Alaskanforgetmenot

I have a little story about San Francisco Trolly's. Well when I was 20 years old I had the opportunity to go to the Oakland Temple with a bunch of kids from the LDS church. My dad told me to be sure and visit San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf if I had the chance. Well when dad was a young man he took my grandfather Jessie Strode to see his mother. His parents had divorced when he was a little boy. His mother stayed on in California while his dad moved to Washington State. Dad had an old Model T Ford and I guess it was too fast for Grandpa Jessie. He said--"Better slow down son." Anyway, I never got to see San Francisco or Fisherman's Wharf because someone had taken my suitcase at the temple. The kids got to take a tour but I was left at the temple site looking for that suitcase. Well years later when I went to Anchorage, Alaska I was made homeless by the man who brought me there. I was staying in this homeless shelter in Anchorage and every Saturda

So cute!

I think going to the temple was the only thing that brought me back to church. Doing temple work and geneological research has always been very important to me. I remember the first time I went to the temple in Oakland, California my mother had made me a beautiful dress. Well someone stole my suitcase in the fitting rooms and that beautiful dress. After our temple session the kids got to go to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco but I didn't get to go as I was looking for my suitcase. They had so many beautiful fountains and flowers. A sign said "Do not pick the flowers." Well I didn't have any shoes as they were in my suitcase and I remember picking flowers in that beautiful garden. Well some snotty Mormon girl said--"Can't you read? The sign said don't pick the flowers!" She told me I looked like some kind of hippy picking the flowers too because of having no shoes. I just looked at her and said--"I don't think God cares if

I was brought to Alaska by a man Herder Winklemen who worked on the Alaskan Railroad. We corresponded for about 6 months and he sent me a plane ticket to Alaska. I'd been living in Cosmopolis, Washington and had been attending Grays Harbor College and had worked hard to get my teacher's degree. I couldn't get anymore financial aid even though I'd attended the college four years and had over 200 college credits. I could have finished my degree by Satellite dish from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. When I went to Alaska I had a job in a daycare the first week I was there. Herder wasn't "attracted" to me because I wasn't as skinny as his blonde ex-wife. I found myself homeless within the first month I was in Alaska. I nicknamed myself the "Alaskan Forgetmenot" because I felt everyone had kind of forgotten me in Alaska. How I survived 14 long years in Alaska as a single woman was beyond me! But I think living

I think America's idea of being skinny has gone too far causing young girls to have eating disorders such as bulemia and anorexia. I think we need to find a happy medium you know?

I know being overweight or obese is unhealthy for us. I've been overweight for sometime now but not nearly as heavy as these poor ladies. I think being overweight is more of an "emotional" issue rather than just genetics or poor eating habits or not enough exercise. When I was in high school I was always told I was too fat and I weighed appromately 140-150 pounds and at almost 5 feet 7 inches tall that wasn't fat at all. I think the abuse of family members and my ex-husband and boyfriends caused me to gain weight more than anything. When you are beaten with a belt by a brother it causes emotional issues. When your sister screams at you all night long she hopes you become a prostitute when you are just 19 it causes emotional issues. Or when you are married and your husband constantly puts you down and calls you an educated idiot, that you can't do anything right causes emotional issues. I know this is why I've gained my weight. But again I'm on ano

I saw this on Joanne's Website and thought it was kind of cute.

I've lived in four states in my life: Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and now Idaho. But I'll always love Oregon most of all. I enjoy walking in the rain.

Saw this Vintage Scrapbooking Kit from Joanne's you can order and it's so cute! I still have alot of family pictures I need to scrapbook.

Before I left Alaska last year I left behind a box with some beautiful dresses. The morning before I left I'd sent about $100 worth of things to Idaho and came home and there was that box of dresses. I was just too tired to send that box that day and I've regretted it ever since. I had some beautiful temple dresses in that box and some nice church dresses. My RS President and other women from my ward decided I didn't really needs those dresses I guess. Most of them had husbands with successful businesses and lived in nice big houses. I was just a single sister living on disability. So they threw them away and my RS President said they'd saved some dresses for me. Well a dear friend of mine sent me those dresses and wouldn't take a cent for postage even when I sent her $20. She just returned it. And the dresses? A bunch of old ragged nightgowns. Well I had this one beautiful blue dress I just loved. I'd gained back all my weight I'd lost on wei

Not sure where I downloaded this picture from but it sure is cute. I think Valentine's is one of my more favorite months as I was born in February. But I lost my brother on February 3 this past year and don't know if it will be such a nice month for me anymore.

