Category Archives: Rebecca’s Hobbies

Procrastination

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I stare at the basket for days. Each morning I dig through it, looking for what a need. I hate it. I don’t want to do the chore. I’ll put it off another hour. Another afternoon. Maybe tomorrow?

Finally, the time comes to do yet another load of laundry. I realize that I must fold those close and put them away. Either that, or I need to get another couple of laundry baskets.

I time myself.

Five minutes. It takes me five minutes to empty the basket. True, two days ago it was more full than it is now. But add two days of clothes to the basket and it may have taken seven minutes. Why did I stare at it for two days, hating it and dreading it, when in seven minutes it could have been gone from my mind?

And yet, I do it every week. Every day, really. I procrastinate dinner planning.   procrastinate toilet scrubbing. I procrastinate scripture reading.

It’s not hard to do these things. It’s not even unenjoyable. I like reading scriptures! I like having a clean and not-nasty bathroom! It’s just hard to take that step and make that decision.

As we listened to general conference this weekend, I felt a bit chastised in some ways as I pondered my role as wife and mother. Of course, I’m not doing everything I need to be doing to relish this stage of my life. I will never be perfect in this life and I accept that and realize that, etc. That’s not what I realized.

The other day, I tried to define love to someone and I realized that love is a commitment. Loving this role of motherhood — and loving life! — requires commitment to every little annoying aspect of it. Folding that basket of laundry now, changing yet another poop-filled diaper, making dinner (again!) — these are the things that show my love of life. And procrastinating does not make me feel good. I hate it. I’ve got to stop it.

And I’ve got to read those scriptures.

Staring at the blank blog post screen has also been a procrastination method of mine. I’m going to reinstate this old blogging habit too so I can hold myself accountable.

Welcome to my journey.

And Paul is six years old today. How did that happen so fast? I can’t procrastinate or I’ll miss the enjoyment of this all as life gets swallowed up in my stupid annoyance at that unfolded basket of laundry…

Corrections to Grandma Benac’s Personal History

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In Grandma’s acknowledgements page of her personal history book (written and printed in 2001), she says, “Write your own book in rebuttal, but not while I’m still around to read it.”

Well, she has not been around for almost two years now, so it’s time we started mentioning the things we know now that Grandma didn’t know. No disrespect to Grandma intended: I know she’s cheering me on up above as she sits and chats with Margaret and her mother Ann Dunlope about life, family, and the gospel.

As I’ve mentioned before, when Grandma passed away, I felt a strong need to pursue a specific line of family history. Frank and I were successful in finding a few different family lines related to James and Margaret (Shields) Simon (pages 25-28 in Grandma’s book). With my baby being born I’ve not focused on the family for more than a year now, but I’m feeling the spirit of Elijah very strongly again, so expect more of these posts in the next few days and weeks.

Here are some general corrections to the story of James Simon as found in Grandma’s book. More detailed information to come, with links to the records we’ve found.

On page 26, Grandma was unable to find a birth record for Grandpa Simon but knew that he told Greenfield cousins about “when he was a little boy in Dublin.” We do not know for certain when he was born, that is true. However, chances are nearly 100% that he was born and raised in Manchester, England. Certainly not Dublin, since his family came from Galway County, Ireland in 1847.Grandpa Simon was born between 1847 and 1850.

On page 27, Grandma says the family tradition stated that James’ father Thomas died at sea on the way to America, but she states it was not true since they could not find record of it. With closer inspection of the ship manifest, we know it is true. Thomas Simon died of apoplexy literally one day before the ship arrived at Castle Garden, New York City.The manifest transcribes his age as 12 1/2 years old. But it seems clearly a misread of the sloppy writing, which has been crossed out at his death.

As for Grandma’s further thoughts on Maggie and the baby Edwin, we have not yet found them in America or even found any evidence of Edwin’s birth, but we are not finished searching yet. There may be an Edwin somewhere, and Margaret probably did not disappear in to thin air.

There is lots more to learn about Margaret (Shields) Simon another day, for her story is far more complicated than Grandma’s book suggests. Note that on page 26 of Grandma’s book, she says they were married in 1867 and James D was born in 1866…notice any thing about those dates?!

