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Show '-i.; • :.•'•#.**.,••"*•"'•"•'*'• -NEWS- Spanish Fork Covering what matters most WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2008 • A3 What matters more? Life After Birth Janene Baadsgaard Lots of people ask me how I find time to write when I have 10 children. I tell them, "I don't find time to write. I make time to write. I'm afraid if I stop, I'll forget all the good parts of my life." Writing about being a parent is also my personal attempt to give honor to vital work that is often unappreciated and unheralded. Ordinary activities like fixing a meal, sweeping the kitchen floor or changing a diaper are often overlooked when it comes time for recognition. In our society we give adulation and millions of dollars to individuals who can dunk a basketball, walk down a runway in a bikini or pretend they are someone else for a movie camera. Taking care of children seems to be too common, boring and ordinary to garner societal attention or remuneration. Yet it is in those vital relationships we form at home where all the qualities of human greatness are neglected or nourished - like love, compassion, forgiveness, patience, kindness and charity. So, I write and write and I can't stop writing because the events and relationships that are happening in my family and your family will only happen once in the history of the universe. If we don't observe, contemplate and gain insight from the profound uniqueness of our own life and relationships we form, they will be lost forever. History teaches us that I remember a day when my daughter Ashley called battlefield victories fade, me to the west window to leadership changes and the see a sunset. I was busy flames of fame are quickly and told her I'd be there snuffed out. At the end in a minute. By the time I of the day there has to be walked into the dining room someone to go home to. A and looked west, the sunset man or woman who feels was gone - the day ended. peace and joy at home has I was too late. I don't want accomplished the greatto feel that way at the end est feat in life. Yes, famof my life - too busy doing ily life has ups and downs, anything less important at twists and turns, triumphs the price of what was truly and failures. Yet learning to forgive, love and cherish significant. Somewhere deep inside those in your own home is of me I have been given an the truest measure of a life absolute personal convic- well lived. tion that being a person who The most exciting journey loves and cares for others is , we take in this life is the one incredibly important. I also that invites us to discover the know that we become role capacity of our heart. That models much more quickly is a journey we best take at than we think. Little eyes home. When we truly love look to us to see how hu- someone, it changes the way man beings behave in this we see ourselves, the world world. and each other. There is a deep sustaining sustenance that feeds those who serve. How we take care of those who can not care for themselves is the test of a nation, state, community and ah individual. What matters more How many people know our name or how many people know we love them? How many possessions we have, or how many possessions we have given away? How much talent we have or how much we've used our talents to bless the lives of others? Janene Baadsgaard is the author of many books for families including 15 Secrets to a Happy Home, Families Who Laugh . . . Last, On the Roller Coaster Called Motherhood, Winter s Promise, Financial Freedom for LDS Fami- Janene Baadsgaard lies and The LDS Mother's Almanac available at local booh stores or at www. springcreekbooks.com. Read her past columns at www.janene baadsgaard. blogspot.com. She can be reached at janenebaadsgaard@q.com. How to store your gasoline \ Ready or Not Dawn Van Nosdol Quite some time ago I had a friend of mine ask me how she should store gasoline for her generator and vehicles and such in case of an emergency. I've been putting it off because it is such a volatile subject. There are a lot of strong feelings about gasoline storage. I'm not going to approach this subject as an expert because I'm not, but I am going to talk about safety issues and the potential problems of long term storage. I called and talked to Provo City's Fire Marshall, Jim Guynn. He was very helpful, very informative and very concerned about the subject himself. He is aware that people are concerned about fuel storage, especially now that gasoline prices fluctuate up and down at best, and sky rocket at worst. A few months ago a couple living in Salt Lake City lost their entire house because they had stored In gratitude 'Round and About Benjamin Kathleen Olsen ' Saturday, Oct. 25, 2005, was, indeed, a Super Saturday as Relief Society members experienced a day full of good works and lunch. Two quilts were made to be donated to the LDS Church Humanitarian project plus a demonstration about emergency heat sources. Also, three different crafts were available for making. Stephanie Gait was in charge of the day and was assisted by Jill Stewart, Shirley Diamond, Janice Lovelace, Gail Ballard, Beth Bartholomew, and Marilyn Anderson. ••• Congratulations to Darren and Sarah Brown on the birth of a new daughter on Oct. 15, 2008. Her name is Lydia and she is the fourth daughter and eighth child in the Brown family. Our sympathy is extended to Dallas and Pat