News about my new story, entitled Stand Up For Right, Mr. Horatio Crow

     I wrote it!

Cinnamon Roll Fun

     This morning I made a batch of cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  I thought they would take too long to rise but the book I was using, Whole Foods For The Whole Family from La Leche League, said I could use the rapid rise method in the oven for 20 minutes before they were baked!  They were so good.  And all without sugar.  Perhaps you could make them with your mother.

Quiet, Please

     I am writing a new story entitled Stand Up For Right, Mr. Horatio Crow.  Quiet, while I think, please.

Pews - A Poem by Joanne Morris Okano

Pews are warm.
Pews are soft.
I fall asleep.

The Benefits Of Journal-Writing

     I love writing in my journal.  But too often in the past I have been brief.  What a wonderful blessing it is to write in your journal and leave a record for your posterity, you think?  Yes, but I had not been writing enough at times.  And focusing on the positive at all times.  Yesterday I did both.  And did I ever feel good when I retired to bed, feeling the Holy Spirit, that I had done my best at journal-writing!

Kitchen Comedy

Dear Readers,

     I thought this time, I'd tell you about my day.  I found a way to spend time with my youngest, Somerset Okano.  At 14, he's quite difficult to please.  He wants to go out and be with his friends.  I let him, but I also want to be with him too.
  
    My first kitchen comedy started earlier today when I was making supper.  I almost dropped a full pasta dish on the ground - oops!  Then I left the plastic wrap on and was about to put it in the oven when I realized what I was doing and took it off.   Later I made a cake mix go iffy by mixing it without the oil ingredient - who would have known that it would look nice without it?  At the last minute I spied the oil in a mixing jug at the side of the kitchen.  Always put your ingredients in one place where you can find them when you're baking a cake like I don't so you know what you're doing, children.  I put the cake in the oven and waited.  Then Somy and I sat down to cake and storytime, children.  Have you ever done that?  Well, I must tell you, it's fun.  We read two stories, children's stories mind you for Somy and me from a book you may remember from your youth, parents.  It's called Uncle Arthur's Storytime and it's about volume 12.

     There, I've said my part.  What about you?  What did you do today?  Write about it in your journal, if you like.

     All the best, Joanne

Excerpts From My Diary In '05 by Joanne Morris Okano

May 07 '05
Had a lovely day.  Had a funny time conducting music in Relief Society.  I almost missed conducting the second verse.  Then I conducted 3/4 time when it was supposed to be 4/4 time!  What a funny day.

May 10 '05
Had a nice time visiting children.  Brigham was doing his Spanish, Shoshana read my journal entry for the 07th and laughed.

May 11th '05
I saw love on the floor.  Love on the floor looks like this:  a cracker and a kinder spoon.  The cracker is wedged almost under the edge of the refrigerator.

May 12th '05
I am having a great day.  The Ungers are so kind to me.  Went home to see the children.  It was nice to see them.
Once upon a time there was a princess in a far away land.  She had many servants and they lived in a palace in a far away land.  They lived in the forest when they were wanted by the law and couldn't live at the palace but the law was wrong and they were the good guys.  Many people wanted to meet them but it was a long way to the forest and they couldn't meet them just yet.  They couldn't meet them at all. It was impossible.

May 13th '05
What a wonderful spirit there was at Stake Conference.

May 14th '05
What a wonderful night we had.  The children learned, Brigham and Paul that is, about Galileo and how he stood up for right and Nick played with his toy soldiers.  We went to Brother Styba's funeral and were very sad.

May 15th '05
I had a fine day.  I met a fine new friend today, a man.  My daughter made me proud tonight.  She led the Young Women's Values.  I got her books from the library.

May 16th '05
I had such a good day today.  I went home and taught Paul spelling and vocabulary, the spelling word meanings, and we read a French book together.  We love him.

May 17th '05
(Following are two sketches of dresses and a triangle.  No idea what that was about.)
Went home and saw the children.  Started on the reports.  Love them.  Felt great joy.

May 21st '05
Danced cheerfully to the Yugoslavian music.  Have a wonderful life.  Phoned the children four times today.

May 23rd '05
I had a nice day.  The sun was shining.

Fri
Walked and walked and walked and walked!  Had a nice time finishing my moccasins.

Sat
Had a nice time today.  Felt God's love pouring down from Heaven.

Tues
Joy was felt this morning.

Sat
Found joy in walking outside in the sunshine.

Sun
Had a lovely phone call with the boys.  What I love most about them is that they're nice people.

Mon
Went to the mall for Family Home Evening.  A beautiful evening - nice weather.

Tues
I went to Dundarave and had a fun time.  It was so fun.  The sun was shining.  I feel great about life.