Bottom line is, there was a first marriage, and James Delaney was the son of Denis Delaney. I’m still working on details of this, and we don’t yet know what happened to Denis. More info to come. In 2012, the Catholic Family History Society finished digitizing baptismal and marriage records for St. Wilfrid’s Catholic church, which is the church where Margaret and James were married. I have ordered a copy of that (a CD-ROM; it is not online), because I found evidence that a James Delany was baptized there, with Thomas Simmons as his godfather.

I’m working on a write up about the two families (the Shields and the Simons) for those who may be interested in the sources and so forth. Watch this page for more information! You can also log in to New Family Search and see what Temple work has been done.

A Family Trip to Palmyra

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We’ve been wanting to do something special as a family. With the Memorial Day weekend, we especially searched for the right thing. Ryan felt inspired to take our family on a trip to Kirtland and Palmyra so off we went on Thursday afternoon.We came back Monday.

It was a whirlwind of a trip. Paul and Caroline did great on the way East but I’m sure no one would be surprised to learn that the long drive back Sunday night and Monday was long. Caroline spent most of the trip through Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois on Monday screaming because she was mad to still be in the car. We took lots of breaks and she still was pretty mad. I didn’t put her in the carseat again until Wednesday afternoon but as soon as I did she started screaming again! I think she’s calmed down for now, because she’s been okay since then. Paul did well but got pretty tired of that car!

Our visit in Kirtland and Palmyra was a perfect amount of time. Paul was very excited to see the Sacred Grove. The week before we went, he told everyone. (This provided some interesting missionary moments for me. How great that a family vacation lets me explain to people what Mormonism is, and why we find it so important that the heaven are open to prophets in this era, just as in the past!)

Paul did tire of the old houses and lengthy sister missionary tours, so we did not see everything in Kirtland or Palmyra. We did see the Kirtland Temple with a Community of Christ tour and the N.K. Whitney store and house in Kirtland, and in Palmyra we saw Joseph Smith’s log home, the frame house, the Sacred Grove, the Grandin print building where The Book of Mormon was first published, and the Hill Cumorah statue. (I dropped my camera at the Hill Cumorah, breaking the lens, so the only pictures we have from that are those Paul took.)

The trip was just what we needed to create memories as a family. I think Paul now has a frame of reference. Although not everything will remain memorable, I suspect he will not forget that he has seen where Joseph Smith prayed.

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Here are some of the pictures Paul took. He played with the camera as we drove, so he had tons of pictures of Caroline (who was right next to him). My favorite is the ultimate bored look in the second picture of my baby.

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Early Christmas Festivities

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Decorating for Christmas was not pleasant this year… and I just keep thinking how taking it all down will be even harder because I’ll be that much more pregnant. Nevertheless, Paul loved helping put up the tree. And I do love the lights and the Christmas music. (Guest pass to view this set on Flickr.)

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And then we come back to Santa. Do you remember Raisin’s reaction to Santa last year? Well, this season began much the same.

“I don’t like Santa. Santa is grumpy.”

“I don’t want Santa to come.”

“I don’t need any toys.”

So when we headed to the Lake in the Hills tree lighting, I warned him that Santa would be there, but we didn’t have to talk to him. We would leave after we saw the Christmas trees. Surprise! Once he saw Santa, he really wanted to talk to him.

Waiting for Santa

They had this set up for pictures as we waited to talk to Santa. Paul is saying “Merry Christmasssss!” which is why his tongue is sticking out. I only had my phone with me (I wasn’t planning on meeting Santa, remember), so that’s why it’s totally out of focus.

I kept asking Paul what he was going to say to Santa. Would he tell Santa “not to come” like he did last year? He just said, “You’ll have to listen very carefully.”

Meeting Santa and Mrs Claus

So what did Paul say?

“What do you want for Christmas?” asked Mrs. Claus.

“Books,” said Paul without hesitation. “Books about books.”

Aw, like mother like child!

He said he

“In the train restaurant we go!”

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[Paul drew a picture of the train restaurant. I asked him to tell me the story. There was a lot of back story to get to the train restaurant. Enjoy!]

“In the train restaurant we go!”