Since going on disability a few years back for health problems such as cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease I've had more time on my hands than when I did when I was struggling to get an education and working all the time. People have asked me what I do with my time? Well I've always planned to keep pretty busy such as my church work, family history & temple work, callings I've had, plus I do alot of writing, and enjoy crafting. I had over a year's supply of material and patterns when I lived in Alaska. These were given to a woman who was an accomplished seamstress. She was just relunctant to send me my stuff even after I sent her money for postage. Well anyway she finally sent me my material and patterns and told me in no uncertain terms how selfish I was. (I guess for wanting my material back!) Anyway, I still don't have a sewing machine but I have been working on two afghans and an apron I've been handsewing. Oh yes, I enjoy doing scrapboo

I think this would be a good book to have for Provident Living. Our pioneer ancestors didn't have supermarkets or farmer's markets to buy groceries, they didn't have washer & dryer's (I wash my clothes out by hand as I live in an apartment), they didn't have cars or buses to get around, they didn't have foodstamps or welfare or even social security checks. But families back then helped one-another. A sick aunt or mother was taken care of by their families. They had large families back then and everyone helped with the chores: from spring planting, to weeding the gardens, growing vegetables, and the many chores the mother's had such as cooking over a wood stove, ironing, washing clothes in hot boiling water than having to put them on clotheslines and iron. They didn't have microwave ovens back then either. A cake was made from scratch, bread was home-made, and the only treats the kids got were at Christmas time. My mother said for Christmas t

</div Did women in the Great Depression actually makes dresses out of flour sacks? Yes, they did. I am looking forward to getting this book. I know you can't get flour in anything but paper these days, but I'm sure I have enough material on hand to make a few dresses!

Cathy just called me from Anchorage and asked if I thought trailor houses were good places to live. I've lived in a couple of them and they were actually nice. She is now in a homeless shelter and I said--"Better than where you are living right?" And she said "Well they depreciate fast." I asked her about her mother's house. Hadn't that depreciated quite a bit? I hope she can get the trailor house. I'm sure it looks better than this one!

I saw this cute pink dress online yesterday. It is just cute. My friend Cathy in Alaska loves pink. Pink everything.

I shouldn't make comments about redneck weddings because I was married in my nightgown!

I wonder if we have guardian angels? I have had a spirit watching over me for sometime now and visits everynight. My sister Carolyn sent me a cute little angel that I just loved that was made out of breaddough. I had packed it with things I wanted to send when I left Alaska, but I made the mistake of giving my RS President Beth Wright permission to go through my personal things. They just threw away things like this that I really loved. Plus, Suzanne Stewart who'd been the RS President had given me many books on Angels and they of course were just given away.

Okay, I just had to add this to my blog. A geniune redneck wedding cake! Martha Stewart eat your heart out!

What if your husband looked like Michael Bolton? When I lived in Anchorage, Alaska I was called to be a History Consulant in the O'Malley ward. My sister Janis, and my mom and I were the family geneologist's for years. After mom passed away my sister asked if I wanted the family geneology and I said no, just give it to Gary my nephew who put it on a family software program. If I had taken it I'm afraid I would have lost all the early records because I lost most everything I owned in a storage shelter in Washington. Just like I lost most everything I had when moving back to the lower 48 from Alaska. Anyway, my sister and I often had "dead" relatives visiting from beyond wanting their family history done on the otherside. It's not everyone who "sees" dead people. Just some of us have been given that gift I believe. Anyway, one day I felt the distinct impression that John Hansen from my home-town had come to me and wanted his work done i

I love the Gooseberry Patch series! I had several books of theirs in Alaska. But I didn't have a choice when I left. I didn't have the time or money to send all my boxes when I left Wasilla, and my Relief Society President didn't either. Several women from my ward went through my personal belongings I had boxed up to send and without my permission the RS President had them all donated to a local Second-Hand Store. Included were all my books and ECE materials and cookbooks of course. I was devasted. I had to go on Social Security Disabilty several years ago because of medical problems like cancer and diabetes and a chronic lung disease so my income isn't that great anymore. But slowly getting some of my old books back from Amazon! I don't think I will ever teach anymore except maybe in church so not worried about all the books I had in ECE.

