2 months I have not been feeling well, some days worse than others.  It seems that I had been taking ibuprophen and aspirin too often, and it irritated my stomach so I was feeling nauseated a lot of the time.  After a stomach scope I knew I didn't have stomach ulcers, or stomach cancer, for which I am very thankful!  I can't imagine what people go through that have those ailments. Three times, on particularly miserable days, my husband Wayne gave me a Priesthood blessing, each time assuring me I would recover completely from this ailment.  But as usually is...

Today I'm honoring my father, Orson Pratt Miles, who was in World War I, and also my husband, Wayne D Eckman, who was in the army during the Korean War.  But Wayne didn't go to Korea -- instead, he and his twin brother Blaine were sent to Europe.  I'm posting an entry about my father, and you can find more about him in posts #;s 153, 33, 34, 37, 227, 28, 7, 85 -- (and others.)  He is listed under "Miles Orson Pratt", in the "Labels" and also under "My father Pratt".  I probably should have them all together! My father Pratt was a very sensitive soul, and he was on the front lines, either in France or Germany -- I'm not sure which.  But the "shell shock" left him with a full disability, and he had poor health the rest of his 84 years.  Also my husband, Wayne, was never on front lines, but he and his twin brother served in Trieste, and Austria, and were blessed to never have to actually fight.  There are posts about him and B...