Grandma Kay and Memories

A special day of remembrance ... this Sabbath day, I cherish my knowledge of and love for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His mother, Mary.  On this Mother’s Day, I recall sweet images of two great-grandmothers I knew as a little boy, and sweet memories of two grandmothers I look up to as examples of true saints for their posterity.  My mother and Kay’s mother continue to influence me for good ... more than I can ever describe in words — I love them so!

Dear to my heart are loving memories of my forever sweetheart Kay, mother of our five children.  She continues to influence us all with her special kind of love and devoted service to those around her.  Throughout many hours of collecting and sharing her history, I have experienced endless gratitude ... with tears of love.

Our five children and their spouses continue to show love for Kay.  Our 23 grandchildren all adore their Grandma Kay, who passed away last October.  I pray for them to be inspired and comforted in the knowledge that she loves them and is keenly interested in their activities.  Grandma Kay will always hold a special place in their heart.  We miss her smiles and hugs, singing and piano playing, games and good cooking, planning for trips and get-togethers, teaching and testimony sharing.  It goes on forever ... with love.

Grandma Kay giving her game instructions
in our "frontier home", Layton Utah

grandchildren hiking in Prescott National Forest
enjoying nature with Kay, 1 August 2017

Kay helping a sister prepare weekly "soup & bread"
activity for Roseville Ward (Michigan), 1 May 2018

Conference Journals

The May issue of the Ensign arrived yesterday with messages from the April 2019 General Conference.  (Friends and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered “to receive guidance and encouragement from Church leaders ...”)

I got into the magazine by looking at all the pictures, front to back — mainly people of all ages attending the meetings in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It’s inspiring to see true joy in the faces of families and individuals ... with love.

“All sessions ... streamed live on the home page of ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Sessions ... [were] also available via the Church satellite system, Mormon Channel, radio, television, satellite, and other digital channels.”


[Copied from my 2018 journal in iPhone Notes:]

(Sunday 10/7/5:35am I woke and wrote to share:)

“Good Sabbath Day — a special day!  Watched the first three sessions of General Conference yesterday.  I love the focus on family.  Kay and I are together all the way with that!
‘There is no end ...’ “

On our mission in Roseville MI, Sister Kay Cannon wrote in her 2018 calendar journal about conference:

March 31, “Priesthood [session] — historic announcement about high priests joining elders quorum.”

Sunday April 1, after a.m. session at church, “potluck buffet lunch — I brought 7-layer dip & chips — clean up; p.m. session: Announced retirement of HT & VT ! [home teaching and visiting teaching] and seven new temples.”

(A reminder to keep a journal ... including memories that can be shared ... with love.)

Tuesday Sampler

Collecting text messages and other history from my wife’s iPhone was a project this month ... with love.  A dear friend here in Ogden received the device last Friday, having waited patiently for over a month to buy it.

Sister Kay Cannon served twelve months with me in Michigan and saved a huge amount of history on her new phone in the course of our work — much more than she wrote in her journal.  Precious!
I will be adding some examples to this post.

Monday 5/21/2018 8pm ET:
This is Sister Cannon. The missionaries wanted me to contact ward members who may have an interest. This weekend there are two baptisms. Riley is getting baptized at 5 on Saturday. You're welcome to bring something. Our granddaughter is getting baptized on Sunday at 6. She wants a sheet cake and Gingerale. Those will be provided. You are welcome to bring something if you want.

11/16/2017 [young missionaries texted:]
Thank you so much for the juice and food and the phone! We are so grateful for you. When would be a good day to do inspections next week?
Sisters Bickmore & Stevenson

1/31/2018 3:35pm ET [Kay, always good at asking questions to get the details:]
Sister Stevenson, we heard you’re leaving us! Can’t stand it! Do you go tomorrow? Who is your new companion? Where are you going? Are you coming to cookie splits tonight? Any time for get-together with us before you leave?


10/28/2017 Jo S. (our Layton frontier neighbor, not a member of our faith at the time:)
Kay! Hello, what a nice surprise to hear from you. Where in MI are you? I was thinking of you yesterday! Here is a pic of an apricot tree, I started to grow from one of the pits from the fruit you gave us!  Will you be returning to UT sometime?