Sun
I'm having a great day and miracles are happening.  Talked to Shoshana on the phone.  Love talking to her.

Mon
Had a nice walk through the shopping centre.  It was nice talking to the children today.

Sun
Made soybeans for lunch.  Had one of the loveliest days of my life recently.  Enjoyed my walk so much.

T
Really enjoyed my sleep last night.  Yesterday was misty rainy weather which I love.

W 29
Had a very funny day.  I couldn't decide what to do.  I phoned my children.  They weren't home.

F 31
Had a nice night's rest.  I really believe in love.

S
I miss the children.  I'm looking forward to seeing them.

W
Sunshine flowed in through the bedroom windows this morning.  Good day.  Great feelings.

T
I had a great time talking to Shoshana.  Be patient and all will be well.

W
Had a happy day.  Had a worth-it time.  Jesus loves us.  I can't believe what a nice day I had.
Memories are made that will never be forgotten.

Sat July
Had such a nice day yesterday.  My dress is coming along nicely.

Sun
Spent a worth-it time today.  Enjoyed thinking about the children.  I really enjoy life.  The Prophet loves us.
A shopping list
brown shoelaces
buckets
art materials
I phoned Somerset and had a nice conversation.

T
It was a sunny day at Dundarave.

W
I miss the children, Shoshana, Brigham, Paul, and Somerset.
Had a really nice time.  I'm having a really good time because I have the funnest time.  God loves us!

Th
I had a fine time at the mall after a good time with my children Paul, Brigham and Nick.  Shoshana was at Trek.

F
Lunch was so good.  I'm so thankful I get enough to eat.  Had a nice walk in the rain.

S
Made some new friends.
Walked to the beach.  Sat on a log and tied my homemade moccasins. Walked along the pier and looked out to sea.  Had a very fun time!

S
Enjoyed writing to Somerset yesterday.  Had a lovely day.  The weather was lovely and I enjoyed so much looking at the (trees) view, which is fabulous.  Wow!

M
Had a lovely walk in the sunshine to mail Shoshana's letter.  I sure love the sunshine.  I enjoyed writing to Shoshana in the night time.

T
I went out on a nice date ~.  Walked all over in the sunshine.  I had a pleasant morning and an even better afternoon having a nice day.   I went by myself.  I wanted to be with you guys - Shoshana, Brigham, Paul and Nick.

W
I had a nice day.  Went for a walk and how very much I enjoyed it!  I'm so glad I mailed Paul's letter!  How much I enjoyed lunch - liver, salad and potato.

T
What a very nice day I had yesterday walking out in the sun and the sand.  Enjoyed watching the birds, and seeing everything God made.

F
I had a good day.  I walked along the road.  I stayed out until 10.30 and my parents called the police.

Sat
Had a wuthering day.

Sun
I really miss those children.

Mon
A lot of people love us.

Tues
I really enjoyed writing to the children today.  I ate good soup potato-mushroom.

Th
I love my children and I miss them.

Fri
I have a compulsion obsessive compulsion called the Goldilocks syndrome.  I go from bed to sofa to sofa to bed to try to find somewhere comfortable to sleep.  To boot, the three bears are coming.

S
Wrote to Somy on his birthday (ahead of time, his birthday's on Wednesday  oh no it's on Friday or is it on Tuesday I can't remember).
Can't believe what's going on in my life - in a positive way of course!

M 9th A
I was ecstatic that Paul phoned.  I was scared of life but I'm realizing that life is better than it seems.

T 10 A
I had a very nice night.

W 11 A
I felt God's love all over Switzerland (Note:  I was in British Columbia).  The weather is beautiful.
I miss my children.  They are such a joy to me.  Listened to music today.  Wrote in my journal.  The Lord loves us!

F
Had a really nice day.  Walked a long way.

S
I had a great day today.  Auntie Pam and I are great buds.

S
Had a lovely day today.

Th
I'm so glad I'm having a wonderful day.  I'm having a great day sewing.

F
Sewed some.  Had a nice day.

Sunday
Today is a day of thankfulness.

Monday
Had a nice day dancing.

Wed
Pocahontas ate berries and juice. I wanted to see the children again.

Thurs
Had the best day of my life in a way.  I miss my children like the bees knees.  I saw a vision of them on the bridge.

Fri
I had a happy day.  It was happy.  I haven't had such a happy day in a year.

Sun
I had races over the hills. President Hinckley as I imagined ran down the hills and the giants ran after.  I'm a children's writer and that's what I saw.

     That's all the excerpts, children.  Ta-da!