A true story by Paul          June 22, 2011

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Paul. And Paul’s parents were named Rebecca and Ryan. And the next day, Paul work up and his parents Mommy and Daddy woke up. And then all of the people took showers. And then Mommy and Daddy got dressed. Paul’s parents packed up to go to New York City. And Paul packed up to go to Sister Bether’s house and his grandma’s house. They get in the car with all the stuff they want to take with them. And then Paul’s parents get in their new car and then they started to drive. But first one of Paul’s parents opened the garage to drive out.

Paul went to Sister Bether’s house and his grandma’s house and his parents go to New York City. And then they get to a stoplight. And then the stoplight turned green. And then they finally go forward. And then they finally get to Sister Bether’s house. And they ring the doorbell. So, Emily gets to the door and says “Who’s there?” And Paul plays with the Bethers in the basement. And then Paul plays with Rexie. And the next day, Paul work up and someone rang the door bell and it was Grandma! Paul’s Grandma!

Paul came to his grandma. And then they walked to the car and Paul got in his seat. Grandma got in her seat. And they drive. And then it was very far to Grandma’s house. When they get to Grandma’s house, Paul played with Marble Works. And then all of Paul’s cousins were there. And then they go swimming. Grandpa opened up the pool. And then Grandma turned on the heat and it was just right. And then they get out and wash their hair. Grandma opened up the door and they get dressed.

Then they get in the car again and go to the train restaurant. When they get there, Granpa opened up the door and they get in. And then they play with the trains. And they go back to their seat and get what they want to eat. They play with the trains some more. And then their food comes back on a little train. And then they eat. And they get back in the car and go to Grandma’s house again. And the next day Paul woke up ….

(to be continued)

“Hooray we go!”

A continued true story by Paul            June 22, 2011

And the next day, they go back to Grandma’s house. It was Sunday and Paul go visit Jessica and Daniel. And Jessica came to Paul. And they got in the car to go to church. They finally got to church. They opened the doors and everyone got out. And then Grandpa came and then they had sacrament meeting. Paul and Jessica go to Jessica’s big sunbeam class. And then at the end, they go to Jessica’s littler class. Two people keep turning the light on and off. But if they do that, their mom is going to come! And then all of the family went home. Then all the people went home.

Next, they got back in the car. Then they went to sleep and the next day, they got up and had breakfast. And then they got to a parade. The parade was fun. And then they go to a baseball game and watch it. Paul had ice cream on a stick! First he ate a big pretzel. And then he had dessert. And then he watched it. And then Paul tried to trick Jessica. They try to go backward and forward. And they went back home.

The End.

Four Stories

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[I’m currently reading a book about encouraging creativity in your children by helping them write. Paul dictated the following stories to me. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed pulling them together. “Underground” is where Paul’s imaginary friends live. The others make as much sense to you as they do to me.]

“Underground”

June 14, 2011

Underground, there are no trees. There are cars and people. There are houses. I like to go under there. Sometimes I pack up things to take. Sometimes I take my toothbrush and toothpaste. Sometimes I take my animals. All of my imaginary friends live underground. And sometimes I take my weather chart. IF it’s raining I am not going to go under there. Sometimes I take my blankets and toys, and sometimes I pack up some books. Underground is a special place. Sometimes I pack my pillows. Sometimes I take a nap underground.

The End.

“Crash It” Day

June 16, 2011

When it is the “crash it” day, we need to cut the pretend grass. Then we are going to come inside and then we are going to play “Busytown Game.” It is called “crash it” day becasue they are special days, and we never had one ever. On “crash it” day, we play tag. And then we stop playing tag and we go downstairs in the basement together and play trains. And then we will come upstairs and then we will have special time. After special time, we will come upstairs in Paul’s bedroom and then Paul will read a sun story called “Brown Bear, Brown Bear.” Then we go downstairs and think about the stuff we like about “crash it” day.

The End.

Abracadabra in the Store

June 20, 2011

Once upon a time, there was a mouse. And then the mouse goes to a house. When he goes to the house, he went inside the mousehole. And then he went to the family room. The family room is beautiful! He climbed up the ladder. At the top of the ladder, there is a Christmas tree. The mouse went down the ladder and got his ornaments from the bag. He went back up the ladder and he put the ornaments on the tree. And then the mouse went down the ladder, and then he walked to a clock. And then the mouse went up the clock. The clock struck one. The mouse went down. Hickory Dickory Dock! And he went up the clock. The clock struck two. The mouse went down. Hickory Dickory Dock! The mouse went up the clock. The clock struck three. The mouse went down. Hickcory Dickory Dock! And the mouse went to all of the rooms in the house. Next room the moust went to was the living room! And in the living room there is a dog hole. And then the mouse went in the dog hole. And in the dog hole there is a nice dog. They played with each other. And then the mouse went out of the dog hole.