Kay to Jo: That is so neat! I hope the young couple who moved into our home appreciates our fruit trees like we did. We are on an LDS mission in SE Michigan. Ned has been in charge of finance and I have been over housing for the missionaries. This has been a temporary assignment by our mission president. We will be moving from Farmington MI to Warren or Roseville MI within the next two months for our new assignment.  We will return to Utah the summer of 2019.  We don't know where we will be living, but probably closer to our daughter in Farr West.  Are you both doing well?  We miss you and the neighborhood.


Mon. 8/14/2017 2pm Katie to Kay [on our first day of training at MTC in Provo, Utah:]
We are missing you already. This was the kids’ dialogue as you were driving away:
Eli- "Thank you for playing with us, Grandpa!"
Jonathan- "I am thankful for Grandma for giving us cookies."
Jeremy- "We will miss them."
It was so heartfelt I almost cried.  We love you and are so excited for this great adventure you are about to have.  Talk to you soon?
[Following a fast sale of our frontier home to be homeless after our mission, we loved living with our daughter’s young family for precious few months of blessings to us.]

Saturday 8/19/2017 10pm (Kay sent pic: Adeline with little dog at Cove Fort, Utah)
I'm missing Adeline's hugs.
Katie: We will need to figure out how to do face time. The kids would love to see you. Love you lots.

family time at home in Roseville Michigan

My Hope

My new friend, an older neighbor who "lost" his first wife years ago, told me in the way of counsel that he does not "waste time" looking back; he only looks forward.  Blessing his kind soul, that works for him, but not for me.  Having hope of reuniting with my wife Kay, who passed away last October (peacefully moving on to her next assignment), I look back to her loving life of service and to the perfect life and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because of our Savior, I feel "a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead ..." (I Peter 1:3-4)

I look back to my 3/31/2013 post, "A Quiet Garden Scene", which recounts a sacred meeting at "The Garden Tomb" in September 1972.  It reminds me that my parents' (and Kay's parents') lives of service also strengthen my hope as I look back at their missions as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Looking forward, I see a joyful reunion with my eternal companion and other loved ones who have passed on.  I pray daily that I will be worthy and keep the faith.  Past experience reminds me ("going forward," as they say) that I face a daily struggle, enduring and serving to the end ... with love.

Looking back with joy and sorrow, I am grateful for blessings from our Heavenly Father.  Looking forward, my hope has no end.

Life is good – here and in the hereafter.  I hope you will feel true joy during this Easter season and years to come.

liking the spring rain by the Ogden Utah Temple

with my sweetheart Kay, together forever

Twelve Months of Miracles (Ch. 6)

On 5 March 2019, I posted chapter five of "... Miracles", promising another chapter, "to be continued" in Roseville, Michigan.

I noted Wed. 5/23/2018: “Our mission president announced in zone conference yesterday that the Toledo and Cleveland stakes will join our MDM 7/1/18, as that Ohio mission dissolves!”

Preparation day Mon. 7/9 was our 47th wedding anniversary, celebrated in New Baltimore by Anchor Bay.  Sweet!

Friday the 13th of July: Detroit Symphony Orchestra behind the Ford House, with fireworks over the lake afterward.  Kay & I loved the uplifting music, casual setting, and memorable experience.

Kay texted our oldest son on Friday 8/10/1:23pm, soon after the final diagnosis from her doctor:

“Please call.  Important.  Love you.”

After packing up and clearing out, we left our Roseville home the next day and headed back to Utah for pancreatic-cancer treatments.  Kay felt better after we got away on the road west -- a miracle and tender mercy. 

Having completed twelve months of our 23-month assignment, we “returned with honor” to be close to family and friends for the final few weeks of Kay’s mortal life. 

Throughout our full-time, twelve-month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we were blessed with daily miracles and tender mercies.  Kay and I will always be grateful.

Now “this old man” is settled in Ogden to stay until “transferred” to reunite and work again with my eternal companion.

“Have a blessed day,” as our dear Michiganders say.  Keep the faith!

First Two Months

A recap of two months, planned for the end of February, was neglected as the month was so short.

Learned: How to cook instant (precooked) rice, remembering my measuring cup is 1/3 cup, not 1 cup.

“Quick access” in my Windows10 file manager is not very quick — seems redundant, useless.

There are “250 milestones in the history of psychology”, according to the library book I read.
Never order BK chicken sandwich with cheese.