17 New Words And Expressions and Customs I Learned When I Came From England To B.C.

1.  In England we said, "I puttered about all morning," whereas in B.C. we said, "I pottered about."

2.  In England there were lorries, and in B.C. there were trucks.

3.  In England sometimes people push into a queue (or barge into a queue),  whereas in B.C. sometimes people budge into a line.

4.  In England we have problems, whereas in B.C. we have issues and concerns.

5.  In England people eat courgettes (small) and marrow(big), and in B.C. we eat zucchini (big or small).

6.  In England we eat aubergine, and in B.C. we eat eggplant. 

7.  In England we visit the W.C., or better still we go to see a man about a dog, and in B.C. we visit the washroom.

8.  In England the police are sometimes called coppers and in B.C. they are sometimes called cops.

9.  This is not a new word or an expression, but another funny thing I found out when I moved here, is in England if you cry for a minute, someone hugs you and you get better in a minute and go on, whereas in B.C. if you cry for a minute they give you a pill and you're classed as sick (manic depressive) for years.  

10.  In England, children have Mummies and in B.C., Moms.

11.  In England we put the luggage in the boot of the car and in B.C., it goes in the trunk.

12.  In England there are bumps in the road to get you to drive slowly called "sleeping policemen" and in B.C. they are called "speed bumps".

13.  In England nursing a baby includes breastfeeding, bouncing him or her or your knee etc. whereas in B.C. it strictly means breastfeeding.

14.  In England the customs officials joke a lot, at least in the past, whereas in B.C., they prefer not to joke.
15.  In England some babies suck on a dummy and in B.C. the same thing is called a soother.
16.  In England they have au pairs, women who come from foreign lands to learn English in classes, and who look after the children for part of the day, and have part of the day off to go to class.  In B.C. I have never heard of an exact equivalent, although they do have homestay students.
17.  In England they have red double decker buses for the cities and towns and green line buses for the countryside.  In B.C., although they do have red double decker buses for tourists, they have buses for the city and the country that look the same except for smaller ones for little used routes.

Journal

     Yesterday I had one of the best days of my life.  I felt peace, joy and gratitude.  I enjoyed the warm summer sunshine.  I spent five minutes drawing a copy of a Richard Scarry fox.  Copying the work of another artist is a traditional way, over the centuries, for newbie artists to learn their craft.   I also spent another five minutes making guess what ?  a carrier pigeon out of origami, the ancient Japanese paper-folding art.

Flower Talk

     Flowers talk too you know.  One night I was lying in bed with the lights out when a flutey voiced so-and-so disturbed me, talking to the roses in the bedroom.
    
     "Mummy loves us, but she doesn't feed us any water."

     Oh, dear, I thought, I must do something about that in the morning.

     Next morning came and I went over to the plant in question and felt the soil.  Damp.

     "Joking!"  came the flutey voice.

The Prophet

     There is a prophet in our Church called President Monson.  He is 85 and over, I won't mention how old.  We listen to him and obey him if we are faithful members.  I have had many ups and downs in this area, so I won't brag about it.  Over and out.

Learning About God As A Youngster

     In our Church, we have something called Family Prayer and Family Scripture Study.  We try to be consistent on a daily basis, calling together our families to pray twice daily and study the word of God once each day.  It is amazing to me, that children from very young and young people into their teens are willing and eager to come and learn more about God because they want to go to Heaven.  It is the father's duty to gather the family together for this purpose, or the mother's if there is no father in the home.  If you call and they don't come for study and prayer time, you are just supposed to go ahead and read scriptures and pray without them though, so it is not a forced thing, but I find that unless mine are sleeping or out or busy doing something they can't easily break off from right away (in which last case we usually wait until they are ready to come to the table because they are usually willing) they rally to the table soon.

Springbok, The Kitty's Further Adventures

     Just at that moment a bark was heard.  It was Eli, the new dog.
     Oh no, a dog, too?  thought Springbok and Elizabeth.  Where did he come from?  The garden, it seemed, with muddy paw prints all over the furniture too.  What a mess he was.  He was quickly ushered out by the new owner.  Where have my owners gone to?  queried Springbok to himself.  Everything was changing and in an uproar.  Have you ever had that happen?  When everything in life seems strange?  I have, when my children were taken away.
      My children got taken away and I didn't know what had happened to them.  Things were strange and I didn't know what to make of it.
      Eli,  the dog, didn't know what was happening either.  Sometimes nobody knows what is happening.  It's that way sometimes.
     But Eli got to know Elizabeth and her partner and got to love them.  It's that way sometimes.  So don't worry if things don't turn out the way you want, sometimes better things happen.