Swenson, Paul and Nedra Swenson, and Waldo Swenson on the death of their brother, Merrill E. Swenson of Costa Mesa, California. He passed away on Oct. 23, 2008. Funeral services were held on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Walker Mortuary in Spanish Fork, with burial taking place in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery. We also offer our sympathy to the extended Swenson family. ••• Former Benjamin resident, Raona Hatfield Hone Bingham, died at her home in Topaz Ranch, Nevada, on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. Her many friends in Benjamin remember her with great fondness for her cherry personality as she served in community and church activities leaving people smiling wherever she went. Graveside services were held in the Spanish Fork cemetery on Friday, October 31. containers of gasoline in their basement. They were so concerned about the rising fuel costs that they wanted to buy enough to have on hand to offset the rising cost. That is a really good philosophy when it comes to Cream of Mushroom soup, however, the fumes from canned soup won't ignite and burn the house down when it finds the open flame of your water heater or furnace. Fortunately the couple lived; but what a lesson to have to learn. As Fire Marshall Guynn and I talked, his biggest concerns were: the amount that was stored on site, the container that it was being stored in, the place that the fuel was stored, and the length of time it was stored. Per Utah State Code, it is illegal to store more than 30 gallons of fuel in properly designated containers. This does not include the fuel you have in your vehicle's tank; just another reason to always keep your car tanks full, no matter the cost. Fire Marshall Guynn 1 has asked that whatever you do, don't store fuel in the big blue containers that are manufactured for water — instead, store water in them (two gallons per person, per day, for a two week period). The fuel will eventually break down the plastic and will leak or create even bigger problems; store fuel only in metal gas cans or plastic containers that are specifically manufactured for gasoline storage. One last thought. Fire Marshall Guynn stated that if there is an excessive amount of fuel stored on a property where his men are fighting a fire, and one of his firemen gets hurt or dies, as the Fire Marshall he would prosecute the owner of the gasoline to the fullest extent of the law — including negligent homicide. Keep this in mind when storing your fuel. Safety first for family, neighbors and your friendly neighborhood firefighter. For an extended article, with the Utah State Code for fuel storage, legal fuel dispensing options and additional tips and information concerning gasoline storage, go to www.apreparedhome.com In a world of unrest There and Back Again Shirlene R. Ottesen Your chuckle for the week: I was testing the children in my Sunday School class to see if they understood the concept of getting to Heaven. I asked them, "If I sold my house and my car and had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?" "No!" the children answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the lawn and kept everything neat and clean, would that get me into Heaven?" Again the answer was, "No!" By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun! "Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?" Again, they all answered, "No!" I was just bursting with pride for them. "Well," I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?" A five year-old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!" Here we are with a new president of our country. For the life of me, I can't figure out why anyone would want the job in the first place. Yet there were plenty of wannabe's in the beginning. What a long and drawn out campaign. Maybe the best thing that happened will be that the campaigning is finally over! To the new President - Good Luck. My philosophy on the whole matter is that the human family is making such a mess out of our Heavenly Father's creation that we have placed ourselves on a path that will probably not change. This earthly home of ours will complete it's final destiny no matter who is president. A trip to the grocery store is becoming a new adventure in and of it's self. We keep looking for some of the old prices, but so far they are hard to find. The economic news has given most people a case of the jitters. Almost daily now we hear the news about layoffs in big companies. A prominent mathematician was being interviewed on KBYU's News Hour. His statement was that "we have no idea the domino effect that the current situation will initiate," and indicated that the economy will worsen before it gets better. With all of the unrest and turmoil around the world, it would seem that we are in for quite a ride which will test our fortitude, our creativity, and our faith. We must stay focused on that which is the most important and let other "stuff" just drift away. Learning to prioritize will become an important part of our daily lives. Deciding the difference between "wants" and "needs" will require us to make some painful decisions. ©eekfve HEALTH ESSENTIALS 846 Expressway lane, Spanish Fork located next to Kmart 794-9912 •Custom Homes •Additions •Finishing Basements "Thank You Spanish Fork and Salem for making us your Home Builder choice for 2008. 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