The End.

Winnie-the-Pooh and the Mice

June 21, 2011 (by Goldbug Reid)

Once upon a time, there were some mice. And the mice tried to find their friend Pooh. The mice looked up and down, here and there, front and back, left and right. But they couldn’t find him. And they started looking for Winnie-the-Pooh. They went to a bush and looked behind it. But Winnie-the-Pooh wasn’t behind it. They saw a snake behind the bush! And they go to a tree and looked behind. But they didn’t see Pooh. They saw Owl. That means they were in Hundred Acre Woods. And they looked right across from it. And they saw a house. And they looked behind the house, and they saw their friend Winnie-the-Pooh. And that’s the end.

The End.

Elephant and Piggie

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New York was a wonderful trip. We had fun just being together, seeing the touristy things of the city like the Statue of Liberty, etc. I took lots of pictures but have not had a chance to look through them yet.

I went to a book expo, and it was okay. I don’t read a lot of modern fiction, and of course that was what it was about. I did enjoy meeting a number of picture book authors (although I missed meeting Mo Willems; I couldn’t get a ticket). I also did really enjoy the Book Blogger Convention. Notable authors I met include Katherine Paterson, Jan Brett, and Judy Schachner (Skippy Jon Jones).

One highlight of the week for me and for Paul was I got to meet a life-sized Elephant and Piggie. Apparently, Paul was telling all his preschool friends about them the next day (after I talked to him on the phone). They did not know what he was talking about.(Sorry, awful pictures, taken with my phone)

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We love Elephant and Piggie in our house. Perfect for a budding reader. Paul reads one of them (usually Gerald) and I read the other. Gerald always has more words because he is a worrier, but it’s amazing to me how much Paul is able to read.Our favorite of the 15+ books is We Are in a Book. I’m thinking I may need to track down a copy for our permanent collection.

Quick Update

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  • I did not forget my fifth wedding anniversary on Friday. Ryan worked at the temple until late. We’re celebrating starting tomorrow when we head to NYC together, sans Paul!
  • I’m working on scanning pictures and archiving them in a personal flickr account. If you befriend me on flickr (rebreidfamily) then you can see all the albums. I’m going to post some of the images on our new Family Gallery page, but most will, for privacy’s sake, be hidden to strangers. In honor of our wedding anniversary, see our Wedding Festivities page.

  • Paul is very excited to spend time with his friends (two nights) and with grandma (the rest of the week). He started packing a bag last week, but I’ve been trying to convince him it’s still too early to pack.
  • Paul’s imaginary friends are still around. They keep multiplying. One of his newest friends is Pinecone.
  • I took my first Karate belt test on Saturday night. If I passed, I’ll be a red belt. If I didn’t pass, I’m still a white belt. Either way, I’ve got to keep working out. My stomach is no longer satisfying to me.
  • For three days in New York, I will be attending Book Expo America and a Book Blogger Convention; I’ve been invited to be on a panel talking about special issues for bloggers writing about the classics. They have paid my way to the convention. Although I don’t read a lot of newly published literature, I’m still ridiculously excited.
  • Today was Paul’s last day of gymnastics class. We might do it again in the fall; I don’t know yet. Trust me, even though he’s getting lots of help in this video, he’s much improved.

Lucky Bookish Treasures

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When Grandma passed away, my mom gave each of her children a special something from Grandma. My item was a book published in 1852, the fourth edition of Young Ladies’ Oasis. This book is a collection of poetry, essays, and stories “appropriate” for young ladies.

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Today, I wanted to browse through it, and what did I find but what I’ve been looking for all my life: A lucky 4-leaf clover.

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Years ago, Mom told me a story. When she was a young girl, her Aunt Florence was sitting in their backyard when she said, “oh, I’ve found a four-leaf clover!” She was sitting in a patch of them. I have been looking for my own four-leaf clover since I first heard that story.