The End

Springbok, The Kitty

      Springbok, the kitty, came in through the cat-door and smelled something suspicious.  There was another cat in the house.
      Springbok roamed around looking for clues.  Who had taken over his domain?  The next clue he found was the body of a mouse.  It was on the kitchen floor.  Someone had taken over his duties.  Who was it, he wondered?  Then there was the limit.  He found someone, a tabby cat, sleeping in his bed, of all places.  He was a polite cat, so he waited until the stranger woke and then asked his name.
       Elizabeth, she purred.
       That's a girl's name, he thought.  Pleased to meet you, he quickly replied.

The End

Thought for the day

It matters what you do with your life, not just what happens to you.

Tandem Nursing

I was a tandem nurser.

Flower Thank you

      Thanks to all the people who gave me flowers...I feel like I'm living in a palace!

Family Home Evening Prayers Are Answered

Dear Readers,

     Tonight I had prepared a lesson on how to make and keep friends, after praying for guidance about what my family needed to hear about.  When my sons Paul and Somy arrived at my home tonight Paul was wondering aloud how he could make more friends!  So it was what he needed.  We sang The Happy Wanderer too, and played a board game.  Both boys were so kind and well behaved.  We had a very nice evening, all in all.

All the best,

     Joanne

Friends

It's nice to see old pictures of relatives and friends.

Angels Sing

     I am still looking for a husband.  The angels sing for me when I think about two guys I like.  I asked the Lord why it is taking so long for me to find a husband and the answer I received is that I am so funny to watch when I am looking for a husband.

Thought For The Day

You never know what will turn up, because life is full of little surprises...

Homeschooling In Heaven - Part 4

     Moated sandcastles were built and it was time to wend their way home and make supper.  As the sun was setting they sang Primary songs until they reached the path to their home.  The slow cooker supper was ready, Mummy remembered and slowed down to make a phone call to Dad.

      "Finished making a world for the day?"  she said, like a queen.
      The volume went up in the room and the children, Shoshana, Brigham, Paul and Somy, had fun dancing around in a circle to music on the stereo.  Mummy fled to the bedroom to hear the rest of the telephone conversation and reassure Daddy that dinner would indeed be ready when he arrived home that night.  It was goulash, Daddy's favourite.  A few minutes later, he came through the door, greeted by everyone warmly.  The music went lower in volume and they all sat down gladly to eat supper after a prayer.  After dinner, Oma Verwest came round and handed out candies for everyone from her all-inclusive handbag.  Also Grandma Morris came by, who although during her life on earth carried a bottle of alcohol in her handbag was in Heaven a drinker of wine, but didn't carry it in her handbag.  (Jesus drinks wine in Heaven.)

      They had their lessons at the seaside for the rest of the week and then they came home and baked apple turnovers.

The End

Homeschooling In Heaven - Part 3

     When the children had finished making their Hispanic dioramas, they all trooped down to the sea for the rest of the day.

     Now I have to explain something here.  There were four children in this family, but Somy, the youngest, chose to attend school so he could be with his friends.  After one day however, he decided he'd seen his friends and came home to be with the family.  So over the sand dune with Aunt Lily came Somy.

To Be Continued

Thought for the day

Enjoy life!  Savour every minute!
I enjoy life more when I eat wheat berries and bulgar wheat more and eat less bread because I am healthier and have a better quality life.

Homeschooling In Heaven continued Part 2

     So now was their chance.  The children played a bit of leapfrog out on the lawn and then came inside for a talk on the history of Spain from Mother, about Moors and Jews and Christians living together in harmony .for several hundred years.

To Be Continued

The Homeschooling Family In Heaven

     Once upon a time, there was a happy mother in her kitchen, singing to herself.  Her children were out in the garden, playing.  They were in Heaven.

     Once upon a time on earth, their house had been caught in a huge rainstorm that turned into a flood and swept them all away and they had never been able to homeschool as they wished.

To Be Continued

Misfortunes Of Youth

     When I was seven years old, I lived in Keston, and attended Baston School, going to Brownies as well.  I was eager to learn.  We were learning to catch a ball and unfortunately I caught the ball in my eye three times in one week.  So much for that.  I decided I liked learning but playing catch was not on the top of my list.
     As I grew up I tended to avoid ball games, sitting on the sidelines whenever possible.  But one day, something happened.  A man at a volleyball game asked me why I wasn't playing.
      "Oh," I said, "I can't catch".
     He said, "You try to catch, and I'll stand here, and every time you make contact with the ball, I'll applaud".
     So I tried.  I never actually caught the ball, but every time my fingers brushed by it, he cheered and clapped.  I enjoyed that game so much.  If only we could all have friends that nice.

Letters In The Mail

     Children really like it when you send them a letter.  I remember the joy with which I used to receive postcards and letters from my relatives when I was young.  I felt so important when something arrived in the post for me.