I lost most of my cookbooks when I left Alaska & slowly getting somemore. A dear sister from my old ward in Wasilla has sent me several diabetic cookbooks. But I like regular cookbooks too. I am getting this one on my next "payday" from Social Security. I love the style of the book and has several craft items too. We used to have really fun enrichments in Relief Society in Alaska. I think they just need more "creative" enrichment leaders to bring more people to the meetings. I think some of the ideas in this book would be helpful.

Decoupaged Table Weights | First for Women

Pretty Paper Posies | First for Women

In my church we believe families can be together forever and what a beautiful concept. In 2004 I was sealed to my parents in the Anchorage Alaska Temple. I don't think I could have had better parents than mine. They loved me uncondionally and never gave up on me in my hard times. However, I've had family members who've abused me terribly throughout my life. At 20 years of age I was beaten unmercifully with a belt by my oldest brother. Just a few days before his death this year in February he had his daughter call to apologize for what he did. It took him 40 years to apologize. Now all it would have taken during those years was that apology you know? How did that beating affect my life? Well I didn't have much self-confidence in me. I had a hard time holding down jobs or finishing things I started. I was married to an abuser in 1979 who constantly put me down. I remember finding one of my cats in the garage who'd been abused by neighbor dogs and I

I started working on my story "Raggedy Ann Man" about a young girl who leaves home at 17 because she is tired of her mother bringing home men and sleeping with them and her mother's alcoholism. She meets a young man just home from the Vietnam war who is engaged to a pretentious daddy's girl whose has his life all planned out for him. Well things don't work out the way the blonde wishes. The young guy gets the homeless girl a job working in his mother's motel in seaside, Oregon for the summer. His fiancee is jealous the minute she lays her eyes on the girl and calls her a white trash. And makes the mistake of putting the make on her boyfriend a month before they are to marry in the Oakland temple. This is a love story about how broken hearted people fall in love and that money and success don't necessarily buy you happiness.

I lost my mother in 1995 and I still miss her alot. I remember when I was in high school there was a whooping cough epidemic going around and I had to stay in bed for almost a month. Mom would make me stand in front of the stove and breathe vicks she'd put in a pan of water and breath it. She'd also take towels and put them in the oven to warm them to put on my chest. The doctor finally gave me some antibiotics and wanted me in bed for a month. The principal of the school said it wasn't necessary. But thankfully I had a mother who kept me home until I recovered even though I got to attend summer classes that year to finish my sophomore year.

Remember when your mom taught you how to cook at home? Or maybe it was in Home-Economics when you made your first batch of cookies with a cup of sugar in them? Or the time you made chicken that wasn't all the way cooked andy our dad liked it anyway? Well I've been cooking most of my life and I still don't know how!

Polka-Dot Paper Lanterns | First for Women

Taco Supreme Cupcakes: Directions on how to make in following blog.

Taco Supreme Cupcakes | First for Women

Make a cute Iron-On pillowcase from First for Women: Directions on blog.

Whiter Teeth—In Seconds! | First for Women

No-Sew Memory Quilt | First for Women

Slim Down With Super Juices | First for Women

I have moved to Boise, Idaho last May on the 31st.  Although I am glad I left Alaska it's been hard starting over again.  But the Lord has blessed me with so much since being here.  Some Mormon women through away alot of my personal belongings for me including nice clothes, all my books and ECE books when I attended Grays Harbor College in Washington State, and gifts given to me from my sisters, and my temple dresses, and threw my sacred garments in a Liquor Store box to send to me.  And they donated them to a Second Hand Store in Wasilla, Alaska.  The RS President was behind it all. I was pretty much heartbroken when I found out what they did.  Plus one woman was given all my beautiful material and it took me months to get it from her.  It's been hard forgiving these so called christian Mormon women what they did to me.  I left the church many years ago after my abusive husband was given a temple recommend and took belts and beat his kids with them and treated me like a nobo