Apparently, Gram (Josie Lecta Dedman Wilson) took one of the clovers home and pressed it in this book of hers, which we assume she received from her mother (Dora May Allison Dedman).

I love how the clover has left a mark on the page. A shadow of that lucky day.

The clover is pressed between pages 192 and 193, in the midst of an essay called “Pretty Women.” It ponders pretty women throughout “history” (Rachel in the Bible, Helen of Troy, Cleopatra) and wonders why women today (1850s) aren’t using their good looks to their best advantage.

Every lady is at liberty to bring out her own ” good points” as she thinks best, and it is easy to do so, as well as to conceal her weak ones, without departing from the fashions that prevail.

One of the two of these ancestors of mine (probably not my grandma, Helen Wilson Benac, given the ageing), also left a few other treasures.

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This looks to me to have been embroidered with hair. But maybe I’m just wishing. It’s probably thread. I’ve always thought the embroidered-with-hair thing to be very cool, but my husband says that it is disgusting. Are you in the disgusting camp or the cool camp?

And then, someone enjoyed an autumn afternoon while reading Young Ladies’ Oasis. I love the dark spots on this leaf. I haven’t read this essay yet.

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Young Ladies’ Oasis is, of course, available online by now. Are you going to read it? I am. Not in the fourth edition, though. I’m going to read the ebook. The ten minutes I spent with it today have done far more damage to this family heirloom than I’d like to admit.

 

Eminent Women Redux

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Remember how last year when I went to Nauvoo I was a model for a painter? He was painting the eminent men and women who appeared to President Woodruff in the St. George Temple. I became incredibly interested in this event, and although I haven’t thought of it every day, the event is something I have recalled a few times in the past months.

This week I was reading the poetry of Anne Bradstreet. I wrote about Anne Bradstreet today on my reading blog. Anne Bradstreet was a Puritan, a dedicated wife, and a free-thinker, as she balanced being a mother to eight with being a pioneer in a 1630s New England settlement and a talented poet in her own right.

“I am obnoxious to each carping tongue
Who says my hand a needle better fits.” (“The Prologue” stanza 5)

Yet, given the fact that she was a woman of faith, a Puritan woman at that, she also has numerous poems about faith. Just like you and me, she struggled to come to peace with her life struggles and her faith in the beyond. Take this sample from a poem she wrote just after her house burned down.

There’s wealth enough; I need no more.
Farewell, my pelf; farewell, my store.
The world no longer let me love;
My hope and Treasure lies above. (“Verses on the Burning of My House”)

Or maybe these thoughts of faith as she suffered from insomnia one night:

By night when others soundly slept
And hath at once both ease and Rest,
My waking eyes were open kept
And so to lie I found it best.

I sought him whom my Soul did Love,
With tears I sought him earnestly.
He bow’d his ear down from Above.
In vain I did not seek or cry.

My hungry Soul he fill’d with Good;
He in his Bottle put my tears,
My smarting wounds washt in his blood,
And banisht thence my Doubts and fears.

What to my Saviour shall I give
Who freely hath done this for me?
I’ll serve him here whilst I shall live
And Loue him to Eternity. (“By Night While Other’s Slept”)

At any rate, as I read her struggles of faith, I felt the same things I felt when I have been doing family history. I felt she was right next to me as I read her poems of faith. I felt that the veil was incredibly thin. And I had a distinct impression that she was one of those eminent women who appeared to Wilford Woodruff.

I looked on all the sites I looked on last time. I could not find Anne Dudley or Anne Bradstreet on any of the lists. So I looked her up in New Family Search. I found that her baptisms were done in September 1879 in the St. George Temple. It was two years and a half after the eminent men and women appeared to Wilford Woodruff. Maybe she was not one of those who appeared on that day in 1877, but somehow her name got put in the system at the same time. (Those were the first baptisms for the dead performed in a temple, as the St. George Temple was the first operating temple.)

Bradstreet’s poems show that she already believed the gospel two hundred years before it was restored. Such good poetry. Read it at Anne Bradstreet.com.

What are you reading for National Poetry Month?

By the way, can you tell which face is based on mine in Bedard’s image? I don’t know for sure, of course, but there’s one that I think looks rather like me. The painting is almost done and so beautiful! See here.