Christmas Season

9th Ward Christmas Party
I got to wear my new birthday pajamas to church for the ward Christmas party.




 Only three of we adults wore matching pajamas tops and bottoms, others wore sweats or pajama bottoms.



But the kids were decked out in their pajamas.





Pancakes` hashbrowns, eggs and bacon and sausages were served.



The decorations were outstanding with holly, wrapped boxes.



One man's assignment was to provide music so he set up a computer and played Christmas songs on it. They had a fun skit on the twelve days of Christmas which they really hammed up.

We sang carols then Santa Claus visited and gave each child a candy cane.



Making Crackers
For several years I've tried to make homemade crackers, Crazy, I know, it's so easy just to buy them. This was my VT and neighbor gifts. It takes three batches for me to get them just right. They are supposed to be rolled out 1/8 inch, almost like pie dough, which I hate to make) Ok, so some were too thick and chewy instead of crisp and snappy.





I made Sesame seed and Chicken Vegetable crackers. Here's the baked result. The color is about as exciting as my Thanksgiving rolls.

Aunt Loenza's Christmas Party
On December 20th we attended Aunt Loenza's Christmas Party. With her expanding family she has held it in the Larsen Sant building the last few years. Every year the table decorations change a little. I have a running history of cups and table clothes. Games, and program, and nativity are the traditions. It's a fun evening for all and we appreciate being included.

Nanette represented our family in the program and sang two songs.
Check UTube to hear this song Nanette sings at Christmas party_20091220_2797.AVI

:




The nativity has gone through three generations. Someone is not very happy





Seth, the serious Shephard

a serious star holder



Here's a nativity scene from 1995. These kids are in college, and getting married. Nanette was Mary. The latest baby always has an automatic slot as baby Jesus. There's two sets of twins siblings in this photo. Jake and Josh brought their wives to the party this year. Sean in the back row is now 6' 11'' plays college B Ball for Louisiana Tech and got married last year.




Family group photos were shot by the tree. Trent,Nanette's pianist joined in our photo.


Aunt Lorenza, Noel's sister and Uncle Elmer. Thank you Loenza, we love you.



Grandma Christmas Tree
I left the Nativity box on the kitchen counter top when I went to Caldwell. Upon my return it was still there. "

I thought you might put up the Nativity Scene."

"I thought about it every time I walked passed it," he replied. So I put the nativity up. That and a tree make out Christmas decorations.

With Noel's bad foot, I got lazy about pulling the tree coffin out of the garage. I probably could have done it myself but it's easier with two people. We have reached the stage of life ( I guess the Grandma Grandpa stage) where putting up a tree sound like too much work. So I bought a little Grandma Christmas tree with fiber optic lights which change colors. One of the bus passengers had this boxed tree. I inquired about it. Hey it’s 12.00 at Wal-mart.

Noel did his part and pulled it out of the box and plugged it in. Advertised as 32 inches tall. Noel challenged the box. " The 32 inches include the stand. I know it's a Grandma Tree because I fell in love with Mom Nielson's at the rest home. I wished they made them in a bigger size. Anyway I like the tree but it's hard to hide presents behind the branches next to the wall.



I sort of missed the big 7 foot tree on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Making T-shirts

Not anticipating Noel Hales death, I wanted to write several more memories about Hertha before I moved on to other subjects,

I always visited Hertha when I went home for school breaks. Back in the 80's our kids were on year round school and had odd breaks during the year. I asked Hertha to help me make the boys matching T-shirts. She was enthused that I wanted to try sewing and even went to the store to help me pick out material.

I wanted something nice and chose this material with a stripe running across it.



I sewed all the shirts with Hertha at my side directing. This must have taken about three days but Hertha made time for me. I ask her to embroider the boys graduation dates, which she did. I liked the shirts and thought they were dressier than the average T-shirt.

The tight ribbing around the neck made it harder for the boys to pull the shirt over their heads. The boys didn't like the extra effort and didn't wear them very much.

After all the work of sewing it made me mad the boys wouldn't wear them. So I gave them to needy family in our ward who had stair step boys. Months after the giveaway I saw the boys coming down the hall after church. It took a few minutes for me to place where I had seen those shirts before. What a coincidence, I thought. I gave those to DI and boys in our ward got them. "Where did you get those shirts, I asked their mother.

"You gave them to us."

"Oh, I forgot."

OK, so I had a short memory twenty years ago.

Ten Dollar Wedding Dress

10 Dollar Wedding Dress / Temple dress
Not only did Aunt Hertha try and help me sew, but she sewed a missionary jumper and my wedding dress. The plan was to make a simple polyester dress, which I could wear to the temple after I got married. I chose an empire waist line projecting pregnant temple attendance.

Here's where my memory fades me. Did Hertha measure me at Christmas time or did I send measurements by phone call or letter.

Anyway I never tried the dress on until the day of the wedding. In my wedding photos you can see that the sleeves are 4-5 inches short.

1



I wore this dress to the temple for many years. I outgrew it before it ever wore out. While buying a new temple dress at "White Elegance" I saw a sign which ask for temple dress donations to Mexico sisters. This I did. So I hope some tall, short armed sister in Mexico is enjoying the the dress Hertha made for me.