Goals met: Attend temple more often.  Edit more.  Make friends.  Sleep well.  (“I can do this,” I say to Kay, as if she were watching with a smile.  “I’m trying to do the best I know how.”)

Observed: A neighbor from China who fearlessly talks to strangers here in the apartments — nice and refreshing!
Guys wearing shorts (pants) and no coat outside in below-freezing weather. 

Cars speeding like crazy on Utah freeways, reminiscent of Detroit.

Windows 10 Photos program created groups for me: “Weekend in Ogden”, “Snowy memories 2018”, “Snowy memories 2019”, and “2017 smiles”; (what about my smiley pics since 2017?)

Beautiful winter clouds and sunsets.
Happy, smiling grandchildren.

Twelve Months of Miracles (Ch. 5)

On 27 January 2019, I posted chapter four of "... Miracles", promising another chapter, "to be continued" in Roseville, Michigan.

Tuesday feels like a good day with Kay ... to share another chapter of our mission. 

For our brief, 2018 second-quarter report, I reviewed Sister Cannon’s journal she diligently kept on a daily basis.  The amount of detail is remarkable; for me, her eternal companion, it is a precious record of people, places, and acts of service usually planned by Kay.  As full-time missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we had unlimited opportunities to serve and help others come closer to the Savior.  We are forever grateful. 

Tuesday, April 3rd, as Self-reliance missionaries, we “facilitated in Personal Finance class chap. 6 for Millers.”  (We participated as learners throughout the entire 12-week course, which is based on gospel principles.)  April 11th “Drove to Southfield again for Zone Conference.”  Friday the 13th “St. Clair Shores ... visits ...”  Next day: “Both of us kind of sick & tired ... my spleen or something been hurting for weeks.”  Sunday: “freezing rains!”  We gave people rides to and from church, more than usual.

A highlight of our mission was having our youngest daughter and her family visit us in May.  They drove from Georgia for their oldest daughter’s baptism and confirmation.  Our Roseville Ward members were so supportive of that special Sunday evening event, and we loved introducing our darling family to them.  We took some time for fun at The Henry Ford & Greenfield Village (with a vintage carousel playing familiar Christian tunes), the Detroit International RiverWalk (kids loved the splash pad for water play), the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (Josephine’s Playhouse in back of the huge mansion was the big attraction), and a famous chocolate factory.  We also led them on a tour of unique sites in historic Detroit.

Saturday, June 2nd at Belle Isle (river island), we experienced the Detroit Grand Prix “IndyCar Series racing festival” with our ward mission leader (a GM engineer) and his young family.  I went prepared with my Stihl ear protectors, having been warned by the Lunds.  We loved mingling with the diverse population there, as we did throughout our mission.

Something I did several times without my companion: Thursday, June 7th, “South elders asked Ned to take them to Southfield [mission office] for transfers, so ... [he] was gone from 7am - noon.  ... made Pillsbury choc. chip cookies.”  (Sister Cannon, an expert cook, often made and delivered treats and comfort food ... to go with her special kind of love.)

(Kay limited complaints to writing in her private journal and occasional sharing with me.  Despite her undiagnosed illness, she felt driven to serve.)
Tuesday, June 26th, “Sick & tired ... sweats.  6:15 Soup & bread [provided weekly at church by a generous cook, Sister Lund] — Leslie Ann, beautiful investigator came ...”; family history class was productive.  Friday the 29th, “Weak & tired. Temple, to do ... [ordinance work for the mother of a ward member in assisted living.] Inspected Sisters ... apt. in Bloomfield Hills ... Inspected Elders ... apt. in Rochester — exhausted!”  Next day: “9:30 washed glass doors & bathroom mirrors at church — super weak. 10:00 mission coordination mtg.” Sunday: “Tired & weak. Ward council in seminary room. Picked up ... [two people]. Church (Jaimi came to R.S. for 1st time). Gave thank-you’s to ... [four ward members] for helping Sandy move.”  (Sister Cannon & I did a lot of lifting with them.)

Hopefully, we lifted the spirits of people throughout those difficult three months.  I may add to this chapter before the end of Q2, 2019.  Truly, I could write a book ... with love.

(To be continued.)

taking a break for family fun at Greenfield Village, Dearborn