Thoughts and stories, by Pal

Today is our 61st Anniversary, and the first one  without Wayne with me!  I am posting what I  did last year, and also below about our 60th Wedding Anniversary Party a few days before. I'm spending the day with memories -- -It's been  7 months and 3 days since he passed away . THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015 502. Swedish Pancakes (recipe) for Breakfast for our 60th Wedding Anniversary today! It is right now 6:37 a.m. and I can't sleep.  So much has been going on in my mind about the last 60 years.   When we were married in 1955, life was quite different.  Wayne had returned home from the army, after serving there after his mission to Sweden in 1950-1953.  He had the GI Bill which helped us get through college, and we were both ready to be married.  He had turned 25 years old in the last week, and I was still 20, but would turn 21 on October 6th soon.     F...

Good reasons for the trials we face, and conquer, in life! These are good uplifting thoughts for the day! The poem “Good Timber” quoted by Pres. Monson at General Conference “Good Timber” by  Douglas Malloch Good Timber by Douglas Malloch The tree that never had to fight For sun and sky and air and light, But stood out in the open plain And always got its share of rain, Never became a forest king But lived and died a scrubby thing. The man who never had to toil To gain and farm his patch of soil, Who never had to win his share Of sun and sky and light and air, Never became a manly man But lived and died as he began. Good timber does not grow with ease: The stronger wind, the stronger trees; The further sky, the greater length; The more the storm, the more the strength. By sun and cold, by rain and snow, In trees and men good timbers grow. Where thickest lies the forest growth, We find the patriarchs of both. And they hold counsel wit...

I had my last child, Jeremy Miles Eckman, 42 years ago today! He had 5 older sisters, and 3 older brothers, and "older" parents, as I would turn 40 in 2 weeks.  He was so loved by us all, especially his 5 older sisters, who loved to dress him up, and take care of him.  I remember, as we lived in Sandy at the time, how he would love to go into our garden in the back yard, and eat whatever he could -- mostly peas from the pod -- as it was growing.  He was so good-natured and happy.  As our next oldest, Pamela, was almost 4 years older, he and I spent many happy hours together, going places and talking a lot.  He loved to learn about anything and everything. This first family picture is of our family when Jeremy was about 9 months old.  His older brother Wayne, who had come home from college at age 18, to see his youngest brother was ready to go on his mission.  Jeremy's next oldest brother was 11 years older, and Allen was 13 1/2 years older than h...