Happy Birthday Hertha

I would like to dedicate this blog of Dec 7th to our sister Hertha Ison Hales who passed away from cancer. She went to the Great Relief Society in the sky on Jan 21, 1990. Since that time I think our family dynamics have changed. Mother lost her partner in crafts and cake decorating, but we helped mother get her history written. Jana lost a walking partner then got a full time job. We have had to plan family reunions without Hertha and found we can do so.

I have hoped that Hertha has been looking down to help us in hard times and watching over our families sort of like an angel. Much has transpired since her death. We have grown older and aged while she remains young. Hopefully she is decorating mansions on high for all of us because I don’t like to decorate.

Here’s some photos to remind us of her Hertha and her talents. Her sewing room in the basement where she worked until wee hours of the morning. The rule, Don’t call Hertha before 10:00 am. She always said sewing was her creative outlet. Good that she liked to sew because it certainly put me in knots.




This is a picture of Jana in Hertha's sewing room





I can certainly relate to this wall hanging. I spent nearly as much time ripping as sewing



This is her bedroom which she redecorated after she was diagnosed the first time.




This wall hanging is in Tiffany’s basement. I always think of Hertha when I see it. Jana is on the couch with baby Arielle


Here's some more of Hertha's embroidery work and wall decorations



Close up of machine embroidery in mother's dining room.

Each of us have things which she made and gave to us.

I love this quote which Hertha embroidered. We’re off the hook when it comes to housework Let’s keep things in perspective. “Dull Women Keep Immaculate Homes.” Thank you very much.




This is the last time I visited Hertha in October of 1989. She was brave trying to recover from her major surgery in California. I left knowing I probably wouldn't see her again in this life and that things would change.



Three months later she passed away. Here we are after Hertha’s funeral. Jocile, mother, and Kristen lost weight. The rest of us put it on.



Going back in time:
spring of 1989 Outside the Boise temple after doing a session together. A year later at this time she was gone.





1959 Ison family after Kristen was born.


First day of school in 1954. See my Roy Rogers lunch pail. Angela, Hertha, Jocile, Lora Dawn in front.


Hertha was born on Dec 7th, 1943 the 2nd anniversary of Pear Harbor in the Memorial Park
Hospital.


She weighed 9 lb 6 oz. Do we have any grandchildren whose birth weight equals Aunt Hertha’s? She had dark hair and mother called her “my little Indian.”

Happy Birthday Hertha, We Love you.

55 word stories

Last year in my memoir class Mrs. Hamblin challenged us to write a 55 word story. It almost becomes poetry or free verse. Here's my attempt at the assignment

Perils of The Playground
Angela Nielson 09
55 word story


A sentinel of students, I walk the playground.
A football ricochets off brick wall and blackens my eye
Air ball from heaven bloodies my nose
Targeted snowball explodes off my back
PM Bus duty: Caring mom warns,
“Did you know diesel gas fumes are carcinogenic?”
I walk away from the bus.

Mother & Moroni

On a recent visit to my parents home I helped mother edit her personal history on the computer and print a hard copy. She took me downstairs to show me the labeled photos which she had organized in a book. She told me these were the photos she wanted in her personal history. She showed me her file cabinet full of papers and pictures in manila envelopes.. Most were organized dated and labeled.

Then she showed me seven or eight soft bound histories of my ancestors from grandmother to great great greats. Impressed with the collection histories, I wondered what will become of these timeless books. Some day when my mother is gone, how will these histories be divided up? Would it be smart to keep all of them together? Would it be smart to divide things up so each could have something? Who would have the room for the histories and collection of papers in their home?

I held each bound history and realized that all the words represented someone’s life. I also noted that someone had to publish these histories which represented a great amount of work and research. I felt blessed that so many of my progenitors chose to keep journals. Maybe my gift of journal genes came from a long line of writers, who recorded daily events, challenges and their testimonies I felt so blessed to feel that in some small way I was like them.

I wondered, what will become of my 30 journals which are sitting on my shelves at home?



Will they mean anything to my children? Who would store my journals? Will they get boxed up and sit in at attic? The chances of someone reading all the journals is very slim which puts pressure on me to condense my life and write a personal history. Will my posterity read my personal history? What’s the best way to preserve my history. A three ring binder would burn easily in a fire just as a CD would melt.. Would I need to have multiply copies in various places? It’s hard to think past the next two generations and project 100 years into the future. What will the technology be like in 200 years? Could a CD or computer chip be read on obsolete equipment. No one would know me unless I leave a record. If I leave a record will it be preserved?

My thoughts turned to Moroni and the Book of Mormon who faced the same dilemma. How could
he preserve the plates for future generations. Who would read hundreds of plates? The Lord in his
wisdom set forth a great plan. They would be stored in a stone box in the ground and chiseled in
gold. Moisture couldn’t hurt the gold, fire wouldn’t find the box. It would be hidden from man until a certain time. I wondered how long it took Moroni to condense the plates of Nephi into the Book of Mormon. Time was on his side. The Lord provided an odd circumstance. All his family and friends had been killed ; he was in exile, hiding from the Lamanites, who thirsted after his blood. What a perfect setting, yet very lonely, he had solitude, time to ponder and work with no
interruptions while he followed the Lord’s commandment to inscribe history.